Latest in Ukrania

Seems the new date now is June 20th... will they be ready? Edited to remove agency website

Actually, I heard the new date is June 26. They have a lot of organizing of the paperwork and are still hiring a new staff. I think they will start making appt.'s within a couple of weeks after the 26th.

Sorry, Tara. Forgot the thing about us not linking to adoption agencies webpages. Will try not to do it again.

I'm not sure if things have changed, BUT even if the NEW adoption center starts taking new dossiers and processing adoptions, Americans can only adopt within the guidelines recently set. Ages 10+, children with disabilities or siblings of children already adopted... maybe I am wrong but from what I have read, Ukraine is sticking by those rules until all the missing reports are in... they dont want the NEW adoption center making the same mistakes again so they are going to be pretty strict with certain rules & regulations.It is a shame since so many children will be waiting for homes and Americans seem to adopt from Ukraine a lot more than other countries. I am Canadian and in 2005 there were less than 15 children adopted to Canada from Ukraine, (we seem to adopt from China the most) so all of our reports are in. Its too bad that an international message couldnt be sent out on every news program and newspaper so that the familes who have not handed in their reports could do so and get things moving. People who adopted 10 years ago might not even realize what is happening since they are no longer 'in the loop' about adoption.

A Ukraine adoptive parent is in the "adoption loop" until the child is 18 years of age, requiring post-placement reports. I guess if it is an independent adoption, the post-placement reports not being filed can fall below the radar and not get sent if the parents choose not to be deligent. If someone adopts with an agency, they have all of our information,the agency we used started legal action against some of their clients that did not register their children and failed to send post -placement reports. The Ukrainian embassy has our information and always mails a christmas card and reminds you to send in your reports until the age of 18. I guess I do not understand how someone could not know that they MUST file post-placement reports until the age of 18. Our adoption was finalized in 2001.

Yes, one of the agencies I requested info from says that they will seek legal action against anyone who causes them to loose their license in those countries they work in, and for the money they loose for lack of business there.Another agency says that they will notify the children protective services of the state of the person who fails to submit the report, and report the adopted kids as "potential child neglect victims." I don't know if they can do that, or if they would be taken seriously by the authorities, but they are trying.I, too, wonder if after the new department opens the rules will still be the same. There was an article about either Russia or Ukraine setting a moratorium on adoption in 1999 and their orphanages got full to capacity, so they had to reopen and do adoptions at record pace. But, for now, by allowing only special needs and >10-year olds to be adopted they are really taking care of those hard-to-place children, which in a way is a good thing.:)

To those waiting to complete an adoption from Ukraine, please don't give up. Seems that anytime now the department of adoptions will open and start taking new applications. It seems like it's been closed forever, and some people have gotten discouraged and moved on to other adoption programs, like Russia or Guatemala, but seems there is light at the end of the tunnel for adoptions in Ukraine. So update those documents that have expired and have them ready to go - something to do in June and whatever is left of this month.[url="http://www.jcics.org/Ukraine.htm"]http://www.jcics.org/Ukraine.htm[/url] has a little on it, I don't think jcics is an adoption agency, so hopefully it won't be edited out... ;) The post adoption reports are important, but I hope the new heads of the department will recognize that not allowing kids to be adopted is really hurting the children. There outta be a way to deal with the deliquent reports that does not include stopping all adoptions.

In the past months the Ukrainian government promised to do more to keep its population from dwindling, it had been shown by demographic reports that the population had been decreasing over the last few years. The problem seems to be that Ukraine in its rush to become a powerful independent nation, a member of the UN, a leading economic marble in Easter Europe, is making more promises than it can keep.The need for a public welfare system in Ukraine is badly needed. If the country expects to keep its orphans, then money, health care, child care, and educational benefits have to be offered to families to foster the children, a plan similar to the plan designed for Russia (which is still waiting to be carried out.) Right now families are having a hard time making ends meet with their own salaries, let alone support a kid or two without assistance from the government.So far, nothing has been done to keep young families and their children in Ukraine. No substantial job growth, and with the oil prices going up there is no hope that the situation will improve. Now the government calls for the private industry to raise wages to motivate people to remain working and living in the country. While the government debates and promises, Ukrainian orphans are waiting in orphanages, running out of food, medicines, and basic-life necessities, with many more coming in every single day. By re-opening adoptions, SOON, Ukraine can deal with its current orphan problem. It can then focus on the future of the country and its people - job growth, economic security, etc... What good it does to keep hundreds of thousands of children in orphanages, to face no future, with limited help from the government, just so the population numbers remain stable?In today's news, "street children" get a handout. Seems like someone is doing A LOT for orphans, but it's merely a handout. Time for Ukraine to really help its people.:rolleyes:[url="http://en.for-ua.com/news/2006/05/30/120803.html"]http://en.for-ua.com/news/2006/05/30/120803.html[/url]p.s.I can just "hear" someone shout "SHUTUP!" :cool:

My exact thoughts!! Of course I believe something should be done to keep families together, but right now there are children waiting and waiting. Just like anything in government it takes time to get programs up and running. Unfortunately I believe new governments and the people believe things should happen tomorrow. That the government will fix things in a couple of months time. I mean, it is a problem even here in the U.S. and we have programs to help people. Even the best of programs take years and years to see the postive results. Meanwhile there are alot of children caught in the transition.

so it's past 06/20/06? and 06/26/06? No news? I just recently got VERY interested in adopting from Ukraine.

duh...I'm silly. I found the new news! YAY!