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Call to Action: Hurtful Advertising Using Adoption, Sony Playstation

Little Miracles International | Wednesday, October 27, 2010 | 2 Comments
Have any of you seen the Playstation commercial (during football games) where a man spouts out "You're adopted!" as an insult to the person playing against, to throw them off their game? If you can spare a minute, email Playstation’s PR division and let them know what you think of it.

Unfortunately as big sports fans in our home, our 16 year old daughter saw it and commented very unfavorably to her adopted status in this poor advertisement. Why in these days of social tolerance is it ok to poke fun at adoptees by making them seem less on the social hierchy?  Shame on you Sony Playstation!! 

They show a woman being good at something counter-stereotypical: sports and video games.  On the less than pleasant note, the family does all they can to distract her from winning the game, including a man obviously meant to be playing the role of her father, growling at her:

"You're adopted!"


 




Adoption Alert: Kazakhstan

Little Miracles International | Tuesday, October 26, 2010 | 1 Comment
After several months of waiting, families in the Kazakhstan Adoption Program and those still considering Kazakhstan Adoptions will be pleased to know that information has been officially released.

LMI understands there are also some key legislation pieces that need to be voted on and put into place as well before adoptions can commence.  All in all we feel this is great news!

The Dept of State, Office of Children's Issues has issued the below notice regarding adoptions from Kazakhstan. This notice can also be viewed on their website.

Kazakhstan will become a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) on November 1, 2010.

Government of Kazakhstan stated it will not accept any new intercountry adoption dossiers until it completes adoption reforms, which is expected to be March 2011, at the earliest.

Processing of Convention adoptions from Kazakhstan

Until the Government of Kazakhstan becomes a party to the Convention, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will not process a Form I-800A (Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country), that indicates an intention to adopt a child from Kazakhstan. For this reason, prospective adoptive parents should not attempt to initiate any new adoptions in Kazakhstan at this time. On or after November 1, 2010, a U.S. citizen seeking to complete a Convention adoption of a child habitually resident in Kazakhstan may file a Form I-800A as specified in the Form I-800A instructions.

Prospective adoptive parents and adoption service providers should be aware that the Government of Kazakhstan continues to revise its intercountry adoption regulations, including those that will establish the number of and requirements for foreign adoption service providers. The Government of Kazakhstan stated it will not accept any new intercountry adoption dossiers until the adoption reforms are complete and its intercountry adoption process meets Convention standards. The Government estimates these reforms will be in place and that new intercountry adoptions may resume in March 2011. Prospective adoptive parents are warned not to enter into any agreement, implied or stated, regarding the prospective adoption of a child in Kazakhstan until such a time as the Government of Kazakhstan establishes the requirements and regulations governing the intercountry adoption of its citizens. The United States Central Authority cautions adoption service providers that they should not offer or appear to offer adoption services in Kazakhstan (other than for those transition cases still being processed under the former regulations) until the Government of Kazakhstan authorizes specific adoption service providers

Transition (orphan) cases

Prospective adoptive parents who may already have filed a Form I-600 or Form I-600A should also be aware of the Government of Kazakhstan’s position on “transition” cases. The Government of Kazakhstan announced that cases will qualify as transition only if the Kazakhstani Embassy or Consulate General sent the dossier to the Kazakhstan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on or before May 25, 2010. These transition cases will be processed under the former procedures. Hague implementing measures will not affect the processing of these adoptions. Thus, prospective adoptive parents who filed a Form I-600A or Form I-600 before November 1, 2010, may need to file a Form I-800A, if the dossier was not sent by May 25, 2010.

Information regarding adoption requirements and procedures in Kazakhstan will be posted as soon as it is made available.

Marathon for Adoption

Little Miracles International | Thursday, October 21, 2010 | 1 Comment

Look for Little Miracles at the Marathon for Adoption this Saturday in New Braunfels, TX! Employees, families and friends of LMI will be running for a great cause. Stop by the main food tent--that's where I (Anne), the non-runner, will be working.


Hair Rules!

Little Miracles International | Saturday, October 16, 2010 | 2 Comments

Whether your child’s hair is like yours or not, African, Asian, and Hispanic hair each have particular qualities. In learning to care for and style your child’s hair, you are committing an act of love. And hair care presents a wonderful opportunity to bond with your child. As one AF reader says, “Embrace your child’s hair and enjoy the process.”

Read the rest of the article here!

Another fabulous hair resource: Happy Girl Hair

USCIS Adoption Application Fee Increases

Little Miracles International | Friday, October 08, 2010 | 0 Comments

Effective November 23, 2010, USCIS will increase its fees for all immigration filings. The fees for the I-600a/I-600 and I-800a/I-800 will increase to $720 (currently $670); Biometrics (fingerprinting) will increase to $85 (currently $80). For detailed information regarding the increase, please visit the USCIS website by clicking here .


Adoption and Jewish Identity Project

Little Miracles International | Friday, October 08, 2010 | 0 Comments
Are you (or is someone you know) a Jewish adoptive parent raising a child to identify at least in part as Jewish?

If so, you can help us learn more about the real-life experiences of Jewish adoptive families by completing the Adoption and Jewish Identity Project’s online survey for parents (or by forwarding the link to Jewish adoptive parents you know, as well as others who can help spread the word). Available here, the survey should take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete, depending on the number of adopted children in a family.

The Adoption and Jewish Identity Project is dedicated to improving the lives of Jewish adoptive families by creating broader understanding of the unique religious, cultural, and identity issues they face.

Over the last few decades, secrecy in adoption has become less common, while adoption across national, racial, and ethnic lines has created new kinds of “blended” families. These shifts are changing the experiences of Jewish adoptive families.

The results of this research will be used in a book for Jewish adoptive families or those considering adoption, as well as for adoption professionals and Jewish communal workers.

The Adoption and Jewish Identity Project is directed by Dr. Jennifer Sartori and Dr. Jayne Guberman. Sartori is Associate Director of Jewish Studies at Northeastern University. Guberman is an independent oral historian and consultant. Both Jenny and Jayne are also adoptive mothers.



US Embassy in Mexico City to Process Adoption Visas Now

Little Miracles International | Thursday, October 07, 2010 | 0 Comments
Visa Services
Immigrant Visas

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City will begin processing immigrant visas in the F4 and adoption categories on October 1, 2010. F4 beneficiaries are the brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens who have filed immigrant visa petitions on their behalf. The Department of State has only authorized the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City to process visas in the F4 and adoption categories. All other immigrant visa categories will continue to be processed at our state-of-the-art facility in Ciudad Juarez.

Applicants who will have their interviews in Mexico City will be contacted directly by the Department of State’s National Visa Center and given instructions on requirements they must fulfill before their immigrant visa interview. These applicants will be able to complete their required medical exams in Mexico City. Please see the medical exam information page for information on how to set up an appointment. Information on what to expect on the day of your interview is available on our applicant instruction page.

Applicants with an Existing Application in Ciudad Juarez

Applicants who have already had interviews in the F4 and adoption categories or who have upcoming appointments in Ciudad Juarez will have their cases completed by the Consulate in Ciudad Juarez. The Embassy will not be taking over any of these cases. If you have questions about the status of a case already under way in Ciudad Juarez, please contact the call center listed on the contact information page.


Adoption Alert: US Withdraws Letter of Interest for Guatemala Pilot Program

Little Miracles International | Wednesday, October 06, 2010 | 0 Comments
Guatemala Pilot Program
October 5, 2010

On October 5, 2010, the United States withdrew its letter of interest in participating in a pilot program to resume processing of intercountry adoption placements for a limited number of older children, groups of siblings, and children with special needs. The letter of interest had been previously submitted to the Guatemalan Central Authority for Adoptions, Consejo Nacional de Adopciones (CNA), in response to its November 2009 announcement of this limited pilot program.

The U.S. decision to withdraw its letter of interest is based on concerns that adoptions under the pilot program would not meet the requirements of the Hague Intercountry Adoption Convention. Specifically, the United States believes that more safeguards for children should be in place before the CNA could start processing new intercountry adoptions. In addition, the Guatemalan Government has not yet provided specific details for how adoption cases under the pilot program would be processed under Guatemala’s new adoption law.

The United States remains open to resumption of intercountry adoption placements from Guatemala, but will consider such a resumption only when it is confident that a Hague-compliant system is in place, including strong safeguards against abuses and resolution of the issues that led to corrupt and fraudulent practices prior to the 2007 halt in new adoptions.

It is our hope that the U.S. withdrawal from consideration for the pilot adoption program will allow CNA to focus its attention on resolving all pending transition cases.

VIEW- FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: U.S. Withdrawal of Interest in Participating in Guatemala’s Pilot Adoption Program

Kyrgyzstan: American Adoptions Still Stalled

Little Miracles International | Sunday, October 03, 2010 | 0 Comments
Kyrgyz officials are currently reviewing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) prepared by the US State Department that, if signed by both governments, would expedite the adoptions of the 64 orphans. Ambassador Susan Jacobs, The State Department’s Special Advisor for International Children’s Issues, presented the MOU in mid-September to different Kyrgyz ministries during a special trip to Bishkek.

Jacobs said that once both governments agree on the document’s language, the MOU can be submitted to the new sitting parliament in Kyrgyzstan for approval.

Read More on this story...From Eurasianet

Russia, U.S. to Sign Child Adoption Agreement by Year End

Little Miracles International | Friday, October 01, 2010 | 0 Comments
Russia and the United States are likely to sign a child adoption agreement by the end of 2010, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

"The text of the Russian-U.S. agreement on cooperation in international adoptions, intended to provide solid guarantees of adopted children's rights, was agreed upon during the bilateral consultations in July," Andrei Nesterenko told journalists in Moscow.

He said a final round of consultations, after which the document will be ready for signing, is expected to take place before the end of the year.

Russia is one of the largest sources of adoptions for U.S. families, accounting for about 10 percent of foreign adoptions. The mistreatment of Russian children, adopted in the United States, has begun attracting public attention in recent months as a result of a number of highly publicized incidents.

In June, a 7-year-old boy who was placed alone on a one-way flight to Moscow by his U.S. adoptive mother with a note claiming he was "psychopathic."

Following the case, Russia threatened to prohibit child adoptions by U.S. citizens until the countries sign an intergovernmental agreement guaranteeing the rights of adoptive children.

MOSCOW, September 30 (RIA Novosti)