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Country Status
Belarus is currently
CLOSED to adoptions by foreign
citizens.
At this time the US Department of State has
been corresponding with the Government of Belarus regarding the need
for clear and current information on the adoption process.
Please read the notice from the US Department of State, posted below
on January 31, 2006.
If you have additional questions
and would like to contact an agency that has previously facilitated
adoptions in Belarus, please consult our
Country Programs page.
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January 31, 2006 -
The U.S. Department of State posted the following notice on its
Important Notices website.
Update on Belarus Adoptions
Virtually all intercountry adoptions in
Belarus have ceased since October 4, 2004, when Belarusian President
Aliaksandr Lukashenko asked his cabinet to look into international
adoptions. The Government of Belarus changed its adoption procedures
in 2005 but adoptions have yet to move forward. The Government of
Belarus has not provided clear information on the possible duration of
the apparent suspension or possible provisions for completing
adoptions that were already in the pipeline before October 2004. The
U.S. Government continues to be concerned about the future of
adoptions from Belarus. The U.S. Embassy is in regular contact with
Belarusian Government officials to seek clarification and continues to
raise this issue with the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The
Department of State has also expressed its concerns to the Belarusian
Embassy in Washington. We are monitoring this situation closely to
obtain answers to the adoption community's important questions and
will provide additional information as it becomes available.
The U.S. Government firmly believes that international adoption,
rather than institutionalization, is in the best interests of children
who cannot find permanent family placements in their home countries.
We will continue to seek clarification from the Belarusian Government
about the future of adoptions and encourage international adoption as
a viable option when domestic adoption is not possible for a
Belarusian child.
This site will be updated as new information becomes available.
March 30, 2005 - The following is a notice from the
US Department of State:
The Department of
State is aware that on October 4 Belarusian President Aleksander
Lukashenko asked his cabinet to look into international adoptions.
The Belarusian Government has not elaborated on what this means, but
we understand from parents trying to complete adoptions in Belarus
that intercountry adoptions in Belarus are on hold. The Government
of Belarus has not provided information on the reason for the
apparent suspension, the possible duration of the suspension, nor on
possible provisions for pending adoptions. We continue to be
concerned about the future of adoptions from Belarus. The U.S.
Embassy is in daily contact with Belarusian Government officials to
seek clarification and has raised this issue with the Belarusian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Department of State has also
expressed its concerns to the Belarusian Embassy in Washington. We
are monitoring this situation closely to obtain answers to the
adoption community's important questions
and will provide
additional information as it becomes available.
The U.S.
Government firmly believes that international adoption, rather than
institutionalization, is in the best interests of children who
cannot find permanent family placements in their home countries. We
will continue to seek clarification from the Belarusian Government
about the future of adoptions and encourage international adoption
as a viable option when domestic adoption is not possible for a
Belarusian child.
This site will
be updated as new information becomes available.
January 31, 2005 - The Department of State has issued a
new update on adoptions from Belarus.
NEW
ADOPTION POLICY IN BELARUS
The
Belarusian Government has stated that a new law on
adoptions was signed on January 4, 2005. The new law
changes the process used to identify orphans eligible
for selecting orphans for international adoption. The
text of the law is not yet available.
According to information obtained by the U.S. Embassy
in Minsk, the new law will abolish the National
Orphans Database. The National Adoption Committee (NAC)
will be responsible for preparing adoption cases and
coordinating their review by the Ministry of
Education. Cases approved by the Minister of
Education will return to the NAC before ultimately
going to court.
The four adoptions by U.S. citizen parents initiated
and then suspended last year will be finalized in line
with the old procedures. However, no new adoptions
will be initiated in 2005 while the Government of
Belarus works out its new procedures.
This site will be updated as new information becomes
available.
January 21, 2005 - Unfortunately, there are no new updates on the
situation in Belarus. JCICS will be meeting with the U.S.
Department of State next week and if we learn of new information we will
update our site.
December 7, 2004 - There are no updates on the situation in Belarus.
The U.S. Embassy has requested updates and has advocated for the
processing of pending cases, but they have not heard back from the
Belarusian government. JCICS continues to monitor the situation
and we will update this site as we learn of new information.
November 2, 2004
- The following is a
notice from the Department of State on the situation in Belarus:
The Department of State
is aware that on October 4 Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko
asked his cabinet to look into international adoptions. The
Belarusian Government has not elaborated on what this means, but we
understand from parents trying to complete adoptions in Belarus that
intercountry adoptions in Belarus are on hold. The Government of
Belarus has not provided information on the reason for the apparent
suspension, the possible duration of the suspension, nor on possible
provisions for pending adoptions. We continue to be concerned about
the future of adoptions from Belarus. The U.S. Embassy is in daily
contact with Belarusian Government officials to seek clarification
and has raised this issue with the
Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Department of State has
also expressed its concerns to the Belarusian Embassy in Washington.
We are monitoring this situation closely to obtain answers to the
adoption community's important questions and will provide additional
information as it becomes available.
The U.S. Government
firmly believes that international adoption, rather than
institutionalization, is in the best interests of children who cannot
find permanent family placements in their home countries. We will
continue to seek clarification from the Belarusian Government about
the future of adoptions and encourage international adoption as a
viable option when domestic adoption is not possible for a Belarusian
child.
October 29,
2004 -
JCICS has contact the
Department of State (DOS) again today to find out any new clarifications
regarding the situation in Belarus. DOS has been in contact with the
U.S. Embassy, the National Adoption Center and the foreign ministry in
Belarus. To date the Belarusian government has not issued any
official statement or communication about the situation. It is unclear
if adoptions are currently being processed or when processing will
resume. We are awaiting direction from the Belarusians regarding
case processing, guidelines and timelines.
JCICS understands
that this is an anxious time for families in-process and we thank you in
advance for your patience. JCICS continues to monitor the
situation and will update this site as we learn of new information.
October 22,
2004 - The
U.S. Department of State recently posted an update on their website
about the situation in Belarus.
October 15,
2004 - JCICS has discussed the current situation in Belarus with
the U.S. Department of State who has been in contact with the U.S.
Embassy in Minsk. From what they have ascertained, President
Lukashenko has asked his cabinet to look into international adoptions.
However, the Belarusian National Adoption Center has reported that
adoptions are currently proceeding. In some of the international press
reports, the President stated a November 1st deadline with regards to
international adoption. The Department of State understood it that
adoptions without the approval from the Ministry of National Education
(Ministerstvo Narodnovo Obrazovaniya, or MNO) would not be allowed to
proceed, but they are seeking clarification on this point.
As we learn of
clarifications or new developments we will update this site. We
understand that this is an uncertain and stressful time for prospective
adoptive parents. We
recommend that families adopting from Belarus maintain contact with
their agencies and check this site regularly for more information.
October 12, 2004 -
The
international press is reporting that
President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will impose strict limits on
the adoption of Belarusian children by foreigners. JCICS is following
up on this issue with the Department of State and will update our
website as we learn of new information.
Excerpt from the
International Herald Tribune:
Limits on
adoption set
AFP
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
MINSK President
Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus will impose strict limits on the
adoption of Belarussian children by foreigners, officials said here
Monday. "Since 1991, 2,500 children have been adopted by foreigners,"
Lukashenko said at a recent meeting on social issues in a speech
broadcast by the presidency's press service. "From Nov. 1 of this year,
without authorization of the Education Ministry, no child will be able
to be sent abroad while we do not have adequate legislation," Lukashenko
said.
For more information
on adopting from Belarus please refer to the
U.S. Department of State's website.
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