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Country Status
Russia is currently
OPEN to adoptions by foreign
citizens.
View the list
of Joint Council agencies
currently accredited by the Russian Government to process adoptions
in Russia.
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July 27, 2010
Russia and U.S. Continue with Progress
A U.S.
interagency team met with its Russian counterpart in Moscow
from July 21-23, 2010 for the fourth round of discussions about
an adoption agreement. This most recent round of negotiations
were positive and productive and reflected the continuing
commitment of both sides to the common goal of increasing
safeguards for adoption between Russia and the United States.
The U.S. delegation was led by the Managing Director of the
State Department Office of Overseas Citizen Services, and also
included representatives from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration
Services (USCIS), the State Department Office of the Legal
Adviser, and the Bureaus of the Consular and European Affairs.
The Russian side was led by the Ministry of Education and
Science’s Director of Government and Children’s Welfare.
Additional information is available from
http://moscow.usembassy.gov/st_adopt072610.html
There has been no official change in the status of on-going
intercountry adoptions originating from Russia, but prospective
adoptive parents should be aware that in some parts of Russia,
adoptions may continue to be slowed down or delayed.
May 13, 2010
Russia and U.S.
Talks Move Forward
Earlier today,
Russia and the U.S. issued a joint statement on the progress of
their talks related to intercountry adoption. In addition, the
U.S. Department of State has published a separate statement on
intercountry adoption in Russia. Both statements can be found
in full below.
Both statements
indicate that significant progress has been made and agreement
on basic principles of an acord has been reached. From ongoing
dialogue with key stakeholders, it is Joint Council’s assessment
that a future agreement will most likely include the specific
responsibilities of each government, protocols for direct
communication between each country’s primary adoption authority,
increased post-adoption reports and responsibilities and the
utilization of only those U.S. based adoption service providers
accredited by the U.S. government (Hague accreditation).
Joint Council
fully supports a bilateral agreement and the inclusion of the
above noted improvements to the intercountry adoption process.
It is our understanding that while agreement has been reached on
these and other broad principals, a completed bilateral accord
will require additional talks between the two governments and
sufficient time to bring clarity and definition to the general
agreements.
May 13, 2010
Joint Statement
Issued by Russia and U.S.
The U.S.
Embassy in Moscow, Russia issued the following joint
U.S.-Russian statement today, May 13, 2010.
On May 12-13, U.S.-Russian consultation on adoption were held
in Moscow.
‘Generally, we very positively assess the atmosphere of the
talks. In the course of a substantial dialogue we’ve managed to
move forward on a wide range of complicated issues,’ says Alina
Levitskaya, Director, Department of State Policy on Upbringing,
Supplementary Education and Social Protection of Children,
Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
‘Both teams are committed to reach an agreement to increase
safeguards for intercountry adoption between Russian and the
U.S.’ adds Mary Ellen Hickey, the head of American delegation,
Managing Director, Office of Children’s Issues, U.S. State
Department.
The participants of the meeting shared their views on
existing difficulties in intercountry adoption and the way to
resolve them. The discussions were detailed and concerned
specific issues including domestic laws and international
obligations of both countries.
In particular, the delegations acknowledged that any
agreement being discussed would be legally binding. Each country
will define its competent bodies responsible for coordinating
bilateral cooperation in adoption.
Among other things, we discussed the role of authorized
adoption agencies, and the possibility of further regulating
their activities.
During the talks the participants reached broad understanding
on overall goals and principles and discussed how to proceed
toward those goals.
The delegations also agreed to exchange their revised drafts
as soon as possible.
Due to the significant number of issues under discussion and
the mutual commitment to resolve them as soon as possible, the
consultations will continue on May 14.
Further, the
U.S Dept of State, Office of Children’s Issues issued the
following announcement today, May 13:
A U.S. interagency
team held meetings to discuss an
adoption agreement with their Russian counterparts on May 12.
The meetings are ongoing and will continue on May 13. The
initial talks were positive, productive and conducted in a
spirit of cooperation. Both sides are interested in taking
steps to increase the safeguards for adopted children. The
discussions were technical in nature because they involve
domestic laws of two countries. There is still important work
to be done and this continues to be a high priority for both
governments.
It is our understanding that there
has been no change in the status of on-going inter-country
adoptions originating from Russia. Many thousands of Russian
children, who were not adopted by Russian families, have found
loving, safe and permanent homes in the United States through
inter-country adoption. We are pleased to be discussing with
the Russian government a future approach to ensure intercountry
adoptions continue.
Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that in some parts
of Russia, adoptions continue to be slowed down or delayed.
If you have completed an adoption in Russia and have an
immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow is continuing to schedule
and issue immigrant visas for adopted children using normal
processing procedures.
Contact the Embassy
at
MoscowConsularR@state.gov
to schedule an appointment. Please also stay in close touch
with your adoption service provider.
If you have a court appointment to finalize your child’s
adoption in Russia:
Many adoption cases are continuing to move forward in
the courts. We have heard of cases in which a court appointment
has been postponed. If your court appointment is postponed by
the court, please provide this information to us by email at
RussiaAdoption@state.gov
and
MoscowConsularR@state.gov.
Neither the
Department of State nor the U.S. Embassy have the authority to
intervene with the Russian courts on any individual case and
cannot provide a letter for use in the courts. Adoption service
providers and/or legal representatives in Russia may be able to
make inquiries about your case on your behalf with Russian
courts.
If you do not yet have a court date to finalize an
adoption in Russia, but are in the process of adopting from
Russia:
Please stay in close contact with your adoption service
provider, and check the
adoption.state.gov
website regularly for current information about intercountry
adoption from Russia.
The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has
established a special e-mail box for inquiries or comments about
adoptions from Russia. Prospective adoptive parents and others
with concerns about adoptions from Russia may send their
questions to
RussiaAdoption@state.gov.
Prospective adoptive parents may also provide complete contact
information for themselves, including full address, phone
number, and e-mail information, the name of their adoption
service provider (if available) and details about the child they
are planning to adopt.
May 12, 2010
Russia Update on Bilateral Negotiations
The Russian and U.S. media have reported that the
governments of Russia and the United States have reached a new
bilateral accord on adoptions and expect to sign it within two
months. Based on information available to Joint Council, we cannot
confirm these reports. However, it is our understanding that the
two governments have reached an agreement on principles and continue
to work towards an agreement that will ensure the best interest of
children is served.
In reaction to the
news, Joint Council President and CEO Tom DiFilipo states, “Joint
Council commends the
continued collaborative efforts of the two governments, as well as
the efforts of adoptive families,
prospective adoptive families, and
NGO’s in Russia and the United States
in ensuring that intercountry
adoptions between Russia and the
United States continues. We are confident and hopeful that the two
countries will reach an agreement shortly.”
Joint Council remains actively involved in ensuring the
continuation of intercountry adoption in Russia. Our
involvement continues through our We Are The Truth Campaign
and ongoing advocacy with
the Ministry of Education in Russia, U.S.
Dept. of State (the Office
of Children’s Issues and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow), our Member
Organizations and other international NGOs, prospective adoptive
parents and adoptive parents.
Joint Council will remain engaged with all key stakeholders and
publish updates as we continue to serve the children of Russia.
April 29, 2010
The U.S. Dept of State,
Office of Children’s Issues has issued the following
announcement regarding adoptions from Russia. Joint
Council commends the collaborative efforts of the two
governments, as well as the efforts of adoptive
families, prospective adoptive families, and NGO’s in
Russia and the United States in ensuring that
intercountry adoptions between Russia and the United
States continues. This announcement can also be viewed
on The Office of Children’s Issues website at http://adoption.state.gov/news/russia.html.
There has been no
official suspension in adoptions of Russian orphans by
American parents. However, in some parts of Russia, we
are aware that adoptions are being slowed down or
delayed. The United States and Russia held their first
round of talks on adoption issues in Moscow on April
29. The discussions focused on the U.S. and Russian
concerns regarding protecting the welfare and rights of
children being adopted internationally. The talks were
productive and an expert-level working group will travel
to Moscow for further discussions on an adoption
agreement on May 12, 2010.
If you have
completed an adoption in Russia and have an immigrant
visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:
The U.S. Embassy in
Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant
visas for adopted children using normal processing
procedures.
Contact the Embassy at
MoscowConsularR@state.gov to schedule an
appointment. Please also stay in close touch with your
adoption service provider.
If you have a
court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption in
Russia:
Many adoption cases are
continuing to move forward in the courts. We have heard
of cases in which a court appointment has been
postponed. If your court appointment is postponed by
the court, please provide this information to us by
email at
RussiaAdoption@state.gov and
MoscowConsularR@state.gov. We will
work with the Russian authorities to try to resolve any
problems.
If you do not
yet have a court date to finalize an adoption in Russia,
but are in the process of adopting from Russia:
Please stay in close
contact with your adoption service provider, and check
the
adoption.state.gov website regularly for current
information about intercountry adoption from Russia.
The Department of
State’s Office of Children’s Issues has established a
special
e-mail box for
inquiries or comments about adoptions from Russia.
Prospective adoptive parents and others with concerns
about adoptions from Russia may send their questions to
RussiaAdoption@state.gov. Prospective
adoptive parents may also provide complete contact
information for themselves, including full address,
phone number, and e-mail information, the name of their
adoption service provider (if available) and details
about the child they are planning to adopt.
April
27, 2010
The U.S.
government, represented by seven officials from the
Department of State and Department of Homeland Security,
will meet with Russian officials in Moscow on Thursday,
April 29, 2010. The substance of the meetings will
focus on an agreement between the two countries related
to intercountry adoption.
The Russian
government has called for the signing of an agreement
for the past few years and again in the wake of the
recent tragedy. According to Russian
officials, the continuation of intercountry adoption
between the U.S. and Russia is contingent upon an
agreement which formalizes the adoption process between
the two countries and increases the protections offered
to children and families.
Joint Council
fully supports an agreement between Russia and the
United States and continues to offer input on those
elements of an agreement which would realistically
increase child protection measures. While it
is not expected that an agreement will be signed on
Thursday, we continue to advocate for timely
negotiations and the continuation of intercountry
adoption during the negotiation period.
April
26, 2010
The Department of State
has updated their statements on intercountry adoption with
Russia. The text of the statement follows.
We have
received no official notification that adoptions of Russian
orphans by Americans have been suspended, but it is clear the
recent controversy has slowed down adoptions in some parts of
the
country.
The United States is
sending a delegation to hold talks with Russian officials, now
scheduled to take place on April 29 in Moscow. The United
States plans to emphasize the importance of intercountry
adoptions between our two countries, and will discuss our mutual
concerns about how to better protect the welfare and rights of
children and all parties involved in the intercountry adoption
processs. On April 25, Secretary of State Clinton spoke by
telephone with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. The issue
of adoptions was raised. They discussed our shared
commitment to the common goal of protecting the welfare and
rights of children and all parties involved in intercountry
adoptions.
Many thousands of
Russian children have found loving, safe and permanent homes in
the United States through intercountry adoption. Families
in the United States have adopted more than 50,000 children from
Russia.
If you have
completed an adoption in Russia and have an immigrant visa
appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:
The U.S. Embassy in
Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant visas for
adopted children using normal processing procedures.
Contact the
Embassy at
MoscowConsularR@state.gov to schedule an appointment.
Please also stay in close touch with your adoption service
provider.
If you have a
court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption in Russia:
Many adoption cases are
continuing to move forward in the courts. We have heard of
cases in which a court appointment has been postponed. If
your court appointment is postponed by the court, please provide
this information to us by email at
RussiaAdoption@state.gov and
MoscowConsularR@state.gov. We will work with
the Russian authorities to try to resolve any problems.
If you do
not yet have a court date to finalize an adoption in Russia, but
are in the process of adopting from Russia:
Please stay in close contact with your adoption
service provider, and check the
adoption.state.gov
website regularly for current information about intercountry
adoption from Russia.
April 19,
2010 - 19,000 Send Letter To President Medvedev and
President Obama
As part of
Joint Council's
We Are The Truth Campaign, an invitation to all who are
concerned about families and children to sign a letter to
Presidents Medvedev and Obama. The letter, asking for the
uninterrupted continuation of intercountry adoption and the
aggressive prosecution of anyone involved in the neglect or
abuse of children, was signed by over 19,000 caring individuals.
The letters were delivered to both Presidents last week.
As of
Monday, April 19, 2010, close to 25,000 have signed. The
invitation to add signatures to the letter continues to be open
and anyone who has not yet signed is encouraged to do so.
As the number of signatures continues to grow, Joint Council
will update the governments of Russia and the United States each
week. To sign the letter, click
here.
Joint
Council extends its thanks to everyone who participated in the
We Are The Truth Campaign, especially those who demonstrated
their commitment to families and children by signing the
letters.
April 19, 2010 -
Bilateral Meeting Postponed
The meeting between a U.S.
government delegation and their Russian counterparts, originally
scheduled for April 20th in Moscow, has been postponed due to
travel difficulties resulting from the volcanic ash cloud over
Iceland and much of Europe. The U.S. Department of State
is attempting to reschedule the meeting which was to address the
Russian government's request for a bilateral agreement on
intercountry adoption.
April 19,
2010 - Adoption Visas Continue
The U.S.
Department of State issued 6 visas for children adopted in
Russia on Monday, April 19, 2010.
April
19, 2010 - Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
A
statement on the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs indicated that intercountry adoption between the U.S.
and Russia is not currently suspended, but will be suspended if
the U.S. government does not begin discussions on the formation
of a bilateral agreement related to intercountry adoption.
April 16, 2010
The Department of
State has received no information to confirm a suspension of
adoptions from Russia to the United States. Our Embassy in
Moscow and other Department of State officials are talking with
Russian officials to clarify this issue.
The Department of
State is sending a high-level inter-agency team to Russia this
weekend to meet with senior Russian officials, including
officials from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the
Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Justice. The
U.S. delegation will emphasize the importance of this issue to
the United States, and will discuss our mutual concerns about
how to better protect the welfare and rights of children and all
parties involved in intercountry adoptions.
Many thousands of
Russian children have found loving, safe and permanent homes in
the United States through intercountry adoption.
Families in the United States have adopted more than 50,000
children from Russia.
If you have completed an adoption in Russia and have an
immigrant visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow:
The U.S. Embassy in
Moscow is continuing to schedule and issue immigrant visas for
adopted children using normal processing procedures.
Contact the Embassy
at
MoscowConsularR@state.gov
to schedule an appointment. Please also stay in close
touch with your adoption service provider.
If
you have a court appointment to finalize your child’s adoption
in Russia:
Many adoption cases
are continuing to move forward in the courts. We have
heard of cases in which a court appointment has been postponed.
If your court appointment is postponed by the court, please
provide this information to us by email at
RussiaAdoption@state.gov
and
MoscowConsularR@state.gov.
We will work with
the Russian authorities to try to resolve any problems.
If you do not have a court date yet to finalize an adoption in
Russia, but are in the process of adopting from Russia:
Please stay in close
contact with your adoption service provider, and check the
adoption.state.gov
website regularly for current information about intercountry
adoption from Russia.
The Department of State’s Office of Children’s Issues has
established a special e-mail box for inquiries or comments about
adoptions from Russia. Prospective adoptive parents with
concerns about adoptions from Russia may send their questions to
RussiaAdoption@state.gov.
April 15, 2010
Suspension Announced But Not
Confirmed
During a press conference today,
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko
stated that intercountry adoptions with the United States have
been suspended until a bilateral agreement with the United
States is signed.
At this time, the Ministry of
Education (the ministry responsible for intercountry adoption)
has not confirmed the suspension nor issued a statement.
U.S. Government
Delegation
We can confirm that a delegation
from the U.S. Department of State, lead by Ambassador Michael
Kirby, will travel to Moscow and conduct meetings with Russian
officials on April 20, 2010.
Joint Council is working to
achieve a clear understanding of the situation and will publish
appropriate and confirmed information as it is available.
April 13, 2010: Please
click
here to visit our blog for
the most continuously updated
information on Joint Council's activities concerning Russia and
adoptions from Russia.
April 12,
2010
We Are The Truth
A Campaign and Call to Action
The outrageous treatment of Artyem
by his adoptive family has rightfully resulted in outrage by the
Governments of Russia and the United States and all who care
about children. The tragedy has cast a light on intercountry
adoption that says it is not safe, the system failed and adopted
children cause insurmountable problems. The heartbreak of
Artyem Saviliev’s abandonment has once again elevated a singular
incident to a level which may result in the suspension of
intercountry adoption. Suspending adoption, even temporarily,
will only cause thousands of children to suffer the debilitating
effects of life in an orphanage.
You, the
community of adoptees, adoptive parents, adoptive grandparents,
child welfare professionals and child advocates know that the
outrageous and indefensible actions of one parent are not
indicative of how children are treated by adoptive families.
You know that families who encounter difficulties do not simply
abandon their child. You know that help is available, that
solutions are found and that families can thrive. And you know
that suspending adoption does not protect children but only
subjects them to the depravity of an institution…and an entire
life without a family.
You, the
adoption community know the truth. You live the truth. You are
the truth.
Join our
campaign to bring the truth to light and help children in need
find a permanent and safe family.
What
You Can Do
1) Sign
the letter to President Medvedev and President Obama:
The letter asks both Presidents to ensure that intercountry
adoption continues uninterrupted and to aggressively investigate
and prosecute anyone involved in the abuse of children. You can
sign anytime, but doing so before Tuesday night would
help us get the letters to both Presidents before President
Medvedev leaves the U.S. Click
here
to sign the letter.
2) We
Are The Truth – an adoption blogger day: To ensure the
world knows about every successful adoption, on Thursday, April
15, 2010 blog about your adoption or the adoption of someone you
know. It doesn’t matter if your adoption is with Russia,
domestic or otherwise international. Let the world know your
truth!
3) Tell
Your Truth with Video - make sure the world sees, hears
and feels the thousands of successful adoptions from Russia by:
a. Send
Joint Council your successful Russian adoption video via email
to
alexa.m@jcics.org.
i. Video
should be a maximum of 3 minutes.
ii. A
release must be sent to Joint Council or we cannot accept your
video. For a copy of the release, click
here.
b. Joint
Council will translate the video into Russian and post it on our
YouTube Channel.
4) Tell
Your Truth with Words and Photos
a. Send
Joint Council your successful Russian adoption story via email
to
alexa.m@jcics.org. Send us your stories through:
i. Photos
(please do not send more than 10)
ii.
Essays (maximum 500 words)
iii. A
release must be sent to Joint Council or we cannot accept your
story and/or pictures. For a copy of the release, click
here.
b. Joint
Council will then compile the stories and pictures, translate
them into Russian and post them on our
website and/or
blog.
5) Share
Your Truth
a. Joint
Council will post, forward and share your stories via Facebook,
Twitter, and blogs. Joint Council will be updating our YouTube
Channel and Facebook page as the stories get compiled and
translated, please subscribe to us on
YouTube,
Twitter and
Fan us on Facebook.
b. You
do the same by posting on your Facebook, Twitter, blog and
website!
Want to help
more?
- Are you
willing to speak to the media about your Russian adoption?
If so, please email
betheanswer@jcics.org with the following:
- Your
name(s)
- City,
State of residence
-
Contact Phone Numbers
-
Contact Email
- Short
4 sentence bio about your adoption
- Do you
speak Russian?
- We are
in need of individual volunteers who can help our staff
translate the videos and text quickly. If you are
interested in helping, email Joint Council at
intern@jcics.org.
- Do you
live in the Alexandria, VA area?
- Joint
Council is in need of short term volunteers over the
next two weeks, email
rebeccah@jcics.org if you would like to volunteer.
April 9, 2010
Following several requests,
Joint Council has prepared Background Information for those who
are not familiar with Intercountry Adoption between the United
States and Russia. To view this report, click
here.
April 9, 2010
The
Governments of Russia and the United States have reported that a
seven-year old Russian child, adopted by a U.S. family, was
flown to Russia and abandoned at the Ministry of Education in
Moscow. The child, adopted approximately 6-months ago by a
Tennessee family, is now under the protection of the Russian
government.
As
reported, this tragic turn of events is simply incomprehensible
and indefensible. Joint Council forcefully advocates for the
investigation, arrest and prosecution of all individuals
involved in any type of child abuse. Failing to take aggressive
action against the individuals involved in abuse only further
compromises children’s rights. And when the reaction to abuse is
the elimination of a particular service to
children (intercountry adoption) instead of prosecuting the
perpetrators, children are further victimized and their rights
stripped away.
It
should be recognized that this tragedy is an isolated incident
of abuse and not representative of the more than 100,000
adoptions completed each year by American citizens. Further, we
must also note that all children residing in the United States,
regardless of their country of birth or adopted status are
provided with the same protections and rights.
It
is our understanding that these right and protections are being
enforced by the appropriate elements of the United States and
Russian governments, including the U.S. Dept of State, Tennessee
Child Protection, and Law Enforcement. Joint Council fully
supports the actions of the Russian and United States
governments to ensure the safety of the child and that
aggressive action against the individuals involved
is taken.
Since news of the incident broke yesterday, Joint Council has
been actively involved in the situation and will remain engaged
with the Russian and U.S. governments, on the federal and local
level, along with adoption professionals and NGO’s in both
countries until a positive resolution is made. Further, Joint
Council has reached out to our colleagues in Russia with
information on the U.S. legal system, expressions of discontent
of the actions of the adoptive family, and offers to continue
collaborative efforts. Joint Council’s activity with both
governments on the situation; investigation, arrest and
prosecution of individuals involved; advocacy for the child and
other vulnerable children in Russia is our highest priority at
this time.
This tragedy demonstrates the need for all of us to work
together to ensure that the rights of other children are not
violated by the elimination of a particular service, including
intercountry adoption, to children and those individuals who
abuse children are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
November 6,
2009
America.gov
has published a story on intercountry adoption and heritage,
specific to Russia. The story highlights Alex Griffith, a CNN
Hero and friend of Joint Council, as well as, Families for
Russian and Ukrainian Adoption (FRUA). The
story is available in both English and Russian at the following
links.
http://www.america.gov/st/eur-russian/2009/November/20091102123622ZJsrednA0.9230615.html
http://www.america.gov/st/eur-english/2009/November/20091030165454ZJsrednA0.444607.
Given the
opportunity that positive stories, such as this, provide we
respectfully request that members distribute this information
widely.
June 1, 2009
Joint
Council participated in a live video conference with a U.S.
based panel of child welfare experts and a corresponding panel
based in Moscow along with members of the U.S. and Russian
media. Additionally, Joint Council was interviewed for an
upcoming article on America.gov which will be distributed (in
Russian) to Russian officials and public via the America.gov
website and other distribution channels.
The topic of
the conference was intercountry adoption and its role in finding
families for Russian children. The dialogue was very productive
in addressing the concerns of the Russian Federation including
an agreement between the U.S. and Russian governments regarding
intercountry adoption, post-placement reporting compliance and
the child protection system in the U.S. Additional dialogue
occurred around the subject of foster care and the detrimental
effects of temporary care for children without parental care.
This video
conference is part of a larger proactive initiative to elevate
the positive role of intercountry adoption in securing
permanency for children. The initiative is a collaborative
effort with the U.S. Department of State, the National Council
for Adoption, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute
and other key stakeholders. Elements of this initiative
include;
-
Two DOS
sponsored International Visitors Programs for Russian
officials,
-
The
Joint Council sponsored media outreach to Russian officials
and media,
-
Inclusion of Russian venues on the upcoming DOS sponsored
International Speakers Bureau (specific to intercountry
adoption and child protection),
-
The
recent effort by DOS and the Hague Permanent Bureau in
resolving apostille issues,
-
The
America.gov article on intercountry adoption (noted above),
-
The
video conference (noted above).
This
‘real-time’ video conference was facilitated by ROI Novositi and
the National Council for Adoption on Thursday, May 27, 2009.
Participants on the U.S. panel included U.S. Department of State
Deputy Secretary Michele Bond, Congressional Coalition on
Adoption Institute Executive Director Kathleen Strottman,
Council on Accreditation President Richard Klarberg, National
Council for Adoption Vice President Chuck Johnson and
International Assistance Group Director of Family Services Mary
Graber.
Joint
Council looks forward to future collaboration with our
colleagues with a goal of protecting the right of every child to
a family.
March 19,
2009
February 27,
2009
U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services has announced that
beginning March 30th it will adjudicate all I-600 petitions for
intercountry adoptions from Russia. USCIS has also released
related FAQs to further clarify the process. Please read this
most recent release, along with the
FAQs, for further information.
December 23, 2008
Joint Council
wishes to express our sympathy regarding the tragic death of
Chase Harrison (Dmitri Yakovlev). Nothing can be done to
change that tragedy and we continue to extend our sympathies to
everyone who cared for and loved Chase.
Some in both
American and Russian societies have expressed considerable
concerns regarding the acquittal of Mr. Harrison. While it is
clear that the acquittal is not in any way related to the fact
that Chase Harrison (Dmitri Yakovlev)
was the Russian born adopted son of Mr. Harrison, Joint Council
takes such concerns seriously and remains actively engaged with
the Russian and American governments along with adoption
professionals in both countries.
Since
Thursday, December 18th, Joint Council
has participated in three meetings with the U.S Dept of State
(DOS) regarding these matters. During the meetings, Joint
Council provided information on the case and requested the
immediate involvement of DOS in addressing the concerns of the
Russian government. The U.S. Department of State is well aware
of the situation and has been responsive both in Washington
D.C. and Moscow,
Russia. As part of
the U.S. Government response, John Beyrle, the U.S. Ambassador
to
Russia,
released a
statement
on this tragedy which saddens us all. In addition, Joint
Council has reached out to our colleagues in Russia with
expression of sympathy, information on the U.S. legal system and
offers for continued dialogue.
Joint Council
also remains actively involved with its Member Organizations and
other NGOs in seeking solutions that express the serious nature
of this tragedy and allow the continuation of intercountry
adoption in Russia.
Joint Council
will continue to be engaged with all key stakeholders and
publish updates as we continue to serve the children of Russia.
November 11, 2008
Traditionally when adoptive parents file their I-600 at the U.S. Embassy
in Moscow,
the I-604 review was conducted by a Department of State (DOS) Consular
Officer. This procedure is in the process of
changing. These changes may affect both the outcome
and timing of visa issuance.
The legal authority and responsibility for I-604 reviews resides with
U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). Until
now USCIS has delegated the duties of I-604 reviews to the DOS Consular
Officers in Moscow.
Beginning sometime early in 2009 USCIS in
Moscow will
conduct all I-604 reviews. The transition has begun
with USCIS currently conducting the review for only a few adoption
cases.
Joint Council encourages all adoption service providers (ASPs) and
adoptive families to work in a collaborative spirit with USCIS during
this transition period. It is our understanding that
USCICS does not intend on delaying or disrupting the intercountry
adoption process in Russia,
but rather to fulfill their duties as prescribed by
U.S.
law.
ASPs and adoptive families should be prepared for the possibility that
the I-600 filing and visa issuance may take longer than the current
2-days. Please note that this could extend the
travel time in Russia.
While it is not known if a specific adoption case will be
reviewed by USCIS or DOS during the transition, again, adoptive families
should be prepared for possible delays.
November 26, 2007
Joint Council has been
invited to speak at the Russian Ministry of
Education and Science's International Conference on the
Protection of Rights for Orphans and Children Without Parents. The
conference, scheduled for December 9, 10, and 11, 2007 in Moscow, will
focus on the identification and prevention of violence in domestic and
intercountry adoption. The U.S. delegation includes Tom DiFilipo,
President & CEO, Joint Council Board Member Jody Sciortino as well as
Dr. David Morris and Judith Thompson of Morris & McDaniel Consulting.

October 27, 2007
Joint Council, in cooperation with
members of Congress, is requesting immediate action on the part of the
U.S. Department of Justice regarding the issuance of clearances for
agencies attempting to obtain Russian accreditation. Joint Council has
also been in direct contact with Interpol on this issue, however
Interpol has been unresponsive to date.

October 17, 2007
Please click
here for the most updated list
of Joint Council members currently accredited in Russia.

September 5, 2007
Adoptions are now taking place in
several locations where they have been largely stalled for over a year,
including the Yevreiskaya Autonomous Republic, the Bryansk Region, and
the municipalities of Tomsk and Novosibirsk.

July 9, 2007
The following message
regarding transit visas was posted by the Immigrant Visa Unit of the
U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
"Dear representatives
of adoption agencies:
The U.S. Embassy
respectfully requests that adoption facilitators and agencies alert
their clients to the potential need for European transit visas when
returning to the
United States
accompanied by children adopted from
Russia. Some
European countries (the
Netherlands and
Switzerland, for
example) may require airport transit visas for Russian citizens even if
only changing planes or switching airlines at an international airport.
Please advise your clients to consider this matter before making return
travel arrangements, so that they have time to obtain any necessary
visas for their children."

July 6, 2007
Joint Council was recently informed that the
Russian Ministry of Education has begun issuing accreditations for
agencies to resume adoption services in the country. We are
working to confirm the Member organizations that have received their
official documentation and will update our
list of accredited agencies
accordingly.

May
18, 2007
The following notice was sent to Joint
Council by the Consular Section in Moscow. The notice details an
upcoming change in procedure to obtain visas for adopted children:
" The U.S. Embassy in
Moscow wishes to alert you to
an upcoming change in the procedure to obtain visas for adopted
children. As of Monday, June 18, 2007, the Embassy’s standard
processing time for adoption visas will be
two business days.
As we adapt our
procedures to more effectively incorporate the security screening steps
required under the laws of the
United States,
we see this change as a key improvement in providing consistent, timely
service to our customers.
In accordance with
U.S. law,
biometric data of visa applicants must be checked via a screening
process. This process, while usually completed within a few hours, can
occasionally take longer to complete. To ensure consistent service to
customers, the Embassy must allow for a minimum of 24 hours between the
time of document submission and visa issuance.
Application documents
will continue to be accepted at the Embassy from 9:30 to 11:00 AM on
regular business days. However, beginning on Monday, June 18, 2007,
families will not be scheduled for
interviews at 2:00 PM on the same day as documents are submitted.
Instead, families will be scheduled for interview on the
following business day at 2:00 PM.
Ordinarily, families will be issued the visas and immigration documents
following the interview. However, please convey to your clients that we
cannot guarantee that visas will always be provided at the interview due
to the occasional need for additional processing and/or screening.
As a result of this
change in procedure, please note that those families whose visa
application documents are submitted on Fridays or days prior to holidays
will not be issued visas until the day following the weekend or holiday
period. Please alert your clients to this circumstance.
In addition, all
adopted children who are 14 years of age or older will need to accompany
either their parents or the adoption agency representative to the
Embassy at the time of document
submission so that they can be fingerprinted. By collecting
all necessary biometric data at this time, the Embassy can get underway
with visa processing as early as possible. These applicants will also
come to the Embassy on the following business day for the actual visa
interview.
We appreciate your
cooperation with the Embassy as we strive to improve our procedures and
service, and we thank you for your efforts to assist adopting families
with the process of visa application. "

April 30, 2007
The
following announcement was made by the U.S. Department of State on
Friday, April 27th:
Update on Adoption
Agency Accreditation Delays -
No U.S.-based adoption service providers (adoption agencies) are
currently accredited with the Ministry of Education and Science of the
Russian Federation.
The Ministry of Education is currently
reviewing adoption agencies' accreditation applications and has not
announced a date by which it will complete this review. These
applications for accreditation are also under review by four other
Russian ministries: the Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Interior,
Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Sometimes during
the review process, one of these ministries requests additional
documents or clarification on some matters. Recently, for example, the
Ministry of Justice returned applications to adoption agencies with a
request for more information. According to the recently-adopted law on
re-accreditation, the Ministry of Education can only issue a license for
accreditation if they have approval from the other four ministries.
The U.S. Government has been actively
encouraging the Russian government to complete its reviews and proceed
with appropriate accreditations or re-accreditations as expeditiously as
possible. In addition, the Department of State recently provided to
pending U.S. agencies, as well as to the Russian government directly,
additional information that the Russian ministries had requested in the
context of reviewing these applications. We also stand ready to assist
however we appropriately can in answering additional questions that may
arise.
We continue to monitor this situation
and will update our web site (www.travel.state.gov)
should new information become available. We recommend that American
prospective adoptive parents in the process of adopting a Russian
child(ren) stay in close contact with their adoption agency.
Sincerely,
Hague
Implementation Staff
U.S. Central Authority
Department of State

January 29, 2007
Joint
Council staff and Board of Directors met with the U.S. Department of
State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services last Monday in
conjunction with our quarterly Board meeting. The following update was
supplied to us by DOS:
The U.S. Embassy Moscow has reported
that as of January 19th, 56 U.S. adoption agencies have
successfully registered with the Ministry of Justice as NGOs. There are
currently 14 adoption agencies with both NGO licensing and Ministry of
Education accreditation. On January 25th, four of these 14
agencies will lose their licenses and will need to reapply. On January
29th, the U.S. Department of State will be meeting with
Russian Women Legislators as part of the Voluntary Visitor’s Program
during which adoption issues will be discussed. Joint Council will also
be meeting with this delegation in the coming week. We will be sure to
update the caucus of new information as it is made available and will
offer a report of the delegation’s visit in the near future.

September 26, 2006
As of September 15th, ten U.S.
adoptive service providers have successfully completed the NGO
registration process. DOS understands that the October 18th deadline,
previously announced by the Ministry of Justice, still stands.
Re-accreditation by the Ministry of Education is a separate process that
must follow successful registration as an NGO, and thus many agencies
may find themselves "up against the clock" if they fail to register as
an NGO before their current Ministry of Education accreditations expire.
If your agency becomes re-accredited or receives NGO registration,
please contact JCICS at jcics@jcics.org.
Please also fax a copy of your documents to JCICS for our records.
Tom DiFilipo is traveling on a delegation to Russia this week as part of
the JCICS International Relations Initiative.
A copy of the report from the trip can also be found
here.

July 6, 2006
In May, the Government
of Russia passed an NGO law which affects the accreditation of U.S.
based adoption service providers. As of today, July 6th, Embassy Moscow
has not been able to gain clarification on the new requirements for how
to register with the Ministry of the Interior. We will continue
to post updates as they are received.

May 24,
2006
At this time, the accreditations of a number of US agencies working in
Russia have lapsed. Russia has not yet issued reaccreditations for
these agencies, and JCICS is not aware of the time-frame in which this
will happen. If you are just beginning the adoption process, it is
recommended that you seek out an agency for which accreditation is
current. That list is available at the bottom of this page.
Parents who are in the process should remain in contact with their
agency and should check this website for updates on the reaccreditation
process.

May 5,
2006
JCICS has learned the following from the U.S. Department of State.
The Russian Ministry of Education has confirmed that
foreign adoption
service providers are subject to the new NGO law. (Previously it
was thought that adoption agencies would be exempt but now we have
learned that is not the case). This means the following:
-
Agencies that are
already accredited under the old rules will be allowed to operate
until their accreditation expires.
-
Agencies seeking new
accreditation or renewal (including the large number we know are
scheduled for re-accreditation on May 17) will be prohibited from
operating until they both register with the Ministry of Justice under
the new NGO law and receive accreditation from Ministry of
Education once implementing procedures are in place. We do not
know exactly when the implementing procedures will be in place but the
timeframe of June/ July has been mentioned.
-
NGO registration,
once implemented, will likely add thirty days to the accreditation
process.
-
The Embassy was
assured that adopting parents who have already submitted applications
to Russian authorities will be allowed to complete their adoptions
independently if their agency loses accreditation.
If you are in the
process of adopting from Russia we recommend that you stay in
contact with your agency. In the report we received it was
stressed that prospective families with adoptions in process could
continue or complete their adoptions. If your agency will lose its
accreditation before your adoption is complete you can continue the
process independently.
JCICS will continue to follow this issue
closely and will update our site as we learn of new developments.

May 3, 2006
JCICS wrote a letter to the Ministry of Education in Russia
requesting the timely reaccreditation of adoption agencies up for
renewal on May 17, 2006.
Click
here for a copy of the letter.

March 1, 2006
The Russian Ministry of Education has issued reaccreditation
certificates to seven US agencies. See below for the complete
list.

February 6, 2006
The Russian Ministry of Education has issued reaccreditation
certificates to four agencies in the US. Two of these agencies are
JCICS member agencies and are listed at the bottom of this page.
The Ministry has also informed the US Embassy in Moscow that there are a
number of additional agencies under consideration to be reaccredited in
the Spring of 2006.

September 20, 2005 -
The Russian Ministry of Education issued reaccreditation certificates to
four agencies. Two of these agencies are located in the US and are
included in our current list of accredited agencies. Click the
link above to see the complete list.

September 15, 2005 -
You Are Invited.....
JCICS is hosting a Reception for a visiting Russian Delegation on
Thursday, September 15, 2005 and would like to invite families in
the DC/ MD/ VA area. The event is a wonderful opportunity for the
Delegation to witness first-hand how Russian adopted children are
thriving in their families. Families, agencies and child welfare
advocates are all welcome to attend.
Reception for Russian Delegation
Thursday,
September 15, 2005
4:30 – 6:30 pm
Washington, DC
If you are interested in attending, please contact
jcics@jcics.org as soon as possible for further details. For
families, please make sure to include the number of people attending –
including children and the children’s ages.
Russian Delegation includes:
Mr. Anatoliy
Vasilyevich BABOSHKIN
Deputy,
Federal Duma, Moscow
Ms. Yekaterina
Sergeyevna BODNAR
Head of
Guardianship Department, City Administration, Verkhnyaya Pyzhma
Mr. Igor
Anatolyevich BOGACHEV
Counselor to
the Deputy Minister of Education,
Moscow
Mr. Ilya Valeryevich
DOROGOYCHENKO
Program
Coordinator, Inspiration (Vdokhnoveniye)
Child
Rehabilitation
Center, Nikolskoye, Moscow Oblast
Ms. Oksana Vitalyevna
MERZLYAKOVA
Director,
Authorized Service for Guardianship, City Administration, Perm
Ms. Natalya Alekseyevna YAKOVLEVA
Chief,
Department of Children's Rights, Office of the Plenipotentiary
Representative on Human Rights in the Russian Federation, Moscow
Mr. Yuriy Aleksandrovich YEVDOKIMOV
Director,
Municipal Orphanage, Nikolskoye,
Leningrad
Oblast
Ms. Marina
Vladimirovna ZAYTSEVA
Senior
Prosecutor, General Prosecutor's Office,
Moscow

September 2005 - JCICS releases a
press
release after convening a coalition meeting to discuss
guidelines and response to Russian tragedies.
In response to the recent alleged incidents of abuse
involving Russian adopted children, Joint Council on International
Children’s Services (JCICS) convened a meeting on August 24 th
in Washington DC to discuss the
matter with other experts in the child welfare field.
Nearly thirty licensed,
non-profit U.S. adoption agencies were in attendance as well as
representatives from the National Council For Adoption (NCFA),
Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoptions (FRUA), ATTACh and
Adoption Exchange Association. The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA)
will also be involved in this effort going forward. Guest speakers at
the meeting included representatives from Childhelp USA (Virginia) and
the National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence. The intent of
the meeting was to collaborate with other NGOs and adoption agencies
to create a coalition task force to examine cases of abuse and
determine what additional safe guards can be put into effect to
maximize the protection of children.
Read the press release
(see link above) for more information.

August 29, 2005
The US Embassy in Moscow has released the following statement regarding
documentation requirements for families traveling to Russia. More
information on this and details on all documentary requirements can be
found on the US Embassy in Moscow's
Adoption Visa Information Page:
Please be advised that persons adopting orphans should take copies of
their past three years' income tax forms, and other financial
documentation with them when they travel overseas. The petitioner must
show income equal to 125% of the poverty guidelines for a family the
size of the sponsoring and sponsored families combined. Family size
includes the petitioner and anyone related by birth, marriage, or
adoption living in the household for at least 6 months; persons
otherwise dependent on the petitioner if they are listed on the most
recent Federal income tax return; and the number of orphans to be
adopted:
If
the petitioner cannot meet the 125% requirement on the basis of income,
either:
(1)
the petitioner may provide evidence of assets that are
readily available and, combined with the petitioner's total household
income, meet the income eligibility requirement. The value of the
"assets" less any offsetting liabilities, must exceed by at least five
times the difference between the federal poverty guideline established
for the petitioner's household, and the petitioner's household income;
or
(2)
one or more additional (joint) sponsors may submit
separate affidavits of support on behalf of the intending immigrant.
Each joint sponsor must meet the full 125% income eligibility
requirement for the beneficiary and all accompanying dependents based on
evidence of income alone.
Sincerely,
Immigrant Visa Unit
US Embassy Moscow, Russia
www.usembassy.ru

August 8, 2005 -
JCICS cautions against rash
legislation limiting the options for Russian orphans but encourages
strengthening and improving the intercountry adoption system
Click here for
the full statement
Joint Council on
International Children’s Services (JCICS) is saddened by the recent
reports of the January 2005 death of Dennis Merryman, an adoptive
Russian child residing in Baltimore, Maryland. However, we strongly
caution the Russian Duma against passing legislation eliminating
intercountry adoptions or calling for a bilateral agreement, as
proposed by Duma member Yekaterina Lakhova and Federation Council
committee member Valentina Petrenko.
This case has
not yet been tried in the US court of law and we discourage a
premature response that would impact thousands more children in need
of permanent families. According to news reports the child is
alleged to have suffered from cystic fibrosis and digestive problems.
The parents have been charged and the autopsy report listed starvation
as the cause of death. Until all the facts are made public and the US
legal system has reached a verdict the defendants, as in all cases,
should be innocent until proven guilty. JCICS does not know the
specifics of the case or the health care issues confronted, but we
recommend withholding judgment until the outcome has been determined.
Although the death occurred in January 2005 the autopsy report was not
released until late July which addresses some of the questions of why
this case is only now being discussed by the US media and adoption
community.
JCICS supports the
United States Judicial System in swiftly investigating this case but
to further proactively address this tragedy and ensure that children
are protected, JCICS proposes the following:
1.
Permanency for Children to Remain a Priority
2.
Standards for Pre-Adoption Screening and Post-Adoption
Reporting Be Strengthened
3.
Creation of Research Study to Identify Solutions & Safeguards

July 8, 2005 - JCICS releases
the following response to
today's news report that a Russian adopted child died as result of
physical abuse by her adoptive mother.
The mother is currently being held without bond and if convicted, she
could face up to 40 years in prison.

June
14, 2005 - The Russian Ministry of Education has accredited a
number of U.S. agencies in mid-May. Since that time, more agencies
have been accredited. Click the link above to see the updated list of
accredited agencies.
Q;
What if my agency is
not listed?
If your agency has not received re-accreditation they may
receive it soon. During the government restructuring last summer, many
agency's accreditation lapsed since the Russian government was
experiencing delays. Agencies submitted their accreditation
application during the winter and it is our understanding that the first
round of agencies accredited were the one's with their completed
applications filed first. Russia is accrediting more agencies, but
we do not know the exact number of how many or if they will accredit
agencies for the first time vs. a re-accreditation.
We suggest
that you maintain close contact with your agency during this time. We
understand that it is a difficult time for many waiting families, as it
is for many waiting children. We ask for your patience and
understanding as many factors are out of the agency's control. You
may wish to ask your agency what the back up plan is if they are not
accredited. Will they partner with another US agency that is
accredited and can you complete your adoption through them? If
that is the case, it is important that you are educated and comfortable
with the accredited agency as they will now be your placing agency.
If you have not been matched with a child yet, you may also wish to
inquiry about other country program. However, adoptions in Russia
do seem to be proceeding and we are encouraged that children are finding
permanent families.
As we
state in under our Parent's section of our website here are some tips on
what to do during this trying time:
4.
Be patient
The
inter-country adoption process includes many variables, therefore it
is impossible to predict an exact timeframe for when you will
receive your child. Sometimes, the foreign country may experience
political unrest or change the laws governing adoption which would
cause a delay in your process. For ideas on how to make the wait
for your child easier to bear, consult
Coping and Difficulties
and Delays As You Wait for Your Child.

May
24, 2005
The US Department of State just released the following notice on the
reaccreditation process in Russia:
RUSSIA
IMPORTANT NOTICE ON ADOPTIONS
May 24, 2005
This notice replaces the notice of March 22, 2005. The U.S. Embassy in
Moscow informed the Department that on May 17, the Ministry of Education
reaccredited 23 U.S. adoption agencies and is actively reviewing the
remaining applications for reaccreditation. The Ministry of Education
has also stated that, while compliance with the post-adoption reporting
requirement is only one of several criteria considered in the
reaccreditation process, even one missing post-placement report may
result in a negative determination regarding reaccreditation. We will
continue to urge balance in Ministry of Education decision-making
regarding accreditation, but urge adoptive parents to provide
post-adoption reports when they have agreed with Russian and other
national adoption organizations to do so.
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow continues to monitor the status of agency
reaccreditations and the release of data bank letters. To date, the
embassy has seen a 95% return to the earlier volume of approved adoption
cases.
For an updated list of the U.S. accredited agencies, please visit the
U.S. Embassy Moscow’s website at:
http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/wwwhci5.html.

May
18, 2005
Joint Council agencies have begun receiving certificates of
accreditation from the Russian Ministry of Education. These agencies
have been granted permission by the Russian government to resume their
work "in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation".
Agencies that have been posted on the US Embassy in Moscow's website as
accredited are listed at the bottom of this site.

May 17, 2005
Joint Council sent a letter to President Putin in response to recent
press reports regarding Russian-born children who have been adopted in
the US. Click here to read
this letter.

May 13, 2005
It is our
understanding that no agencies are accredited at this time. This has
been confirmed by the Department of State in Washington, DC and the US
Embassy in Moscow. Joint Council has written a letter in response to
the press reports regarding cases of neglect in children adopted from
Russia and residing in the US. This letter will be sent to President
Putin and cites the many safeguards that exist in the US intercountry
adoption system. As in the past, we will continue to monitor the
situation in Russia closely, and will follow-up on any information we
receive about the reaccreditation process.

March 22, 2005
The following message was released today by the
State Department:
Russia
Important
Notice on Adoptions
March 22, 2005
This notice replaces
the notice of February 16, 2005. On March 11, 2005, the Russian
Ministry of Education informed officials at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow
that principal authority for international adoptions had been returned
to the Ministry of Education. This followed a period of
government-wide reorganizations during which delegation of adoption
authority was left unassigned. The Ministry of Education now has the
authority to reaccredit adoption agencies. In instances in which the
Ministry of Education questions the reaccreditations of an agency, the
reaccreditations application will be referred to an inter-ministerial
commission whose formation is still in progress.
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow continues to monitor the
status of agency reaccreditations and the release of data bank
letters. To date, the embassy has not seen a return to the earlier
volume of approved adoption cases, but is beginning to see a modest
increase in such cases.

February 11, 2005
As part of our advocacy efforts, JCICS
sent letters to President Putin
and President Bush outlining our
concerns regarding the delayed accreditation process and data bank
letters, and addressing the concerns about international adoption within
the Duma. We requested that timely measures be made to efficiently
process adoption cases. These letters were sent in preparation for
the US-Russia Summit being held on February 24th. Click on
each president's name to view their respective letters.
As we learn of new information we
will continue to update our website.

January 31, 2005
JCICS met with the Department of State
last week. The new adoption law has gone into effect requiring that
orphaned children must be on the federal data bank for 6 months before
being eligible for international adoption.
The Embassy has also confirmed that release letters are starting to be
processed and sent to families. Prospective adoptive families need
to receive the release letters before they travel.
The commission on accreditation has
not yet been formed. We are awaiting the formation of the commission to
met and determine accreditation guidelines and then start issuing
reaccreditations. No timeline has been provided for this process.
The Department of State has also
issued an updated advisory about these new developments.
Click here for their update.

January 21, 2005
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow has released
the following update:
Data Bank Release Letters Update (as of January 20, 2005)
According to Ministry of Education sources, in adoption cases in which
the American prospective adoptive parents have made their first trip to
Russia prior to January 10, 2005 and have officially identified the
child or children they hope to adopt, the Ministry of Education is now
processing letters of release.
JCICS is meeting with the Department
of State next week and will confirm this report. As we learn of
new information we will update our site.

December 30, 2004
JCICS is hearing reports that
President Putin signed the legislation yesterday lengthening the time a
child is listed on the databank registry. We are awaiting confirmation
of this report from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in
Moscow. It was not expected that President Putin would sign the
law until January, but it is possible that it has occurred earlier.
We are seeking clarification on the length of time children will be
listed on the registry as there are conflicting reports of 6 months or 7
months. JCICS is also seeking clarification as to if this will be
implemented retroactively, impact children already referred to a family
for international adoption, or if it will only effect children not yet
matched with a family.
We will continue to update this site as we learn of new information.
Please understand that with the Russian holiday's approaching it may be
slower than usual to receive clarification and confirmation so we
appreciate your patience in this matter.

December 27
Click here
for the revised 2005 holiday schedule for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.

December 17,
2004
On December 15, 2004 the State Duma of the Russian Federation approved
the draft for new amendments to the Family Code of the Russian
Federation regarding adoption. These changes would allow a greater
opportunity for Russian citizens to adopt. The most significant
impact on international adoptions is the length that a child is on the
federal databank registry will be extended from 3 months to 6 months.
At this point in time this is only a draft bill.
The Department of State is aware of
the bill and is in the process of translating and analyzing it for more
information. At this time, we have no indication of if this bill
will go into effect and the timeframe for a vote.

December 16, 2004 - Update on Restructuring & Data Bank Suspension
In discussions with the U.S. Department of State (DOS) today, they
reiterated that the Russian government is undergoing reorganization and
that they believe the current temporary data bank release suspension is
related to this situation. The Russian government hopes to have the
reorganization completed by mid-January as explained in our notice below
about the accreditation process. At this time we do not have any
estimated time period of how long the data bank release suspension will
last.
The Department of
State is advising prospective adoptive parents not to travel until they
receive their databank letter. At this time DOS has not heard that
the federal registry time period has being extended. JCICS will
continue to update this site as we learn of new developments.

December 10, 2004 -
Data Bank Temporary
Suspension Confirmed
Below please find a
notice from the Embassy in Moscow. It addresses the current suspension
of data base releases. We have heard from several of agencies and
families experiencing this problem and understand the hardship placed on
families to continue to wait, especially around this time of year. JCICS
will continue to maintain contact with the State Department and Embassy
and will let you know of any new developments.

EMBASSY STATEMENT ON
ADOPTION ISSUES
The U.S.
Embassy in Moscow has learned from Russian Ministry of Education
officials that the Minister of Education has directed that, by the end
of December, an accreditation commission be formed comprised of
representatives from the Ministries of Education, Justice, Internal
Affairs, Health and Social Development. In addition, during the first
week of January, governmental offices will be closed for the holidays.
This reorganization and the holiday closures may mean that adoption
agencies that are renewing their accreditations or applying for
accreditation for the first time will not receive consideration by the
new accreditation commission until it is formed and functioning sometime
after mid-January. At the same time, for reasons that remain unclear,
the Russian government has again temporarily stopped issuing letters of
release for orphans on the federal data bank.
For this
reason, adoption agencies should discourage parents from coming to
Russia to complete adoption proceedings before the required release
letters are available.
While we
recognize the inconvenience and possible hardship this reorganization,
the prolonged holidays, and temporary suspension of release letters may
cause some adopting parents and adoption agencies, we do not believe
that U.S. government interference in this process at this time would be
appropriate or productive. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow will continue to
monitor the situation and apprise the adoption community of any
significant developments.

December 7, 2004 -
Accreditation of
Agencies in Russia
According to the U.S. Department of
State, the Ministry of Education recently ordered the creation of an
accreditation commission by the end of December. The accreditation
commission will include representatives from the Ministries of
Education, Justice, Internal Affairs and Health and Social Development.
Since the Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs are undergoing
their own reorganization, it hasn't yet been determined who will sit on
the commission. They will determine which adoption agencies will
be reaccredited. The commission is expected to meet at the
earliest in mid-January after the Russian holidays. It is
expected the agencies in good standing with a good reputation will be
automatically re-accredited but no guidelines or specifics have been
communicated. At this time, it is not clear which ministry or
department will be issuing the accreditation letters. There has
also been no indication of how many agencies will be accredited, if
there will be a limit on the number, if new agencies will be accredited, or how many
will be reviewed at one time. As we learn of new developments we
will update this site.

December 2, 2004
Many
families have contacted JCICS regarding the adoption process in Russia
fearing that a shut down is forthcoming. This fear has been generated
by frequent foreign press reports citing Russia’s desire for a
bi-lateral agreement with the United States. While the idea of a
bi-lateral agreement has been raised by Yekaterina Lyakhova, the
Chairwoman of the Duma Committee on Women, Family and Young People,
there have been no concrete steps towards implementing such a
requirement.
On November 15, 2004
a group of individuals, including Yekaterina Lyakhova met for a
round-table discussion on the laws of adoption within the Russian State
Duma. There were discussions about various strategies that would seek
to curtail the activity of unlicensed facilitators and ways in which
national adoptions could be increased. However, there was no plan
identified that would seek to shutdown international adoption.
Several agencies are
also concerned about the re-accreditation process in Russia. Following
the administrative restructuring of the Ministry of Education last year,
no person or committee has been tasked with issuing formal
re-accreditations. Some agencies were granted extensions however many
regions are not recognizing those extensions; thus agencies have been
forced to suspend their adoption programs until the re-accreditation
process is once again up and running. JCICS has asked the Department
of State to communicate directly with the Ministry of Education and
Science on this issue. We hope that there will be a quick resolution.

November 4, 2004
For the past two days JCICS has been hearing reports from families and
agencies that the Russian federal databank was closed and no longer
issuing letters. We are not sure where this information was obtained
but it is false.
It was confirmed today
by the United States Department of State and Embassy Moscow that the
databank is functioning normally. No suspension is imminent or planned
for the future. Embassy Moscow has been in direct conversation with the
Ministry of Education and Science and has been assured that all systems
are functioning as normal.
The
Consul General of the US Embassy has also been in direct contact with
the Minister of Education and Science. He is favorable towards adoption
and does not anticipate
any problems or interruptions to the system.
JCICS will continue to monitor the situation
in Russia and will update this website as we learn of additional
information.
Please Note: Effective September
1, 2004 the Immigrant Visa Unit in Moscow will require three colored
full frontal photos (50x50 mm) for adoption visas instead of
three-quarter profile photos.

December 9, 2003
The Embassy of the United States in Moscow,
Russia is pleased to announce that it will accept credit card payments
for the collection of immigrant visa fees for adopted children: the
I-600 petition fee and the Immigrant Visa issuance fee. The Embassy will
accept cards with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover logo.
The actual dollar amount will be charged directly to the card - there
will be no conversion to/from
Russian currency. For more information, please refer to their website at
www.usembassy.ru.

The following is a list of Joint Council on International
Children’s Services U.S. member agencies who are currently accredited
by the Russian Government to process adoptions in Russia.
Note
to Joint Council Member agencies: Please fax a copy of your license to
us at (703) 535-8049.
List updated March 30, 2010
Joint Council Members
-
ABC
Adoption Services, Inc.
-
Adoption Associates, Inc.
-
Adoption Center of Washington
-
Adoptions Together
-
Alliance for Children
-
Americans for
International Aid and Adoption
-
Buckner Adoption & Maternity Services, Affiliated with Dillon
International
-
Catholic Social Services / Diocese of Charlotte, NC
-
Children’s Home Society & Family Services
-
Children’s Hope International
-
Christian World Adoption
-
Creative Adoptions, Inc.
-
European Adoption Consultants, Inc.
-
Families thru International Adoption
-
Frank Adoption Center
-
Gladney Center for Adoption
-
Global Adoption Services, Inc.
-
Happy Families International Center
-
Little Miracles International
-
Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, Inc.
-
MAPS
-
Small World Adoption Agency of Missouri
-
WACAP
-
Wide Horizons for Children
-
World Child International
-
World Links Association, Inc.
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