New Adoption Law in Effect

April 11, 2012

If you are interested in learning more about adopting from Hungary please plan to attend our Hungary Adoption teleconference March 15 at 7:30 p.m. Central time. This has been a wonderful program for families adopting children age 3-5 and up. We will discuss the overall process, the children available for adoption, timelines and travel and will have a Q&A session at the end to answer all your questions.

To sign up for the teleconference please send an email to info@littlemiracles.org.

From the US Department of State:

Access the full alert here.

January 17, 2012, From the US State Department
Alert: SDA resumes processing adoptions in Ukraine

Kazakhstan New Family and Marriage Code Signed into Law


From the US State Department
Kazakhstan Adoption Alert

Please note:  This was posted under the country UKRAINE on the Department of State website.   This link most likely will be reposted in the correct category country at some point.

"Not Clearly Approvable" Defined
Consular officers at U.S. Embassies and Consulates have limited, delegated authority from the United States Citizen and Immigration Service to approve Form I-600 petitions that are found to be clearly approvable. Clearly approvable means that the petition and supporting documentation clearly establish that the child is an orphan as defined by U.S. immigration law; all criteria identified on the Form I-600A approval regarding the child and any state pre-adoption requirements are met; and there are no concerns of fraud, child buying or other inappropriate practices in the adoption process.

In cases where the evidence is insufficient to establish that the child is an orphan or that the I-600A criteria have been met, the consular officer will allow the petitioner to respond to issues and questions that can be quickly and easily resolved. If issues and questions can be quickly and easily resolved and the case is clearly approvable the consular officer will approve the petition.

All non-Hague cases require an I-604 investigation to determine orphan status. In many instances this is a simple review of the documents and facts in the case. However, in some cases, an investigation by consular staff may be necessary to clarify doubts related to documentation presented or concerns of inappropriate practices. Investigations may include, but are not limited to, visits to the child's town of origin; interviews with birth relatives, orphanage staff, or social workers; DNA testing; and/or a field investigation.

If additional clarification and evidence does not fully resolve the issue quickly, the consular officer must send the petition to USCIS for review and adjudication. USCIS is the only agency with the authority to adjudicate NCA cases. If a case is identified as "Not Clearly Approvable", the consular officer sends the petitioner notification of the transfer to USCIS and provides contact information so that further inquiries may be directed to USCIS.

November 16, 2011 USCIS UPDATE ON PROCESSING OF “NOT CLEARLY APPROVABLE” CASES REFERRED BY EMBASSY ADDIS ABABA

A USCIS team of four officers arrived in Ethiopia and began working at Embassy Addis Ababa on November 7, 2011. As of the date of this notice, the team has received 63 “not clearly approvable” cases from Embassy Addis, and expects to receive at least 1 more case before they depart on Friday, November 18, 2011.
The following provides a summary of the results of the team’s review of the cases as of November 15, 2011:

Approvals Issued: 36
Requests for Evidence Issued: 9
Notices of Intent to Deny Issued: 1
Under USCIS Team Review: 9
Pending Birth Relative Interview: 8
Pending Physical Transfer: 1

During the team’s first days in Addis, they began reviewing the cases, and established procedures necessary for completing adjudication and issuing notices. Embassy Addis is providing the resources necessary for USCIS to be able to adjudicate the notclearly approvable cases. Although the team has encountered some technological challenges, the team has been issuing decisions and notices as soon as they are able. All cases that the team is able to approve before they depart from Addis Ababa will stay with the Consular Section in Embassy Addis Ababa, for immediate scheduling of immigrant visa processing. Families that receive an approval notice will be contacted directly by the U.S. Embassy within three business days. We strongly recommend that families wait to be contacted regarding an immigrant visa interview before making travel arrangements.

Cases that require a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny will be sent to the USCIS Rome District Office for further processing. Each family that received a Request for Evidence or a Notice of Intent to Deny should carefully read the instructions regarding where to send additional evidence to avoid delays in processing that could be caused by sending the evidence to the incorrect USCIS Office. USCIS has decided to utilize additional resources at the Rome District Office in the ongoing processing of some of the affected cases in an effort to ensure that they are processed to completion as quickly as possible.

Vietnam: US Department of State Adoption Notice – Vietnam ratifies the Hague Adoption Convention

Rrom the US Department of State:
Notice: Vietnam ratifies the Hague Adoption Convention

The Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption will enter into force in Vietnam on February 1, 2012, following Vietnam’s ratification on November 1, 2011.

The United States recognizes Vietnam’s initiatives leading to this significant development and applauds the Government of Vietnam’s renewed commitment to strengthen its child welfare system and the integrity of its domestic and international adoption process. We continue to caution adoption service providers and prospective adoptive parents that, to ensure that adoptions from Vietnam can be compliant with the Convention, important steps must still take place before intercountry adoptions between the United States and Vietnam resume. We further caution adoption service providers against initiating, or claiming to initiate, adoption programs in Vietnam until they receive authorization from the Government of Vietnam.

The Department of State will provide updated information onwww.adoption.state.gov as it becomes available. If you have any further 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.

Adoption Notice: Ethiopia
Confirmation of Orphanage Closures in Ethiopia

October 17, 2011

Ethiopian government officials confirmed the closure of several orphanages in the Southern Nations state due to revocation of the orphanages’ operational licenses. Each orphanage in Ethiopia receives an operational license that the Charities and Societies Administration administers and monitors to ensure compliance with Ethiopian regulations. This is an update to the previous Adoption Notice posted on August 3, 2011.

These orphanages are:
· SOS Infants Ethiopia (Arbaminch, Dila and Awassa branches)
· Gelgella Integrated Orphans (Tercha and Durame branches)
· Bethzatha Children’s Home Association (Sodo, Hosaena, Dila, Haidya, Durame, and Hawassa branches)
· Ethio Vision Development and Charities (Dila and Hawassa branches)
· Special Mission for Community Based Development (Hosaina branch)
· Enat Alem Orphanage (Awassa branch)
· Initiative Ethiopia Child and Family Support (Hawassa branch)
· Resurrection Orphanage (Hosaina branch)
· Musie Children’s Home Association (Hadiya, Hosaina, Dila, and Kenbata branches)
· Organization for Gold Age (Kucha, Dila, Hawassa branches)
· Hidota Children’s Home Association (Soto branch)
· Biruh Alem Lehisanat, Lenatochina Aregawiyan (Hosaina branch)

According to officials in the Charities and Societies Agency office, which oversees the licensing and regulation of orphanages in Ethiopia, the children in the care of those facilities have already been transferred to other
orphanages.

Ethiopian officials indicate that cases involving orphaned children from these facilities which are already pending with the Federal First Instance court will continue to move forward. The Embassy in Addis Ababa is working closely with Ethiopian officials to determine if children from these facilities who had been previously referred for matches will be allowed to continue in the adoption process. Regional officials have confirmed that the affected children’s case files are currently being reviewed on a case by case basis by regional Ministry of Women’s Affairs offices.

We continue to ask prospective adoptive parents and agencies that are hearing news of specific closures to inform the Department. Please send any specific information regarding orphanage closures to AskCI@state.gov with the subject line “Ethiopia Orphanage Closures.”

Prospective and adoptive parents are encouraged to remain in contact with their adoption service provider to stay up-to-date on any information pertinent to their individual case. The Department will post any confirmation on www.adoption.state.gov as we receive it.

To celebrate National Adoption month on Sunday November 20th in New York City at St Francis college Ambassador Susan Jacobs will attend and speak at the 31st Annual Adoptive Parents Committee (APC) conference. The conference will present over 90 workshops on both pre adopt and post adopt topics for both parents and professionals Many workshops qualifying for parent training for the Hague

Also keynoting will be Joe Kroll Executive Director of the North American Council of Adoptable Children, (NACAC). There will be representatives of USCIS as well as from NBC to talk on all aspects of the paperwork and requirements process. As well as other members of the state department for updates on the status of children around the world.

For complete conference information including the ability to exhibit or register please go to www.adoptiveparents.org for further information please contact samapc@aol.com Sam Pitkowsky President NYC Adoptive Parents Committee and Conference chair

Yesterday the Senate of Kazakhstan turned down the new law it was hearing regarding Marriage and family. This law also makes provisions for adoption. The Senate returned it back to Parliament after making some changes in the law. At this posting, we do not know the exact details of the changes that were made. Now Parliament has to change the law again, and then forward it back to the Senate again. We will keep you posted on further news.

What we do know is that at this point, your Post Placement Reports of your adoptions that have completed are crucial. If you have not turned in any reports, even self-written reports, now is the time to do that! The Kazakhstan adoption program depends on it! As you see below


06.10.2011 / 13:45 As reported by KAZINFORM and translated by Google.

Senators returned to their amendments to the draft Code of Mazhilis of RK "On Marriage (Matrimony), and the family"


ASTANA. October 6. KAZINFORM / Muratbek Makulbekov / - At the plenary session of the Senate considered the second reading of the draft Code of RK "On Marriage (Matrimony), and the family."

Senator Anatoly Bashmakov, speaking to the report, noted that the bill aims to regulate marriage and family relations in Kazakhstan, the establishment of guarantees of their implementation, as well as protecting the rights and interests of the family.

During the work on the bill the senators made a number of amendments. In particular, they brought in conformity with the Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption order of adoption of children by Kazakhstan, permanently residing abroad and foreigners. Senate amendments govern the procedure for submission of foreign adopters report on living conditions, education and health status of adopted children.

After discussion it was decided to send the bill with amendments to the Majilis.