Suspension of adoptions in Kazakhstan

Originally Posted By SarahLet me clarify. To those of you who have adopted, have you heard from you agencies. To waiting parents, I am curious as to what you have been told by your agencies.

Originally Posted By MonaThe slow down is expected to be temporary. The Ministry of Foreign affairs in Kaz usually processes the dossiers in Kaz. They are busy right now trying to track down the people that have not registered their children. Kazakhstan has done an excellent job of monitoring the adoption process and protecting the children. The requirement to register children when they arrive in the US is not new. It has been the law for 3 years, some agencies and families have chosen not to complete this part of the adoption, feeling that once they are home, Kazakhstan has no business with their children. I have to say that I am very pleased that Kazakhstan is a country that continues to be concerned with the children that have come from there. They want to be re-assured that these children were not adopted simply to be sold as slaves, for body parts or something else unthinkable. They want to know that the children are safe and cared for. I don't think this is too much to ask.

Originally Posted By SarahMona, Is it your understanding that the suspension may be agency specific? That is, if an agency gets all their families to register their children, can that agency move forward with future adoptions? Further, do you think that the Ministry of Education will uphold the suspension until 100% of parents comply with the registration requirement? Thanks for replying. Sarah

Originally Posted By MarieI am in the waiting mode, with ALL paperwork turned in, etc., etc. My agency has told me absolutely nothing about any such set backs. It is not an agency to which any of you have referred, but is well-known locally in my city in Florida. You can bet I'll be contacting them ASAP to find out if any of this is legit and if so why I was not informed about the issue. Thanks for the info. I had no idea!

It is temporary suspension. Kazakhstan will become a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children. Government of Kazakhstan stated it will not accept any new intercountry adoption dossiers until it completes adoption reforms, which is expected to be March 2011, at the earliest. What my understanding is that it is unclear when the program will be re-open, maybe very soon. We were not informed by my agency ( a well-known licensed agency in Ontario) at all back in 2010 when we signed up to the program, now is still in the painful process of getting our money back.

Please go to the following page from the State Department website: [url=http://adoption.state.gov/news/kazakhstan.html]Kazakhstan[/url] As you will see, the suspension has been in place for a while. I'm surprised that agencies have not been telling applicants about it. While the suspension is expected to be temporary, don't let anyone fool you. The process of implementing a Hague compliant system is complex, and often takes many months, if not years. And once a Hague compliant system is in place in Kaz, the U.S. still has to certify that its Central Authority, the U.S. State Department, considers the Kaz system to be in accord with Hague and U.S. adoption requirements, before adoptions by U.S. citizens can resume. That may well take some additional negotiations. While I'm not at all suggesting that Kaz will take as long as the U.S. did, to complete work on a Hague compliant system, it's worth remembering that the U.S., one of the original shapers of the Convention, took FOURTEEN YEARS from the time it signed the Convention, indicating the intent to ratify, to the time when, having deposited the "instruments of ratification" in the Hague, it let the Convention actually enter into force. The first six years, from 1994 to 2000, were spent securing passage of the Intercountry Adoption Act, which created the legal framework under which the U.S. could pursue ratification. And from 2000 to 2008, the U.S. had to develop implementing regulations, systems, and processes before it could actually ratify the Convention and start doing Hague adoptions. While the U.S. did not stop conducting adoptions during the process, some Latin countries terminated or greatly curtailed their adoption programs with the U.S., because we took so long to implement the Hague. It also might be worth taking a look at the efforts of Guatemala and Vietnam to implement Hague compliant systems acceptable to the U.S.. These countries have been shut down for quite a while, and there's no real certainty about when they will reopen. Of course, both countries have had more of a history of corruption complaints than Kaz, and it may be harder for them to implement a system that is satisfactory to the Hague and U.S. officials. Still, it is never a good idea to make predictions of a quick reopening, when it comes to Hague activities, and I believe that agencies should know that. (My apologies to the agency in question, whose leaders I have met. Remember that we shouldn't discuss specific agencies on this board.) The best way to follow what is going on in Kaz is to view the State Department website and the website of the Joint Council on International Children's Services. Be cautious in evaluating information you hear from agencies, and always check with unbiased sources. As to the issue of doing post-placement reports, it always galls me that some agencies don't make a point of pushing families to complete them. And I simply can't understand why some families simply refuse to do them. Bragging about our kids is easy and fun, and we should all want the Kaz government to continue placing homeless children with American families. Sharon Sharon

Thanks Sharon! You are right, agencies are very tricky when it comes to explain the situation. All the 11 families still waiting were informed about the suspension in July officially, then gave them hope in August and again in early spring 2011. We were told by our social worker and other agency, and switched to Russia program already. My husband and I really want to adopt a Chinese girl as I am Chinese-Canadian. After the new law, we are not qualified to the program, then we chose Kazakhstan for a Asian looking girl, nothing but messy dispute. I am so surprised the system does not work as good as I imagined. Adoptive parents can be in trouble in each step of the way. It should not be this way.

Has any one adopted through Kazakhstan that is willing to share their story? Tell me about the process and what agency they went with? I know the program is currently closed and we are researching other countries as well, but for some reason my heart is calling me to find out more about this country. Plese PM me with anything, I am sure it would be helpful. Thanks in advance.