The Director of the Cultural Center of Kazakhstan, Alia Alhan, invites all families who have adopted from Kazakhstan to celebrate the Kazakh Culture in NYC. 

Date: March 8th, 2014. 
Time:  4:00pm 
Place:  244 West 54th Street, NYC (between 8th Ave and Broadway in Manhattan)

On the agenda...Dombra playing, traditional light refreshments, and  activities for the children.    While the event is free, there is limited space.   If you are interested in attending with your family, please email ccknewyork@gmail.com.    

As a parent of two Kazakh children, I have found these events to be wonderful to connect with other families.   If you attend, please let us know how you enjoyed it!    

Planning to adopt in 2013? Join our teleconference! On Wednesday, January 9th, 7:30 pm CST, you can dial-in from the comfort of home, and learn about: 

1. Age of children available for adoption in each country - where can you adopt a baby, toddler, older child, or sibling set? 

2. How children are referred to families from the different countries?   Each has its own process!

3.  What's the current timeline for each country?   It fluctuates, of course, and we update you along the way.  We can go by what we see today (as adoptive parents, we really do understand and wish we had a crystal ball for you :).

4.  Are there programs you can rule in/out based on parent criteria?
5.  How do we manage travel required, especially if it's a program that's perfect for us?

6.  How can we plan for finances for a 2013 adoption?

Ten years ago, my husband and I started on our first adoption journey....the research was so overwhelming!  This teleconference is designed to help you prioritize, and get going toward your child.    

 Email: info@littlemiracles.org, subject: Teleconference

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.

Our latest newsletter with updates on all of the countries we work in is available here.

This evening at 7:30pm Central Time, we will explore the joys and challenges of adopting the older child. Email info@littlemiracles.org for the dial-in number!

Older children are near to LMI's heart. They are the children often left behind, through no fault of their own. They are the children who want nothing more than to be loved. They know what a parent is, they want parents.

When I traveled to Kazakhstan, I was touched by two older children. As we adopted our baby, a family was there adopting an 8 year old. I'll never forget the transformation of that little girl in the month we spent together; you can see it in the photos and videos I took throughout. A child who looked at her feet and whispered the first few days was jamming with an air guitar like my now 8 year old daughter does.

The second child who touched my heart is the one who led me to my role as Program Coordinator at Little Miracles upon my return. A 4 year old boy approached me on the orphanage playground, and looked at the baby in my arms. He asked the same question over and over and over.....we looked at our translator for help. "Will you be my Mama and Papa? I want one!" That was it, folks, my lightbulb moment filled with guilt, sadness, and motivation.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to help many families through the adoption process. Each is amazing. We can all agree that the best communications we receive from families is the recognition of new trust between a child, and the new parent.

In the spirit of preparation, education, and realistic expectations, please join in the call!!

Andrea Jacobs
Mom to Haley and Mitchell, Kazakhstan Little Miracles

Join us on Tuesday, January 18 at 7:30 p.m. Central time as we discuss the joys and challenges of adopting a child in this age group. As many countries have fewer young children to adopt they are focusing on finding homes for the overlooked orphans--those who are age 5 and older. Andrea Jacobs will lead this discussion and we will also hear from a family who recently adopted a 6 year old boy through LMI. Please send and email to info@littlemiracles.org with the subject "OLDER CHILD" to join this teleconference.

Happy New Year! I hope 2010 treated you well and that 2011 will be even better. If you are still planning on starting an adoption we have a great teleconference coming up on January 11 at 7:30 p.m. Central time. Adoption research is overwhelming! Join LMI's Andrea Jacobs as she discusses the criteria impacting your adoption decisions: current overall timelines, time spent in-country, ages of children available, ethnicity, referral method, etc. The goal is to find the right adoption program and, ultimately, your child. There will be a question and answer question following the teleconference, too.

Kazakhstan
Adoption Alert
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children's Issues
_____

November 1, 2010

The Government of Kazakhstan has reinstated the expedited passport service
for adopted children. Adoptive parents or their service provider can now pay
a fee for approximately $14 to expedite passport processing. The process
takes about 7 working days to complete.

US Department of State Website Kazakhstan Adoption Alert