Little Miracles Adoption News

Welcome Home from Bulgaria!

Andrea | Wednesday, November 07, 2012 | 0 Comments

Do you ever feel like there is no light at the end of the adoption tunnel?    After three years of waiting, a bright light came into this family's life.

Nick arrived the weekend of Halloween, and was joyfully inaugurated as an American kid!   His big brother, Alec (the pirate, adopted from Kazakhstan in 2007) dressed him up, and taught him the fine art of candy collecting.

The adoption process in Bulgaria is very simple. It's a Hague country, and the central Ministry of Justice accepts paperwork and matches children.   They focus primarily on special needs and school-aged child placement, and work with accredited agencies worldwide. The tough part of this program?   The LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG wait for a younger child with minimal to no special needs.

An adoption trip to Bulgaria is short and sweet- the attorneys are with you all the way, the trip is 5 days.    You return home while court occurs, and return several months later for another 5 days to bring your child home.

One of the best parts of being an adoption coordinator is checking in with families after they return home.   I cannot tell you the joy of hearing the children chatter in the background.    Nick was talking with the family dog while I was on the phone with his Mom :).

Russia Debating Adoption Ban With U.S.

LMI Admin | Wednesday, October 24, 2012 | 0 Comments

This article is surprising as Astakhov pushed for bilateral adoption agreement between Russia and US. Now, on eve of its implementation, he wants to pull the rug out? What are your thoughts?

Russia Wants to Ban US Adoptions

US and Russia Announce Bilateral Adoption Agreement

LMI Admin | Tuesday, October 16, 2012 | 0 Comments

Department of State (DOS) announced today that the Agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children will enter into force on Nov. 1, 2012.

Both U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and DOS work to promote a safe, ethical, and transparent adoption process for prospective adoptive parents, birth families, and children involved in intercountry adoptions. This Agreement will enhance the safeguards and protections for all involved in adoptions between the United States and the Russian Federation.

The Agreement’s entry into force on Nov. 1, 2012, will begin a period of transition from the procedures in place before the Agreement to the new procedures called for in the Agreement. Not all of the provisions of the Agreement will take effect immediately on Nov. 1. We anticipate that the transition period will take six to nine months to complete. Most cases already in progress as of Nov. 1 will be able continue under the old procedures. However, it will be important to monitor and track the effective dates of various provisions in the Agreement to ensure that cases are in compliance with all the requirements throughout the transition period. USCIS and DOS will be conducting regular outreach in the coming months to ensure that new guidance and information is available.

The full text of the Agreement and an updated Frequently Asked Questions can be found online at http://adoption.state.gov. Additional information and guidance will be posted on the USCIS website in the future. Please visit www.uscis.gov/adoption and www.adoption.state.gov regularly for the most up-to-date information.

LMI Announces Hague Accreditation Renewal

Little Miracles International | Friday, October 12, 2012 | 0 Comments

Little Miracles International, Inc. is thrilled to announce that we have received notification that we have achieved the honor of Hague Re-Accreditation through the Council on Accreditation (COA) as authorized by the U. S. Department of State, according to an announcement made to Lori Scott, Executive Director on 10/12/12. We thank our Board Members and Staff for their tireless hours and devotion to our accreditation process. Our current Hague countries are: Bulgaria, Colombia, Hungary, Kazakhstan. We look forward to our continual service to families and children in these and other countries.

Kyrgyzstan: Long-Stalled International Adoptions Face New Hurdle

Little Miracles International | Sunday, September 30, 2012 | 0 Comments

EurasiaNet - September 20, 2012

For a group of prospective North American parents whose attempts to adopt Kyrgyzstani children wound up on the wrong side of a 2009 moratorium on foreign adoptions, the last four years have been a harrowing education in the cut and thrust of Kyrgyz politics. The lifting of the moratorium last year offered the group - sometimes known as the "Kyrgyz 65" - hope, but recent corruption scandals appear to have brought the whole process to a grinding halt once again.

PLEASE SEE FULL STORY HERE: http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65938

Hungary Adoption Success!

Anne Bentley | Thursday, August 16, 2012 | 0 Comments

Our family in Hungary asked me to share this with everyone, "This country's adoption process is so predictable, it's an amazingly comfortable trip, and our 4-year-old loves to be snuggled at every chance.....seriously, what more could you want?"

Adoption Alert: Russia

LMI Admin | Monday, July 23, 2012 | 0 Comments

Notice: Federation Council approves the Agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children

On July 18, 2012, the Federation Council, the upper house of the Russian Parliament, approved the bilateral adoption agreement signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 13, 2011. This followed the Russian Duma’s approval of the Agreement on July 10, 2012. Both of these actions mark a significant milestone toward the entry into force of the Agreement, which will provide additional safeguards to better protect the welfare and interests of children and all parties involved in intercountry adoptions. To find out more about the agreement, please visit the U.S. Department of State's FAQs and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) FAQs on the agreement and its implementation.

The Agreement will now be sent to President Putin. Following President Putin’s signature, the parties will need to establish procedures to implement the Agreement, which we are committed to doing as expeditiously as possible. Following the establishment of these procedures, the Agreement will enter into force upon the exchange of notes between the U.S. and Russian governments. The Department of State and USCIS will provide guidance on their websites related to the Agreement. Please monitor adoption.state.gov and uscis.gov for more information.

Getting Started Telecon July 24

Anne Bentley | Tuesday, July 17, 2012 | 0 Comments

Are you considering international adoption but not sure where to start? With programs in Kazakhstan, Colombia, Hungary, Congo, Uganda, Bulgaria and Ukraine we can help you find a program that suits your family's needs. Join us on July 24th at 7:30 p.m. Central time to learn about:

children available in each country
travel times
bringing siblings along
planning finances for your adoption.

So many families coming home now started their journey on this teleconference. It would be a privilege for us to help you bring your child home!

To sign up send an email to info@littlemiracles.org with the subject: Getting Started.

Adoption Notice: Rwanda

LMI Admin | Tuesday, July 03, 2012 | 0 Comments

Notice: The Hague Adoption Convention Enters into Force for Rwanda

On July 1, 2012 the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-Operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Convention) entered into force for Rwanda. However, the Government of Rwanda has notified the U.S. Embassy in Kigali that the current suspension on intercountry adoptions will remain in effect until the country has a fully functional Convention process in place. The Government of Rwanda believes implementation will take several months.

We caution adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents that important steps to ensure intercountry adoptions from Rwanda comply with the Convention must take place before intercountry adoptions between the United States and Rwanda resume. Adoption service providers should neither initiate nor claim to initiate adoption programs in Rwanda until the Department of State notifies them that the Government of Rwanda has lifted its suspension on intercountry adoptions and that Rwanda’s procedures meet the requirements of the Convention.

The Department of State will provide updated information on adoption.state.gov as it becomes available. If you have any questions about this notice, please contact the Office of Children’s Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States. Email inquiries may be directed to AdoptionUSCA@state.gov.

Kazakhstan Adoption Teleconference Tonight!

Anne Bentley | Thursday, June 14, 2012 | 0 Comments

Kazakhstan's new Hague-compliant system is in effect. If you want to learn more about adopting from Kazakhstan then join us tonight at 7:30 p.m. Central time. We be discussing the changes to the process, children available, parent requirements, travel scenarios and how we can help you realize your dream of adopting from this fascinating country. There will be a Q&A session at the end of the presentation. To sign up please send an email to info@littlemiracles.org with the subject KAZ TELECON.

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