The Last Post

This will be the last post on this blog.


Last week we received an email from our adoption agency (still unnamed on this blog). They are closing down their services with the exception of facilitating post-placement reports. They will be checking their messages once a week.


We also heard from our provincial adoption team. And from our MP.

Canada will now require a bilateral agreement to adopt from Russia. One is not yet in motion although Canada is looking into it. The problem is twofold:

1. It will require 2-5 years to complete; and
2. The terms violate Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Thus, it is over. It the most final sense of the word.

Even if one were somehow done, we would need to start completely over.

If you've paid attention to this blog at all, you would know that we are at the shit-end of the provincial list. You can not adopt across provincial lines unless there is a private match or a family match.

Before you contact us to give us ideas, please keep in mind that many random "adoptive parents wanted" posts/posters are scams.

If you know someone who is looking to make an adoption plan for their child/ren please consider us.

Make no mistake, this is a loss. A loss we are grieving. This is the first time we have truly been expectant parents. We have to heal from this. It is hard and it is emotional.


Thank you to the people who have truly supported us.

An Update.

This update came to us from our MP's office. It was received from the Russian Desk at Foreign Affairs.

Our MP, and his office, have been absolutely amazing today.

Most of this isn't new information, but it is what is most current.

******************************

On July 3, 2013, Russia passed legislation prohibiting adoption to same-sex couples or single people in countries that recognize same-sex marriage.

On August 29, the Russian Supreme Court issued a directive that seems to restrict  adoption to countries that allow same-sex marriage that don't have bilateral agreements or that allow re-adoption without Russian approval.

It is unclear what this directive means, or if it has legal weight.  Lower courts are all interpreting it differently in Russia, leading to a variety of responses in different districts.  Some are saying they just need an agreement that there will be no re-adoption without Russian approval.

The confusion has led to open adoption applications being put on hold until there is clarification about what impact this directive will have.

Foreign Affairs is in contact with Russian officials through the Canadian embassy in Moscow and the Russian embassy in Canada, and Citizenship and Immigration Canada is also engaged because they are the federal agency that deals with inter-country adoptions.

There are about 50 open cases in Canada that may be impacted.

Foreign Affairs has sent registered correspondence to Russia asking for clarification about the impact of this legislation and highlighting the Canadian cases that are currently in progress and asking how they will be handled. They have not yet received a response.

The Russian Ministry of Education and Science, which is responsible for adoption, had a meeting with Canadian officials about two weeks ago.  The two messages were that Russia is looking to lower its inter-country adoption rate and is encouraging countries to enter bilateral agreements.

So far only one country has a bilateral agreement with Russia.  Canada has requested a copy, and legal experts are examining it to see if such a thing would be possible in Canada.  Canada is also consulting with other countries, and the problem is not isolated to Canada.

Canada's preference has been to operate under the multilateral Hague agreement, which Russia has signed but not ratified.

Foreign Affairs is raising the issue at every opportunity and advocating that ongoing cases be allowed to proceed.

******************************

Our MP Called

After not hearing from our government in the last month, we again how to kick up stink to have anyone talk to us. Our agency too.

Our MP took pause from his schedule while in Ottawa to call today. He didn't realize that people were not talking to us. He assumed agencies were keeping the adoptive parents informed.

Um - that's a big fat NO.

Why would people want to know what is going on? It's not as though it's important . . . oh wait - yes it is! It is the most important thing in our lives.

So our MP called and is putting questions to the people who have the information. I don't know how many times in the run of our 8 minute conversation I said the word 'communication' but it was a lot.

We want to know what is going on.

We deserve to know what is going on.

And while some agencies are better than others and actually keep their people moderately informed, we are not so lucky. Had a meeting in Russia? Tell people the outcome. Without them having to drag it out of you.

At least our MP understands.

An Update? Not Really.

I know many people have come to this site in recent weeks looking for an update. I wish I could give you one. I wish I had one to give.

All I can do is share a statement from CIC dated November 15, 2013.

Why? Because no one is talking to us. We haven't heard from our agency since November 6th. The levels of government who contacted us to say they were working on the issue on behalf of Canadian Adoption Parents - we haven't heard from any of them since the week after the news story ended.

Our friends and families think we are in constant communication with the people with information. We would love to be. 

Our agency (which we have never named here) has been silent. Deafeningly silent.

Then again, they were silent before everything came to a head in October, stating "no comment" because there had been "no official policy change."  But there had been a policy change that Russia has used to justify the issue (as we've previously explained and as the CIC statement explains).

We've been left alone after making one last major effort for our own country and our own adoption agency to hear us when we say that we need to be kept informed.


Enough of the soapbox, here's the statement from CIC.

Notice – Important notice regarding adoptions from Russia

November 15, 2013 — On July 3, 2013, the Russian Federation adopted legislation that would prohibit the adoption of Russian children by same-sex couples and by single applicants who are citizens of countries that legally recognize same-sex marriage.
On August 29, 2013, the Russian Supreme Court issued a directive that seems to restrict the legislation on the adoption of Russian children by all couples from countries such as Canada that:

• recognize same-sex marriage;
• do not have a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption with Russia; and
• permit the re-adoption of Russian children without the oversight of Russia’s Adoption Authority, in those cases where the original adoption fails.

A number of Canadian adoption cases in progress (along with those of other countries) appear to be caught by these legislative changes, resulting in delays in setting Russian court hearing dates or the rescheduling of dates that were already established.

The Government of Canada has been in contact with Russian authorities on this issue in order to seek further clarification. Canada has not yet received an official interpretation from the Government of Russia on their law. We are seeking clarification and answers about the impacts of the legislative change and the new directive on Canadians looking to adopt children from Russia and to better understand how the regional courts are applying them.

Canadian officials are also consulting with other foreign governments where same-sex marriage is legal to determine how the Russian legislation and the Supreme Court directive are being applied to their citizens.

Russian Subway Accepts Squats For Fare

I came across this recently, and I thought it was so awesome that I wanted to share it.

Canada should get on board!

*Please note, that we are heartbroken, we still fell in love with Russia for many reasons, and we won't stop adoring the country. 

Trying To Re-purpose

Doesn't that just say it all? Trying to re-purpose. Yes. It fits our position quite well.

We are trying to re-purpose.

We are trying to re-purpose our efforts. Although we aren't quite sure what that means.

We are trying to re-purpose our emotions. No, not re-purpose; re-direct. In this case we are trying to heal our wounds, and care for one another. We are trying to accept our new reality.

While we're dealing with our new reality, we're busy feeling a lot of emotions. Anger, despair, vulnerability. It's hard not to feel like a victim of circumstance. We feel sad. We cry. We hug. We stay quiet. We stay home.

It is hard. So hard. And it's something that no one else can understand. If you haven't been down the adoption road, you don't - or won't - get it.

Losing this adoption has been a lot like losing a pregnancy. Trust me on this - I have experience. While a miscarriage is physically painful, this adoption is painful in another way: it was the first time we've every truly been expectant parents.

The room was ready, the travel items bought, and the names chosen (1 for a boy, 1 for a girl). We were ready.

We've been ready. For a long time.

So now we need to re-purpose some other things.

We need to re-purpose some of the wonderful things we've bought.

We can't return them. The return time has long since passed. I'm not sure what we'll do with everything. We certainly can't afford to give it all away.  We're waiting. Waiting for inspiration.

But there is something we need help with.

Some really great people donated some great things for the orphange. And we don't know what to do with them.

We would love to send it over, but we can't afford to just ship a heavy box to the other side of the world.

So, we could use some recommendations. Please.

A More True Quote I've Ne'er Heard

"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, 

but what you want is someone who will 

take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. " 

A Brief Pause For Russian Parents

The following news story is a development. While the introductory paragraph is hopeful for adoptive parents around the world, the story goes on to explain that it is only a brief interruption in the bill.

You will see that I have bolded 3 lines in the story. Please take note of them.

Line #1 - a startling number by any measure, emphasizing the seriousness of this bill.
Line #2 & 3 - brief mention of the legislation that is being used to justify that adoption suspension to countries that allow same-sex marriage.

**************************************************

Source: http://en.ria.ru/russia/20131019/184246033.html

Russian MP Withdraws Bill Taking Children 

Away From Gay Parents

MOSCOW, October 19 (RIA Novosti) – A bill that proposes stripping gays with children of their parental rights, introduced by Russian lawmaker Alexei Zhuravlyov, has been withdrawn from the parliament, a spokesperson for the lawmaker said Saturday.

“Yes, he has indeed withdrawn it,” spokesperson Sofia Cherepanova said, adding that the document would be later revised and again submitted to the Russian State Duma. She said that the author’s position on the matter “remains unchanged.” “Anyway, we are interested in passing the bill,” Cherepanova added.

Zhuravlyov, a member of the ruling United Russia party, submitted the bill to the lower house of the Russian parliament in September. However, the proposal has not received any significant public backing.

Between 5 and 7 percent of the Russian population are gay, a third of whom have children, Zhuravlyov’s bill claimed, citing unspecified experts. If true, between 2.3 million and 3.3 million Russians could possibly lose their children if the bill was passed.
The bill was a follow-up to legislation introduced in June that bans propagation of “gay propaganda among minors,” according to the document’s text, available on the State Duma’s website.

“Harm that could be inflicted on a child’s mental health in case of their parent’s homosexual contacts is immense,” the bill’s author said in a note accompanying the document.

The bill cited a controversial 2012 study by US sociologist Mark Regnerus as proof that gay parenting distorts a child’s sexual orientation and increases suicidal tendencies, social ineptitude and risks of catching venereal disease.

The study by Regnerus, an associate professor at the University of Austin and a practicing Christian, has sparked vehement debate in the sociological community and was formally condemned by the American Sociological Association as invalid earlier this year. Zhuravlyov’s note makes no mention of the controversy, but claims Regnerus’ findings were corroborated by unspecified independent experts.

Malta

Another country has seen Russia stop adoption proceedings due to the adopting country’s allowance of same-sex marriage.

This news article from the Malta Independent outlines the story.

As you will see in the story, Malta is just getting their marriage equality laws in place, so the story suggests that perhaps adoptions could continue with greater inquiry into the adoptive parents. Wouldn’t that be nice!

* * * * * * * * * * *   * * *   * * * * * * * * * * *

Prospective heterosexual parents who were anxiously awaiting their adoptive children to arrive to their new Maltese homes from Russia were shocked when they were informed that all adoptions from Russia have been put on hold pending the Maltese Parliament’s decision to legalise same-sex ‘marriage’.

Following reports in other media that adoptions from Russia have been ‘temporarily frozen’, this newspaper has seen correspondence of a Maltese couple who were preparing a new home for their adoptive daughter, born to Russian parents in Russia.

 

Notwithstanding the fact that most of the paperwork was complete and that the child was due to travel to Malta in the coming months, the married couple is now living a nightmare after receiving emails which have halted the process.

The couple was informed that due to the situation in Malta, with Parliament soon to legislate in favour of ‘civil unions’ giving same-sex couples the right to adopt, Russian authorities have pulled the hand-break on all possible adoptions to Maltese couples. This directive follows a Moscow court ruling which precluded Swedish gay couples from adopting from Russia.  Russia is currently legislating against gay couples raising children of their own.

One particular expert in the field who preferred to remain anonymous told The Malta Independent that this could be a temporary setback and that following in-depth investigations by the Russian authorities on the applicants (adoptive parents) all will return on track.

However the expert did emphasis that given the hard stand taken by the Russian government against gay unions, Maltese applicants for Russian adoptions will be scrutinized in greater detail.  It is also most likely that when the ‘gay marriage’ bill becomes law, for adoptions to continue, some kind of bilateral agreement will be needed between Russia and Malta that will exclude same-sex couples from adopting from Russia.

Adoptions from Russia to Maltese families account to 50% of all adoptions in the past three years. Other countries from where children have been adopted recently are Cambodia, Vietnam and Ethiopia. Yet difficulties are arising in these countries too, making it very hard for Maltese couples who wish to adopt to offer a loving home to children whose future is bleak.

Countries like Pakistan and Romania were previously the most popular destinations from where adoptions took place but now that these destinations became ‘out of reach’ with no bilateral agreements in place between Malta and these countries, Russia had become the most preferred option.

Maltese couples adopting children from Russia have to pay legal fees amounting between €20,000 and €30,000 for one adoption.

How Does Information Spread??

Since we went public, we've received a lot of questions about how we know others in similar situations.

Well, the truth is, the internet is an incredible thing.

There is an overwhelming amount of support to be found on the internet. Perfect strangers who come together to support one another, and help educate one another, as they go through similar journeys. In times of distress and uncertainty, people come together and learn from each other.

There are blogs, private message forums, and emails. Anything you need to know - about what to expect, where to go, who to talk to (or not talk to) or what someone else experienced - is available with a few clicks of a button.

We have talked to people from various countries, various backgrounds and various experiences.

When we started there wasn't much publicly available about Canadians in the process of Russia. Some, but not much. So we started this blog. And you know what? People found us.

This blog has served to connect more people than I can count. We have readers all over the world, including in Russia.

There are more blogs out there that are not public, that you need a private invitation to see. There are locked-down chat-rooms and forums to protect people's identities and the information they share.

An important benefit to being online is that people raring use their real identities. It provides a curtain of privacy to share the cold hard truth and unedited stories without anyone being incriminated or accused.

People need to have a way to connect that isn't moderated by people in positions of authority.

Like I said, the internet is a wonderful thing.

How difficult is it to adopt a child in Nova Scotia?

CBC has done a follow up story on the one we were featured in the other night.

We received a very heartfelt phone call from CBC this morning, apologizing for the backlash, and assuring us that they had no idea how negative and uninformed the response would be. Additionally, the lady we've been dealing with, P, offered to listen should we simply need someone to talk to through the news stories and our journey. Thank you, P.

P told us we'd be front and centre again while they did a story on adoption in Nova Scotia. CBC wanted to show Canada what the reality is like, a first step in informing Canadians and dispersing falsehoods.

Quicker than expected, the story appears on CBC News website this afternoon.

******************

How difficult is it to adopt a child in Nova Scotia?
1,300 Nova Scotia children in foster care, less than half cannot be adopted

Pam and Adam Webber dreamed of adopting a child from Russia, but got stuck in the middle of a international adoption dispute. (CBC)

Pam and Adam Webber had a dream of adopting a child from Russia, but the Halifax couple's plan was thwarted by that country's decision to suspend Canadian adoptions.

It was a bitter blow, considering their decision to opt for the international route came after failed fertility treatments and a three and a half year wait to adopt within Nova Scotia.

After they took their story public to CBC News, many people questioned why they weren't trying to adopt in Nova Scotia.

In fact, the Webbers were told that because they wanted to adopt a child under the age of five, they could be on a waiting list for up to eight years.

Janet Nearing is the acting director of Nova Scotia's Department of Community Services, which oversees both the provincial and international adoption process. She agrees the wait is lengthy for young children.

"Last year we placed 16 infants and that would actually be kind of a high number for us," she said. "It's often less than 10."

Nearing said the wait is shorter if families are willing to adopt children more than eight years old, siblings in groups of three or more, or children with significant special needs.

If a family is African Nova Scotian or bi-racial, Nearing said their wait may also be shorter because many of the children in the department's care are African Nova Scotian and officials wants to ensure their cultural heritage is maintained.

There are currently 1,300 children in foster care. Of them, 876 have a temporary status and cannot be adopted — the department is still trying to reunite them with their biological families.

Last year, 122 children in Nova Scotia were adopted.

There are now 130 families approved and waiting for a referral with more than 400 others still taking training or being assessed.

Nearing said there are no restrictions based on age or marital status. Only those who have been convicted of child abuse or have a health condition that would prevent them from taking care of a child would be considered ineligible.

As for international adoption, only 17 Nova Scotia families registered to go that route last year. That's down from more than 100 in 2006. Nearing said that's due to the changing rules by countries such as China.

"Other countries have either closed their doors or imposed new restrictions or criteria that have made it quite difficult for families to proceed," she said.

******************

Additional to the 130 families waiting and the 400 in training and being assessed, there is a large number of families in the position we are - waiting to be trained and assessed. Having waited as long as we have is daunting, but there are many who have waited longer. 

Happy Anniversary! August 2013

Overwhelming Support

We would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the overwhelming messages of support we have received.

To say we feel encouraged would be an understatement.

So sorry for you two, I didn't realize what was going on. 

Hopefully something will make it happen!

                                                     - C

Thank you C! No one knows what is going on, and this is the reason we spoke to CBC.

Pam my heart just breaks for you and Adam... 

I keep you in my thoughts and prayers and pray that one day you will have 

the family you so truly deserve! 

                                                        - H

Thank you H! You have been such a huge support to me through miscarriages, fertility treatments and the adoption path.

Pam and Adam, my heart aches for you. I pray there 

will be a turnaround in the politics holding this all back.

                                    - C

Thank you C!! We hope that shedding light on the situation will encourage the right people to discuss it. For the first time, we got some questions answered today.

In response to our late night phone call last night:

 

I'm proud of you guys for standing up for your rights and to put a voice 

on so many who are with you suffering. Clearly, they are clueless and prob had no 

idea this was even happening so they wanted to put a face on somebody to place 

their fear, pain and anger and unfortunately it was you two when they should have 

been joining your side:( just remember there will always be misguided haters 

and that to never give up on your dreams no matter what people say or do, 

it just means God is creating another path for you and those with the most trials who 

work the hardest always have the greatest victories. You help bring needed awareness 

to others left in the dark so now you can both move on to a new route filled with light. 

That nursery will not go to waste- God bless you both. Hugs

                                                   - J

As always J, your words are sweet and comforting. Thank you.

It took a lot of guts to share what you are going through. 

I hope that is that you see the good in sharing your story. Hugs

                                                 - K

 Thank you K. 

Thank you everyone!

 

We Talked to CBC

Yes we did, and tonight it aired on The National.

We got one phone call, at midnight, from someone further along in the process. They were upset, accused us of wanting our 15 minutes of fame, and told us we just cost them their adoption. The told us not to talk to anyone else. They also said that we shouldn't "brag" about the $25,000 we've spent so far and they are much more financially invested than we are.

Well, while I don't appreciate being called at midnight so someone can tell me off, I am looking at it as they are in a place of pain also, and I will leave it at that. But calling at midnight isn't nice.

But let me makethis clear.

We will not compare our situation to others. We will not compare our pain to the pain of others.

This isn't a game, it isn't a sympathy plea - it's a story that Canadians need to know about, and something the Canadian government needs to deal with on behalf of all Canadian adoptive parents. Being in a place of uncertainty for weeks with no answers, no one willing to talk to us about what's going on and no one paying attention - the story needed to be brought to attention.


And that's all I'll say about that.

******************

I can't seem to find the video link at the moment, but I'm sure you can find it on CBC. 

Story Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/russia-quashes-halifax-couple-s-hopes-of-adopting-a-child-1.2159683

Russia quashes Halifax couple’s hopes of adopting a child
Pam and Adam Webber say Canada-Russia adoptions jeopardized

A Halifax couple says their dreams of adopting a child have been crushed by Russian politics.

Pam and Adam Webber were in the final stages of a year-long adoption process. They thought they'd be flying to Russia this fall to bring home a toddler, but then they heard Canadian adoptions of Russian children were in limbo.

“It's just heart wrenching and really hard to take,” said Pam.

International adoption was the end of the line for her. She and her husband tried fertility treatment and adopting from within the province with no luck.

“We wanted a family. We wanted a young family. We wanted a very involved family. I was the little girl who asked Santa for her own baby,” she said.

Adam Webber said they chose Russia because they heard the process is quicker.

“Quick being a year or two, as opposed to three or more years like a lot of places,” he said.

But soon the Webbers starting hearing about a change in Russia’s attitude on adoption.

Single parents and same-sex couples were barred.

A Russian law banning adoptions by U.S. citizens was rushed through parliament in December and sped to President Vladimir Putin's desk in less than 10 days in retaliation over a U.S. law calling for sanctions on Russians identified as human-rights violators.

Then, earlier this month, the country stopped adoptions to Sweden because it allows same-sex marriages.

But there was no word on Canada, so the Webbers prepared a toddler's room and Pam quit her job so she could fly to Russia at a moment's notice this fall.

Still, they braced for bad news. On Tuesday the Webber’s fears were confirmed by their Ontario adoption agency.

“It’s been a long couple of weeks trying to get answers and officially we found out today that Canada-Russia adoptions are suspended,” she said.

Closing the door

Robin Pike, executive director of Choices Adoption and Counselling in Victoria, said there has been no official word that Russia has closed adoptions to Canada, but it is closing adoptions to countries that allow same-sex marriages.

The Webbers said they don’t think their change of luck is a coincidence.

"I think the party in charge is probably scoring political points — with whoever it is that they think they should be scoring political points with — by taking this hardline against same-sex couples,” said Adam.

In December President Vladimir Putin signed a bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children.

The Webbers never met their prospective child, but had completed all the paperwork. The couple say they’ve lost $25,000, along with their hopes of starting a family.

“We've spent the last few weeks, last month or so, trying to start our grieving process for this family that we thought we would have very soon and there's nothing we can do. There's nothing that the provincial people can do. There's nothing that our federal people can do,” said Pam.

“We’re in a lost position.”

In 2012 UNICEF estimated that there are about 740,000 children not in parental custody in Russia while about 18,000 Russians are on the waiting list to adopt a child.

“It's those children that aren't necessarily chosen by the people in country that could have gone somewhere else and been loved,” said Pam.

“It’s been a long road. I hope everyone realizes how lucky they are to have kids.”

Pike’s agency is advising prospective adoptive parents to look to Bulgaria or Hungary instead.

******************

Getting The Government Involved

After weeks of no news, no answers, and ambiguous media reports from foreign news sources, Adam and I requested a meeting with our MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly).

Despite there just having been an election here in Nova Scotia, she has made time to see us on Monday.

If we can't get answers from our agency, and Russia isn't making any formal statements, it's time we ask for help. It is time that we, as Canadians, ask our government to look into the real situation. Conjecture and media can only get us so far.

So our MLA will be here Monday evening. We encourage everyone in the same position to do the same thing.

Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Know What You Are Getting Into

Hi everyone,

It has come to our attention that at least 1 agency is still taking applications for Russia.

If you have come across our blog in your research, please consider waiting until there are real answers and a clear policy about recent events before signing an agency contract.

The last thing we want is anyone to be put in a bad position if it could have been avoided.

So please - do your research, ask the tough questions, and be careful!

Word From Our Agency

As you all know, we have been waiting to hear from our agency about the latest.

They were back to work on Monday, and I (Pam) spoke to them today.

Here's what they told me: no comment.

They went on to explain that they will not tell their clients anything until a formal statement is made, or a policy change is made.

When asked why we are having to hear adoptions news through other agencies, our agency refused to comment.

So, no formal answers are coming from them.

Sweden

With heavy hearts and logical minds, we have been waiting for movement in Russia.

Unfortunately, for Sweden it has arrived.

Sweden, a country that allows same sex marriage, has been banned from adopting from Russia for this reason. This is what was expected, and Canada will soon be next.

Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/04/russia-adoptions-sweden-gay-parents_n_4045252.html

http://rapsinews.com/legislation_news/20121101/265205550.html

http://www.ryot.org/russia-halt-adoptions-gay-friendly-countries/403933


The two Russian adoption agencies in Canada that have been closed are going back to their regular hours. Including ours. I look forward to hearing from them, although I don't know what more than can tell us.

We'll keep this blog updated with as much information as we can.

Pam & Adam

One Region Closes

Remember Candice and Zenya?

Zenya was from a region in Russia called Kemerovo. Today Kemerovo's legislature has voted to completely outlaw adoptions of local children by foreigners.

Sources:

http://rt.com/politics/russian-foreign-adoptions-ban-316/

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20130925/183721863/Russian-Region-First-to-Pass-Ban-on-All-Foreign-Adoptions.html

http://en.ria.ru/tags/tag_adoptive_parents/


There are no words for what is unfolding in front of us.

Confusion . . . Awaiting Some Clarification

Yesterday hit us hard. Very, very hard.

We received a lot of support over Facebook. Thank you very much everyone.


So now for an update. Please keep in mind that we try to be as objective as possible when we share these things, but it's really, really hard right now.

The information we shared yesterday is very real. The news media in Europe is sharing this story. We first caught wind of it last week when J sent us this story from Spain: http://www.thinkspain.com/news-spain/23283/spain-fights-adoption-restrictions-in-russia-causing-heartbreak-for-families-to-be.

There are 4 adoption agencies in Canada that deal with Russia:

1. Caring Homes For Orphan Children (aka CHOC)
2. CHOICES
3. Adoption Horizons (aka AH)
4. Terres Des Hommes Ontario (aka TDH)

We have heard heard from 3 of them. One being our agency, 2 through contacts at the others.

CHOC says they are aware of the rumours but that they are not yet law, despite the Russian Government officials making public statements. They state that the expect some regions may cease adoption proceedings until more information is known. As it stands, they are still moving forward until a bill is signed.

CHOICES says they are business as usual.

AH says that can't comment at this time, even to their clients, as they have upcoming court cases and will know more after that.

Further to this, 2 of the 4 agencies are either closed or down to part time staff for a variety of reasons for the next 2-3 weeks. It is making it difficult for their clients to get in touch with them and for the agency to be supportive to their clients.

So what does this mean?

Well, it means that changes are likely coming, and government officials from Russia are making public statements to the news media about these changes, but no changes have yet legally occurred.

What it means for us?

In short, we have no idea.

If we listen to the public statements by Russian officials then the adoption is over.
If we listen to the agency then it means we may still get a referral, but there is no guarantee that we could finalize an adoption.

At the moment, we are in limbo. Hopefully the next few days will provide some sort of clarity.

Regardless, our hearts are broken as are our spirits.

We will keep everyone updated.

Devastation.

Last week we heard some rumours. We searched online and couldn't find anything to substantiate these rumours. Blogs that supported these whispers were not sharing their sources, so the credibility was unsubstantiated.

Tonight I received an email from J, another woman adopting from Russia. J and I have been talking fairly regularly over the last few months. Tonight J was writing to share a link to one of the sources validating everything from last week.

Russia will only allow adoptions to proceed with countries they have a bilateral agreement with. That is to say, with France and Italy.

No, Canada is not on the list. We do not even have a bilateral agreement in place.

For those that need sources: http://www.rfdeti.ru/news/7355-usynovlyat-rossiyskih-detey-mogut-grazhdane-tolko-dvuh-inostrannyh-gosudarstv

You can use this to translate: http://translate.google.ca/ - just put the source link in the box and it will give you a translated version.

A Russian government web page has listed the quote for the day as:

"Russia wants to convey to the world their desire for self-solving domestic problems. We are ready to take care of our children and help families."

I guess that says it all. Good for them. Not good for us.


It means that our adoption is halted. Stopped.

If you have any information that shows different data, alternate facts or anything at all that contradicts this, we ask that you let us know immediately at pamandadamadopt@gmail.com Or you can leave a comment below.