Suspension of adoptions in Kazakhstan

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