[chris027]

Hello everyone,
I have a question about the recent Russian elections and how they might affect the adoption policies in the country. I rec'd a letter from my agency yesterday explaining that parts of the adoption process may be changing from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health in Russia and that this could affect adoptions in general but that they could not give us any specifics at this time.
Has anyone else rec'd any such letter or have any thoughts about how these govt. changes may affect the adoption process in Russia?
I have to admit I got a sinking feeling in my stomach b/c I started immediately thinking this was bad news. My DH and I started the application process in Nov. 2003 and our paper work was sent to Immigration in NJ on March 22 but we haven't heard anything yet. It's supposed to take about ten weekd until we hear from them.
Meanwhile we have most of our dossier material collected and we will get it all notarized as soon as we are able so it will be ready.
I appreciate any comments or imformation anyone may have about this. I know we are supposed to be prepared for a potentially bumpy road with intl adoption but I just wasn't expecting this since Russia has been doing so many adoptions for so long.
Thanks.

[Xanny]

The head of our agency told me on the phone a few weeks ago that the Ministry of Education was in the process of moving International Adoption to a "smaller agency" but wasn't clear on how (or if) this is affecting the process.

Whenever I ask my agency about Russian politics and how it might affect adoption, they say, "Well, anything in Russia can affect adoption, but don't bother trying to figure it out. You'll just make yourself crazy."

The bottom line is, there doesn't seem to be much of a slowdown in terms of people getting referrals, travel dates, or court dates, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

However, you ALWAYS have to be prepared for this stuff. A year ago, Guatemala looked like the best bet for a quick and relatively easy process. Then they re-organized, and people got stuck in a quagmire. Now everything seems good again. Romania shut down "for a few months" about 5 years ago and hasn't opened again. China had to close down temporarily because of SARS.

My advice is to find an agency you trust and stick with them. The only thing that keeps me sane is knowing that our agency will do what's best for the children no matter what. So if there's any legal way for them to get homes for these babies, they'll do it.

Hope this helps,

Xanny

[chris027]

Xanny,
Thanks so much for your quick response and very sound advice. I know you are right and keeping the focus on the children who need homes is definitely the way it should be.
I appreciate it!

Chris
ps--Best wishes to you in your adoption.

[Kasey]

Our region had undergone some changes in regards to the MOE and referrals, which subsequently backed things up quite a bit. But now at least we have some answers--our dossier went there in Nov-2003 for a baby boy and we were just told we would travel in May (we are going blindly).
I would be happy to give more info regarding the region via PM.

But as we have been told many times over, we are at the mercy of a foreign gov't and many things can change, but we shouldn't dwell on it and keep in mind that russian is one of the more stable IA environments.
best wishes!!
Kasey

[chris027]

Hey Kasey,
Thanks for your information and advice also.
We do not have any idea which region we'd be going to yet.

My husband says if Russia is anything like our govt.--even if they make some policy shifts etc.--it will probably be the same people actually doing the work, ie, making referrals etc. --so hopefully it wouldn't slow things down too much. Maybe this is just wishful thinking but it's just hard when you don't have control (even though I should know better!)

That is SOOO exciting about your going to Russia in May for your baby boy! Wishing you all the best in your travels and with your whole experience.
Chris

[torussiawithlove]

Originally Posted by chris027

Hello everyone,
I have a question about the recent Russian elections and how they might affect the adoption policies in the country. I rec'd a letter from my agency yesterday explaining that parts of the adoption process may be changing from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Health in Russia and that this could affect adoptions in general but that they could not give us any specifics at this time.
Has anyone else rec'd any such letter or have any thoughts about how these govt. changes may affect the adoption process in Russia?
I have to admit I got a sinking feeling in my stomach b/c I started immediately thinking this was bad news. My DH and I started the application process in Nov. 2003 and our paper work was sent to Immigration in NJ on March 22 but we haven't heard anything yet. It's supposed to take about ten weekd until we hear from them.
Meanwhile we have most of our dossier material collected and we will get it all notarized as soon as we are able so it will be ready.
I appreciate any comments or imformation anyone may have about this. I know we are supposed to be prepared for a potentially bumpy road with intl adoption but I just wasn't expecting this since Russia has been doing so many adoptions for so long.
Thanks.

My husband and I are adopting from Russia/Moscow. The only real bump we have hit was in the last few months. Our agencies accreditation expired May 17 2006 and agencies have been asked to apply for NGO status to be re-accredited, they stated it would take at least a few months to work it out. Our paperwork has been sent and we are waiting for our referral and are 2nd on the list for an invitation. Our agency is keeping us up to date on any progress. Although some of these bumps are hard on the heart, we just keep our minds focused on the end result.