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Originally Posted by kimber413
I think there are a couple of things everyone unfamiliar with Russian adoption need to keep in mind:
Masha's adoption was completed over 5 years ago. Masha's adoption was completed ILLEGALLY, meaning the agency did not complete all the proper paperwork, accepted money under the table (single men are not allowed to adopt from Russia), paid bribes to officials that handled the adoption, did a poor excuse for a home study, etc. The Russian officials have been punished by Russian authorities, the agency in question is no longer allowed to process Russian adoptions, and many, many more hoops were added for those of us adopting from Russia to jump through in order to complete an adoption.
Was what happened to Masha terrible? Of course. Does it happen all the time? OF COURSE NOT. But threads like this started by folks unfamiliar with the CURRENT process of adoption from Russia (and by many comments here, it is painfully clear that many are NOT familiar with the current processes, nor do they wish to be) only serve to hinder those of us who have or are in the process of adopting from Russia. They hurt the prospects of the tens of thousands of children there waiting for homes with loving parents. They serve no useful purpose other that to stir the emotions of OTHER people who have no clue what the current process of adoption from Russia is.
Unfortunately, just like in gun control laws, additional adoption laws will only be applicable to those folks who wish to adopt LEGALLY. Illegal adoptions are the problem, and they can always be processed under the table somewhere, no matter what laws are added, just like anyone that really wants to own a gun can get one, whether they are illegal or not.
Would standardized home study rules help on this end? I'm not sure. The rules are pretty standard for Russian adoption. As someone else said, there are police checks, FBI checks, psych evaluations, medical exams, biographies, letters of recommendation, photographs of home and family... literally hundreds of pieces of paper signed, notarized, and apostilled to complete a LEGAL Russian adoption. I dare say if most bio parents had to go through what we went through before they could physically have a child, we wouldn't have as many problems with overpopulation. But biological parents don't have to do that paperwork, and neither does anyone that wants to pursue an illegal adoption. And I don't think any amount of additional legislation, additional paperwork, additional "hoops" will do anything to prevent illegal adoption from happening. It'll just leave a bunch of kids who could have had a good home with a loving family sitting in an orphanage in Siberia waiting to time out so they can join their friends in prostitution and drug abuse.
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AMEN TO THAT!!!
You have brought many FACTS and KEY POINTS to the discussion!!! Masha's adoption was over 5 years ago. I was in the process for 16 months (2003-2005)and can remember numerous law changes.
Our documents included (I am sure I am missing a ton)
Initial application (background checks)
Homestudy good for 18months
Fingerprinting by local, state, and FBI
Medical exams by specialist every 3 months
Approval by BCIS
Marriage license (had to be married for 5 years)
Birth certificates
No history of sexual abuse or illegal drug use
Age over 25
Non family references x 5
Psychiatric exam here and in Russia
Financial statements means had to be greater than our debt in our region
Pictures of our home and family
Letters from employers stating that we are "good employs"
Follow up evaluations with a licensed medical social worker.
All documents had to be notarized and Apostilled.
So I agree there are loopholes, but there are loopholes in every law. This man is a criminal and he broke the law all the way around.
I can tell you for a FACT that the laws have changed since Masha's nightmare started. Also the laws have changed since the killings of Russian children by their adoptive parents. NO MORE INDEPENDANT ADOPTIONS. SO please educate yourselves a little on the CURRENT laws of Russian adoption before you go stirring the pot!!