Friday, March 22, 2013

Event: Celebrate Your Adopted Child's Ukrainian Heritage at This Easter Sale in NY - Mar 23-24





Three event highlights



1

Purchase beautiful Ukrainian baked goods, like babka breads and
Rohalyky, at this weekend's annual pre-Easter sale at St.
Josaphat's Church in Irondequoit.

2

There will be a large assortment of Pysanky - those beautifully,
intricately decorated Easter eggs - to see and buy. There will
also be a large variety of Ukrianian arts and crafts, including
embroidered blouses and shirts, Easter basket covers, and other
handmade items, including crocheted baby gifts and custom
jewelry.

3

Don't forget the food. There will be a limited amount of frozen
varenyky (pierogies), both potato and cheese and kapusta
varieties; holubsti (cabbage rolls), both rice and meat and kasha
and meat, borshch (a vegetarian beet soup), and kapusta for sale.

Why you should attend

Proceeds will benefit the St. Josaphat Kitchen Fund. There will
also be free coffee available.

The Rev. Philip Weiner, pastor at St. Josaphat's, said that this
year's kitchen crew has been "working overtime, baking, to make
sure that everyone can get their Easter bread for the holidays."

Fr. Phil added that he is confident that everyone will be able to
get what they want this year - especially if they come early.

About the event

WHAT Easter Bake, Food, and Ukrainian Arts
& Crafts Sale

WHEN 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this Saturday, March 23,
and 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, March 24

WHERE School cafeteria at St. Josaphat's Church,
940 E. Ridge Road, corner Stanton Lane, Irondequoit

CONTACT Call (585)820-5569

ADOPTION SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

Adoption Services International has extensive experience making
the process as smooth as possible, from the very beginning of
your decision to adopt, through bringing your adopted child home
to the US. Adoption Services International unites loving US
families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique
professional, individualized, quality (including a maximum
guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, at
affordable cost and 20 years Ukrainian experience.


If you or someone you love would like to expand your family,
provide a permanent home for a needy orphaned child, welcome a
sibling for an existing child or discover an alternative for
infertility treatments - contact us to learn more about Ukrainian
adoption, Adoption Services International can help.


"http://www.adoptionservicesinternational.com/">www.adoptionservicesinternational.com


"mailto:info@asi-adoption.com">info@asi-adoption.com


908-444-0999


"https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption">https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption


Upcoming Events:

Free Presentation: Ukrainian International Adoption: Opportunity,
Challenges and Process

Thursday, April 25, 2013; 6:00-8:00 pm

Califon Book Shop, 72 Main Street, Califon, NJ 07830


Free Presentation and Get Together: Experiences and Information
on Ukrainian Adoption


Date and location: May 2013, Washington Township, NJ (More
details to come.)


An opportunity to learn more about Ukrainian adoption and meet
adoptive parents and their families.

powered by eggzack.com

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Adoption Explained on Video By Two 6 Year Old Adopted Girls

Check out this adorable video of two 6 year olds speaking about
adoption. The amazing thing is that it is hard for an adult to do
better!!

http://rowanfamilytree.com/2013/03/06/all-about-adoption-my-girls-point-of-view/

ADOPTION SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

Adoption Services International has extensive experience making
the process as smooth as possible, from the very beginning of
your decision to adopt, through bringing your adopted child home
to the US. Adoption Services International unites loving US
families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique
professional, individualized, quality (including a maximum
guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, at
affordable cost and 20 years Ukrainian experience.


If you or someone you love would like to expand your family,
provide a permanent home for a needy orphaned child, welcome a
sibling for an existing child or discover an alternative for
infertility treatments - contact us to learn more about Ukrainian
adoption, Adoption Services International can help.


"http://www.adoptionservicesinternational.com/">www.adoptionservicesinternational.com


"mailto:info@asi-adoption.com">info@asi-adoption.com


908-444-0999


"https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption">https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption

powered by eggzack.com

Event: Wear-M-Well Consignment Sale for Your Fast-Growing Adopted Child in NJ - Mar 20-22

Children adopted from Ukraine, as from any country the children
live in institutions, will be developmentally delayed and very
small for their age. With good nutrition, care, and most of all
love, children will blossom and grow faster than weeds. Keep them
in clothes at an affordable budget with consignment sales.


Welcome to Wear-m-Well LLC



Wear-m-Well LLC is a seasonal Kids Consignment
Sale held twice a year in the Spring and Fall. It is the perfect
way to buy and sell gently used and new items at a discount. We
offer kid's clothes sizes newborn-teen, toys, DVDs, books, games,
baby gear, outdoor items, maternity clothes, and much more. Be a
consignor or just come to shop. There are many reasons for you to
join us at Wear-m-Well LLC.


Shoppers



  • Great deals on high quality items

  • Find bargains for the fraction of the retail cost

  • Well organized sale with items neatly displayed and sorted

  • Pleasant and friendly shopping atmosphere

  • Purchase a WmW Shoppers Pass



Shopper's Information for



Wear-m-Well's



Spring/Summer Sale



Califon Fire Company



41 Main Street



Califon, NJ 07830




March 20 - Presale



  • 3:00pm-6:30 pm - Volunteers working 3 shifts

  • 3:30pm-6:30 pm - Volunteers working 2 shifts

  • 4:00pm-6:30pm - Volunteers working 1 shift

  • 4:30pm-6:30pm - Consignors & WmW Shopping Pass Holder



March 21 - Public Sale



  • 9:00am-6:30pm - Open to the Public



March 22 - Public sale



  • 9:00am- 6:30pm - Open to the Public



Half-Price Sale for Volunteers and Consignors



  • 3:00pm -6:30pm - Volunteers working 3 shifts

  • 3:30pm -6:30pm - Volunteers working 2 shifts

  • 4:00pm -6:30pm - Volunteers working 1 shift

  • 4:30pm -6:30pm - Consignors



March 23 - Half Price Sale



  • 8:00am - 3:00pm - Half price sale open to the public (Doors
    will close at 3:00pm and reopen at 3:30pm)

  • 3:30pm - 4:30 WmW Mania



We accept Visa and MasterCard


No checks please

powered by eggzack.com

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Event: Russian/Eastern European “Pancake Festival” Returns to Huntsville! - Mar 16 @ 9:00am


"Maslenitsa"
2013


Russian/Eastern European "Pancake Festival" Returns
to Huntsville!

HUNTSVILLE, ALA: It's not often that those in
North Alabama/Southern Middle Tennessee region have a taste of
Eastern European culture, but at least one day a year, they can
visit the UAHuntsville campus to immerse themselves in an Eastern
Orthodox Lenten celebration, sample traditional foods, enjoy
authentic regional folksongs and folkdances, and experience
firsthand the culture of the Russians, Ukrainians, Moldovans,
Kazaks, and more. It's a great way to savor the richness and
diversity of our Eastern European heritage.

In 2012, the International Society of Huntsville (ISH), the
UAHuntsville Library, and community representatives from Russia,
Moldova, and Ukraine launched their first-ever salute to the
Eastern Orthodox celebration known as MASLENITSA by sponsoring a
brunch?in 2013, it returns, but in a greatly expanded form:

MASLENITSA?A Russian/Eastern European "Pancake
Festival"
will run from 9:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. on
Saturday, 16 March in the Charger Brew Café/First Floor area of
the M. Louis Salmon Library. The library's parking lot is
located at 4600 Holmes Avenue, NW (between Jordan Lane and
Sparkman Drive, west of Ben Graves Drive) on the UAHuntsville
campus. Admission to the event is $5 for the general public;
admission is free to UAHuntsville students (with Charger ID) and
for children under twelve. Please note the MASLENITSA meal
itself will be $5.00 per plate for "text-decoration: underline;">all attendees.

By definition, MASLENITSA is a family event?and the ISH festival
will be no exception. Moreover, it's open to the public. Though
associated with Lent, it is not a solemn occasion; rather, it is
a merry celebration, purportedly Russia's oldest surviving
holiday, embraced by the Orthodox Church sometime in the
16th Century, years after its inception. Says
Russian Survey: "According to the pagan beliefs, this
is the time when Jarilo, the Sun god, melts the snow awaking
Mother Nature with the powers of spring."

Also known as Cheesefare Week, Butter Week, or Pancake Week,
MASLENITSA takes place during the seven days prior to Great Lent;
its name is rooted in the Russian word for butter or oil,
"Maslo." Though it will remind one of Carnival,
Fasching, or Mardi Gras, MASLENITSA is associated with Eastern
Orthodox, rather than Roman, Catholicism. Orthodox Lent begins
on a Monday, instead of Wednesday, and this year, MASLENITSA runs
from 11 - 17 March, leading to the timing of the Saturday
festival.

The key symbol of MASLENITSA, one might even say the mascot, is
the buckwheat-based "blini" (think "blintz"). Blini, with their
round, golden warmth, hearken back to the sun and are thus
harbingers of spring. Closer to crêpes than to everyday
flapjacks as most Americans know them, blini may be eaten
straight, with extra ingredients incorporated in the batter,
while plain versions are topped, or filled and rolled, with
various "condiments."

Blini garnishes will be provided at the Toppings Table and will
range from honey, sour cream, sugar, and condensed milk to maple
syrup, jam, jelly, and homemade cottage cheese. Food service
will begin at 9:30 a.m.

In addition to blini, this year's bill of fare boasts Olivier
Salad (a popular Eastern European specialty), pelmeni (a.k.a.
"Russian Ravioli"), and East European desserts such as
medovnik, or honey cake. Beverages include hot/cold
black or green tea, coffee, water, and kvass, a
fermented, low-alcohol product that is treated as a soft drink.

Sugar or jam will be available at the Toppings Table for the hot
drinks.

But MASLENITSA boasts more than its expanded menu. This year's
festival will ratchet up the fun with a vendors' area, an
exciting roster of "new-to-Huntsville" performers, and several
free children's activities:

Satiate your Slavic desires with the delicious fare from European
Market Anastasia (e.g. Korkunov and Alyonka chocolates,
fresh-baked breads, pysanky supplies), then pore over
the local and imported wares of area craftspeople and
merchants…and a traveling Bake Sale of sorts.

Individually priced baked goods will include the following and
more: pierniki (Polish, Lebkuchen-like Spice Cookies);
rozky (Slovakian Crescent Cookies); vatrushki
(Russian "Danishes"); "http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/polishdesserts/r/Cinnamon-Cookies-Recipe.htm"
target="_blank">ciasteczka cynamonowe
(Polish
"Cinnamon Stars"); and kolacky/kolachie, a flaky "loaf"
filled with anything from prunes to poppy seeds. All
participants will accept cash or checks.

Performers Val Bratu (Romanian Keyboardist; Russian folksongs)
and his Lido Band; Alla "Alika" Melnik and Naum Koyfman
(Ukrainian Bayan players; Russian, Ukrainian, and other
folksongs); and "Chervona Kalyna" (Natalliya Russo's Ukrainian
Dance Group; traditional folkdances) will take us on a tuneful
tour through the Old Country. For those unfamiliar with the
instruments, bayans are the East European take on the button
accordion; for those unfamiliar with the words, you need not
speak a language to dance to it!

Kids and adults can enjoy balloon art, puppet shows, Russian
Karaoke, Kokoshnik ("Russian Crowns") workshops, hair
braiding, face painting, Russian language quizzes and games, and
various hands-on art classes. Russian cartoons will run
continuously in the N1 Section of the library,
in the older wing just past the café.

Participants will be able to boost their worldly knowledge by
visiting Room 111, where they can view
video/PowerPoint educational displays on the nations constituting
the former USSR. They include: Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia,
Lithuania); Eastern Europe (Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine); Southern
Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia); Russia; and Central Asia
(Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan).

PLEASE NOTE, attendees are requested to RSVP IN
ADVANCE
at "mailto:rsvp@internationalsocietyofhuntsville.org" target=
"_blank">rsvp@internationalsocietyofhuntsville.org
in order
to ensure everyone can be served! The deadline is 14 March.

Once there, attendees may pay at the door with cash or check.

Further info is available by contacting Olga Osdacii at "tel:%28256%29%20585-8354" target="_blank">(256) 585-8354 /
"_blank">olgaosadcii@gmail.com or Maria Kimpe at "tel:%28979%29%20324-4834" target="_blank">(979) 324-4834.


NASDROVIA!

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF HUNTSVILLE

In 2007, the International Society of Huntsville was formed with
the following mission: "To promote the International Community
of North Alabama through cultural, educational, and social
programming." You can follow ISH on Facebook or visit "http://internationalsocietyofhuntsville.org/" target=
"_blank">http://internationalsocietyofhuntsville.org
.

It is the goal of the Society to establish a permanent
International Festival for the City of Huntsville along the scale
of those in Birmingham and Mobile. North Alabama is the cradle
of Alabama's confluence of foreign-born citizens that contribute
to the region's diversity and its wealth of world views and
experiences that in turn give rise to varied ideas, perspectives,
knowledge, and skills-social ingredients that make North Alabama
prosperous while enhancing the area's Quality of Life.

Contact: Olga Osadcii; Maslenitsa Chair/ISH
Moldova Representative: target="_blank">(256) 585-8354; "mailto:olgaosadcii@gmail.com" target=
"_blank">olgaosadcii@gmail.com

Maria Kimpe; ISH Russia Representative: "tel:%28979%29%20324-4834" target="_blank">(979) 324-4834

##

Vendor News

This year's festival will ratchet up the fun with a vendors'
area, an exciting roster of "new-to-Huntsville" performers, and
several free children's activities.

Satiate your Slavic desires with the delicious fare from European
Market Anastasia (e.g. Korkunov and Alyonka chocolates,
fresh-baked breads, pysanky supplies), then pore over
the local and imported wares of area craftspeople and
merchants…and a Slavic bake sale of sorts.

Individually priced baked goods will include the following and
more: pierniki (Polish, Lebkuchen-like Spice Cookies);
rozky (Slovakian Crescent Cookies); vatrushki
(Russian "Danishes"); "http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/polishdesserts/r/Cinnamon-Cookies-Recipe.htm"
target="_blank">ciasteczka cynamonowe
(Polish
"Cinnamon Stars"); and kolacky/kolachie, a flaky "loaf"
filled with anything from prunes to poppy seeds. All
participants will accept cash or checks.

========

Cultural Program

9.30 Opening Ceremonies

10.00 - 10.40 Val Bratu/Lido Band
(East-European Folk Music); Huntsville

10.40 - 11.00 Quiz & Games

11.00 - 11.30 "Best Russian Outfit" Contest

11.30 - 11.45 "Karaoke-style" Russian Songs

11.45 - 12.00 Awards: Children's Drawing Contest

12.00 - 12.30 Alla "Alika" Melnik (Bayan Playing/Ukrainian
& Russian Songs); Atlanta

12.30 - 1.00 "Chervona Kalyna" (Natalliya Russo's Slavic
Dance Group); Vestavia

1.30 - 2.00 Naum Koyfman (Bayan Playing/Ukrainian &
Russian Songs); Atlanta

2.00 - 2.30 Quiz & Games

2.30 - 3.15 Val Bratu/Lido Band
(East-European Folk Music); Huntsville

3.15 - 3.30 "Karaoke-style" Russian Songs

3.30 - 4.00 Russian Dance Music

4.00 - 4.20 Awards: Best Drawing

4.30 - 5.00 Closing Ceremonies

Menu

Food Will Be Served From

9.30 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.


  • · Russian-style Pancakes (Crêpes, or
    Blini)


  • · Traditional Blini Toppings (e.g. Honey, Jelly,
    Sour Cream, Homemade Cottage Cheese, Condensed Milk)

  • · Russian "Olivier Salad" & Pelmini ("Russian
    Ravioli")

  • · Medovnik ("Honey Cake") and Other Russian Desserts

  • · Hot Tea/Coffee/Water/Kvass (Honey, etc., Available
    for Tea)

Cost: $ 5 (Cash or Check)

ALL DAY: Presentations on Russia and 15
Former Soviet Republics (Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Turkmenistan,
Azerbaijan, etc.)?Room 111

Children's & Adults' Activities

9.00 - 10.30 Kokoshnik ("Russian Crowns" Workshop)
with Tanya Roadruck, Elena Kidd, & Yanka Georgieva

10.30 - 11.30 Art Class (Crayons) with Tatyana Hankinson &
Inna Ryzhkova

11.45 - 12.00 Awards Ceremony: Best Drawings-Main Stage

12.00 - 1.00 Art Class (Russian "Good Luck" Doll Workshop)
with Olga Friedman & Natalia Guest

1:00 - 2.00 Balloon Art with Olga Clonts

2.00 - 3.00 Kokoshnik ("Russian Crowns" Workshop)
with Tanya Roadruck, Elena Kidd, & Yanka Georgieva

3.00 - 4.00 Art Class (Clay) with Tatyana Hankinson

4.00 - 4.20 Awards Ceremony: Best Drawings-Main Stage

Russian Cartoons Will Play in the N1 Area (Just Past
the Café) During the Following Art Classes!

11.00 - 12.00 and 2.00 - 3.00 Russian Hair Braiding with
Elena Garrison

9.30 - 10.30 and 2.00 - 3.00 Face Painting with Inna
Ryzhkova

10.00 - 11.00 and 1.00 - 2.00 Russian Language Quizzes &
Games with Elena Lee

ADOPTION SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

Adoption Services International has extensive experience making
the process as smooth as possible, from the very beginning of
your decision to adopt, through bringing your adopted child home
to the US. Adoption Services International unites loving US
families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique
professional, individualized, quality (including a maximum
guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, at
affordable cost and 20 years Ukrainian experience.


If you or someone you love would like to expand your family,
provide a permanent home for a needy orphaned child, welcome a
sibling for an existing child or discover an alternative for
infertility treatments - contact us to learn more about Ukrainian
adoption, Adoption Services International can help.


"http://www.adoptionservicesinternational.com/">www.adoptionservicesinternational.com


"mailto:info@asi-adoption.com">info@asi-adoption.com


908-444-0999


"https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption">https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption


Upcoming
Events:


The Ukrainian Adoption Process: Free Informational
Meeting


Thursday, March 14, 6:00-8:00 PM


Location: Wellness Rocks: 133 Rupell Road, Clinton, New Jersey

powered by eggzack.com

Friday, March 1, 2013

Adoption Of Ukrainian Children By Foreigners: Boon Or Bane?

This article below from ForUm discusses potential actions,
consequences and issues regarding safeguarding Ukraine's children
adopted internationally. The opinions come from various officials
and representatives of independent groups after the shooting
death of Andrew Butler in the US by his father. Andrew was a 13
year old adopted from Ukraine, Donetsk region. In the wake of
learning of this shooting, the Ukrainian government is taking a
look at how it can better insure the safety and health of their
adopted children.

Before everyone panics and thinks Ukraine will go the way of
Russia and ban all adoptions by Americans, or even all
foreigners, read the article. The general theme is that adoptive
parents need support, not control. There is an obvious opposition
to politicalizing foreign adoptions in Ukraine. The greatest
concern is how to improve monitoring of Ukrainian adopted
children within their resources. They don't advocate a ban and
actually support foreign adoption as it gives more orphans a
chance for a normal life.

Will they consider more restrictive measures? In this article is
sees them as a last resort. Will they implement a stricter
selection process? I think the concern is more about acting
within current laws. At the time Andrew's father adopted, his age
exceeded the Ukrainian government's legal requirements. So
technically, he should not have been allowed to adopt. In the
past years we have already seen a push to better implement the
adoption laws they have and carefully approve parents.
Unfortunately, this has led to longer in-country adoption times.

Please share!!

Adoption Of Ukrainian Children By Foreigners: Boon Or Bane?



Ukrainian diplomats intend to control the living conditions of
other adoptees in the family, where an adopted Ukrainian boy was
killed. "The Foreign Ministry welcomes the reaction of the
American side, announced by US embassy in the statement of
February 25, 2013 about the death of Andrew Butler," Ukrainian FM
states.



In turn, the US Department of State has been in communication
with Ukrainian officials to facilitate communication with
appropriate state and local authorities. According to US
officials, the department will continue to work to ensure that
Ukrainian officials have access to the information they
require.



The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry also states it is taking steps to
improve the existing monitoring mechanism over adopted Ukrainian
children living abroad. "To provide better observance of
children's rights, we expect all the states, where adopted
Ukrainian children currently live, to set proper control over
their living conditions and education, as well as to improve
cooperation on this issue with the Ukrainian side," FM's
statement reads.



According to the information, Andrew Butler, 13, was shot by his
adoptive father, 73, during "shooting lessons" in the yard in
June 2011 in West Virginia. The farther was sentenced for
manslaughter and is serving his term. The Butlers adopted Andrew
in 2003 under a judgment of Kramatorsk court of Donetsk region
together with two other children.



To answer the question whether Ukraine is going to use Russia's
way to limit the adoption of Ukrainian children by foreigners,
ForUm has asked experts:



Oksana Moskalenko, coordinator of programs on children's
rights of the All-Ukrainian organization "Women's consortium of
Ukraine:




- I believe the problem must be considered in an integrated
manner. The adoptive father, for example, is 73 years old.
According to our legislation, he did not even have a right for
adoption. Probably, we should set tougher selection process for
potential parents. As for the control over living conditions, we
must be careful here. Adoption process is already a trauma for a
child, and everyday questions like "How are you doing here" and
"Do they treat you well" will not help him to adapt. The
government should render support to the adoptive families and
children, not to set control. There is another question: If a
child has been living in America for 10 years, for example,
should he be sent back to the country he already forgot? I
believe that if the child has already adapted to live in this or
that country he must stay in that country. For this, we must take
into account the possibilities of a country, citizens of which
adopt our children.



Olga Skorina, head of the legal department of the
All-Ukrainian council on patients' rights:




- Ukraine does everything for the realization of the social
adoption initiative, and it would be logical not to limit our
orphans to Ukrainian families only. There are different children
with different needs, and foreign families may be the best thing
for some of them.



Unfortunately, the authorities often impose restrictions when
there is no political will to solve a problem. The law on legal
relationships is called to regulate these relationships, not to
impose bans. Restrictive measure is the measure of last resort.
Imposing limits we deprive our children of the possibility to
find a loving family. In this case, what we need is some
political will and efforts to regulate the issue. We still do not
have an accurate system of control over Ukrainian children living
in adoptive families abroad, or a system calculating risks of
children's stay abroad or a control system over psychological
condition of a child in a family. What we need is the system and
a person in Ukrainian consulates, who will have the right to
control the situation, collect data and make reports. May be
should form a special institute, responsible for this sector.




We've learned about Andrew's death from the press, and we know
only about the fact of manslaughter. We do not know anything
about how he lived and felt in that family. Thus, the improved
system of monitoring is exactly what we need to change the
situation.



Vitaly Bala, director of the Agency for simulated
events:




- In my opinion the question is very delicate. We should not turn
the adoption process into a political bargaining chip. In Russia,
for example, this problem has political connotations. As for
Ukraine, I don't think that this issue is a problem. Of course,
there's no limit to perfection and we do need to improve the
monitoring system over Ukrainian children adopted by foreigners,
but there is no need to follow the Russian way.



Yevhen Perebyinis, FM spokesman:




- As of today, we follow the law that we have. Our legislation
allows foreigners to adopt Ukrainian children. It is obvious that
the monitoring system needs to be improved, and the Foreign
Ministry is working on this now. Ukrainian diplomats have sent
letters to Ukrainian embassies in all the states, where there are
Ukrainian children living in adoptive families. Whenever
possible, consulate officials will visit these children to check
the conditions they live in. If the conditions appear
inappropriate, consulates will take necessary measures.



According to the Ukraine's embassy in US, the foster father who
killed Andrew Butler was convicted and is serving his sentence. I
want to stress that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry welcomes the
reaction of the American side in this issue. Currently the FM
seeks to obtain access to two other adopted children by the same
family in order to check their living conditions.



Eduard Bagirov, human right activist:



- Ukraine is responsible for its citizens not only on the state
territory, but also in countries of stay. This is a requirement
of the Constitution. Once a year or half a year, the Foreign
Ministry of Ukraine charges Ukrainian consulates in foreign
states with controlling Ukrainian children adopted by foreign
families. But such control is formal. Ukrainian embassies and
consulates simply do not have sufficient funding for this.



Ukraine needs a law to protect the rights of its children.
Moreover, Ukraine needs to adopt tougher measures of control over
foreign families taking Ukrainian children. The fact is that
giving a child for adoption in a foreign family Ukraine loses
control over the situation and the child loses legal support.
Foreign families see that the Ukrainian bodies do not perform
their functions and may violate child's rights.



At the same time, if we follow Russia's way (forbidding foreign
families to adopt Ukrainian children) we will deprive our
children, especially sick ones, of the chance for normal life.
What we need is to adopt a system of monitoring living conditions
and to provide security for our children.

ADOPTION SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

Adoption Services International has extensive experience making
the process as smooth as possible, from the very beginning of
your decision to adopt, through bringing your adopted child home
to the US. Adoption Services International unites loving US
families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique
professional, individualized, quality (including a maximum
guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, at
affordable cost and 20 years Ukrainian experience.


If you or someone you love would like to expand your family,
provide a permanent home for a needy orphaned child, welcome a
sibling for an existing child or discover an alternative for
infertility treatments - contact us to learn more about Ukrainian
adoption, Adoption Services International can help.


"http://www.adoptionservicesinternational.com/">www.adoptionservicesinternational.com


"mailto:info@asi-adoption.com">info@asi-adoption.com


908-444-0999


"https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption">https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption


Upcoming
Events:


The Ukrainian Adoption Process: Free Informational
Meeting


Thursday, March 14, 6:00-8:00 PM


Location: Wellness Rocks: 133 Rupell Road, Clinton, New Jersey

powered by eggzack.com

Ukrainian Adoption? Why Can’t You Adopt American Children?


If you have ever considered adoption, in your research
you quickly learned that there are many different issues that
impact your decision as to where and how to adopt your child.
Regulations, restrictions, cost, social factors, preparedness…the
list is long.

Here is one parent's perspective. If you adopted
internationally or domestically, what were the critical factors
that led to your decision where to adopt??

"http://www.theadoptionfirm.com/2013/02/21/ill-tell-you-why-reflections-on-domestic-and-international-adoption-by-anne-louise-pass/"
title=
"Permalink to I’ll Tell You Why: Reflections on Domestic and International Adoption by Anne Louise Pass">
I'll Tell You Why: Reflections on Domestic and International
Adoption by Anne Louise Pass

Who Could Keep From Loving Them?

"I just don't understand why they can't adopt American
kids," she said.

I immediately whipped my head around to see if she was walking
hand in hand with her own domestically adopted child. After all:
you shouldn't throw stones if you live in a glass house. I saw no
child, and I could feel the smirk creeping into the corners of my
mouth, desperate to betray my thoughts. Ignorance. Tactlessness.
My mind was jamming, collecting layers of angry thoughts, neurons
firing at light speed. I could not think to speak, which- to
anyone who knows me- is a natural phenomenon.

I said to myself, "I must remain level-headed," a state that,
when I have been properly offended, I utterly despise. This woman
could be more insensitive than the waitress who suggested the
"ethnically appropriate Asian salad" for my Chinese sister, Ella
Grace. I was almost impressed by the caliber of her rudeness, but
mostly, I was angry. I felt the hot bubbles of indignation
simmering, dangerously close to boiling over. What would possess
her to say something so obviously offensive and rude?

Then the answer came: she was simply ignorant.

Ignorance is not a sin, and there are so many others like this
woman who have not been blessed with the experiences that I have
had. They cannot understand why a potential parent would want to
take on the challenge of raising a child of a different race or
culture, purely because they have not experienced that desire
themselves. They wonder why parents adopt internationally when
there are so many children here in the United States thirsting
for love and opportunity. Domestic adoption is much cheaper than
international adoption, and there is a great need for parents
willing to adopt these children. I empathize with these people's
claims because my brother was one of these domestic orphans.
However, one cannot ignore the need for international adoption.
To do so disregards the basic principles of adoption and presents
a serious issue of prejudice.

Prejudice has plagued our society since the birth of culture. It
manipulates us, always remaining hidden in the brush like a fox.
No one wants to acknowledge its danger, and so it ravages our
relationships, our government, and our society. Even adoption, a
process birthed out of love for another human being, is not safe
from its footprint. Everyone loves a baby, no matter what his
race, but as my youth minister's wife once said, "What happens
when my black baby grows up into a black man and asks your white
daughter to prom? I imagine your opinion might change."
International adoption critics love to argue that displacing
children from their native ethnic and racial background robs them
of their heritage and leaves them confused and lost in a new
culture. These claims are wrong. The United States federal
government has debated this issue, and it has been studied
extensively by psychologists. Transracial and transcultural
adoptees face no more psychological risks than adoptees of the
same race and ethnicity as their parents. In fact, families will
often make an effort to integrate their adopted child's native
culture into their lives. Many families learn their child's
native language or go to great lengths to take their child back
to his or her native country. Since her adoption, my sister has
traded her Chinese culture for American, but she has not suffered
any deprivation. On the contrary, she is blessed. What matters
most to her is not her birthplace, but that she has been cared
for by a loving family and given the opportunities to have a
better life than she could have had before.

However, children in America need these opportunities as well.
The most common argument against international adoption is that
we, as Americans, have an obligation to take care of American
children's needs before the needs of foreign children. When I am
confronted with this claim, after pointing out that one's
location does not define their personhood, change their basic
human needs, or limit their right to be loved, I have two
replies.

First, there are around 100,000 orphans in the United States
compared to 167 million orphans worldwide. According to The
Washington Post
, there were over 600,000 women in America
waiting to adopt in August of 2008. In other words, if every
woman in America adopted one child domestically, there would
still be over 500,000 women willing to adopt. However, even if
these 500,000 women adopted internationally, there would still be
a over 11 million international orphans needing care. Now, think
for moment. In 2007, 78.4% of the United States' population of
302 million considered themselves Christian. James 1:27 commands
the Church to care for the widow and the orphan. If less than
half of these 236,768,000 American Church members took this
command to heart and cared for the child that God had placed in
their hearts, there wouldn't be an orphan problem, in the United
States or anywhere else.

Second, in America, orphans are given food, clothing, education,
and job training until they are eighteen. Children who are taken
into foster care because of abuse and neglect are placed in
foster homes with temporary families. They learn how to take care
of themselves. This does not necessarily mean they are given the
same economic or educational opportunities as children with
permanent families, or the same opportunities to be loved,
although many of them are. However, in Columbia, orphaned
children are turned on the streets as early as ten years old. In
other countries, children are typically turned away between the
ages of sixteen and eighteen and have little to no education or
job training. In fact, out of the 167 million orphans, 120
million will never receive any education whatsoever. About 60% of
these orphaned girls will become prostitutes, and 70% of these
boys will become criminals by the age of 18. 10-15% of these
children will commit suicide before the age of eighteen. Every
year, 1.8 million are forced into human trafficking,
prostitution, or the pornography industry, and 11
million will die of a preventable or treatable disease. These
children have no chance at improvement. While orphans here are
struggling, orphans oversees are dying. And while there
is a definite need for loving parents willing to take in American
children, the need for international adoption has an even greater
magnitude. In order to heal this festering wound in our world,
millions must respond to all the issues, domestic and
international. To say that parents who adopt internationally are
wrong, ignorant, or insensitive towards the needs of our country
is explicitly wrong, in every sense of the word.

However, international adoption is not an easy process. It is
expensive, and it can take years- after identifying a child- to
complete. It is mountains of paperwork and around forty thousand
dollars. Domestic adoption is much cheaper, but it is not without
drawbacks. During the adoption process, birth parents can change
their minds and unknown biological fathers can emerge and demand
the rights to their child. Ultimately, it is the state's first
priority to reunite foster children with their biological
families, which creates unimaginable stress on the adoptive
family until the adoption papers are signed and notarized.
Because of these challenges, out of the 600,000 women ready to
adopt, only a fraction of them will receive a child. As part of a
family going through this process right now, I understand, and I
fully support these families trying so hard to bring home the
child they love. I have experienced both domestic and
international adoption, and both processes come with their own
challenges, just as every birth child presents his or her own
unique set of problems. What these critics fail to realize is
that numbers and logic only go so far in adoption. The motivation
to adopt is not a deep charitable urge, a feeling of moral
obligation, or even a sympathetic desire to alleviate the
suffering of a "poor" orphan. It is love and the desire to love a
child, and when that love is felt, any parent will travel to the
moon and back for their child, adoptive or biological. Love
defies all logic.

In the end the decision to adopt is a matter of heart. A child is
a child, and birthplace cannot erase that fact. Both domestic and
international adoption come with risks and difficulties, but when
a child is waiting for their "forever family," as my mother says,
these challenges are trivial. Robert Dale Morrison once said,
"The quickest cure for racism would be to have everyone in the
country adopt a child of another race. No matter what your
beliefs, when you hold a four-day-old infant, love him, and care
for him, you don't see skin color, you see a little person that
is very much in need of your love." People who have not
experienced this love do not understand it, and on paper, loving
a strange child with an alien background seems absurd. But like
the farmer that extracts the fox from the brush and eliminates
its danger to his crops, families have chosen to ignore race and
ethnicity in their children, and challenges will not stop them
from holding them in their arms. They have discovered that race,
money, convenience, and nationality have no weight in the
mysterious process of love.

___________________________________________________________

About the Author

Anne Louise Pass has grown up with a passion for orphans,
which she credits to her family. Her father is an international
missionary for Visiting Orphans, and she has two adopted
siblings, one brought home from China and one adopted
domestically. She has traveled to orphanages in China and Haiti
and plans to go to Rwanda with her father in December to visit
two orphanages and her twenty year old "sister," Amèlie, the girl
her family has fallen in love with and considers family.

These experiences have given Anne Louise a unique
perspective and fostered a mission to "speak out for those who
cannot speak for themselves," as she says. As an eleventh grader
at The Montgomery Academy in Montgomery, Alabama she plans on
continuing her education in order to bring glory to God and share
his hope with those who have none, wherever that may take
her.

ADOPTION SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

Adoption Services International has extensive experience making
the process as smooth as possible, from the very beginning of
your decision to adopt, through bringing your adopted child home
to the US. Adoption Services International unites loving US
families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique
professional, individualized, quality (including a maximum
guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, at
affordable cost and 20 years Ukrainian experience.


If you or someone you love would like to expand your family,
provide a permanent home for a needy orphaned child, welcome a
sibling for an existing child or discover an alternative for
infertility treatments - contact us to learn more about Ukrainian
adoption, Adoption Services International can help.


"http://www.adoptionservicesinternational.com/">www.adoptionservicesinternational.com


"mailto:info@asi-adoption.com">info@asi-adoption.com


908-444-0999


"https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption">https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption


Upcoming
Events:


The Ukrainian Adoption Process: Free Informational
Meeting


Thursday, March 14, 6:00-8:00 PM


Location: Wellness Rocks: 133 Rupell Road, Clinton, New Jersey

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Ukraine Hopes To See Rise in Foreign Adoptions

Thank goodness Ukraine is not Russia!!

Reported Feb. 28, 2013, 11:24 p.m. in the Kyiv Post - by
"http://www.kyivpost.com/content/author/olga-rudenko/">Olga
Rudenko

In this 2008 photo a boy from Donetsk orphanage is reaching out
to visitors. Experts hope Ukrainian orphans will have more
chances to be taken in by Americans following the adoption ban in
Russia.

If there is one silver lining from Russia's recent ban on U.S.
adoptions, it might be for Ukraine's abandoned and orphaned
children. Some are hoping that U.S.-based adoption agencies,
which specialize in Russian adoptions, might look to Ukraine now
- unless politics interfere

ADOPTION SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

Adoption Services International has extensive experience making
the process as smooth as possible, from the very beginning of
your decision to adopt, through bringing your adopted child home
to the US. Adoption Services International unites loving US
families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique
professional, individualized, quality (including a maximum
guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, at
affordable cost and 20 years Ukrainian experience.


If you or someone you love would like to expand your family,
provide a permanent home for a needy orphaned child, welcome a
sibling for an existing child or discover an alternative for
infertility treatments - contact us to learn more about Ukrainian
adoption, Adoption Services International can help.


"http://www.adoptionservicesinternational.com/">www.adoptionservicesinternational.com


"mailto:info@asi-adoption.com">info@asi-adoption.com


908-444-0999


"https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption">https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption


Upcoming
Events:


The Ukrainian Adoption Process: Free Informational
Meeting


Thursday, March 14, 6:00-8:00 PM


Location: Wellness Rocks: 133 Rupell Road, Clinton, New Jersey

powered by eggzack.com

After Ukrainian Adopted Child Dies in US, Ukraine Examines Foreign Adoptions: Lessons for Adoptive P

After learning of a shooting death of a 13 year old adopted
Ukrainian boy, the Ministry in charge of adoptions is considering
how best to monitor living conditions and health of Ukrainian
children adopted by foreigners. (See article below)

As officials acknowledge in other articles, they are somewhat
limited by resources. This is why it is SO important that all
parents of adopted Ukrainian children fulfill their legal
obligation and file the required reports on time with the correct
Ukrainian Consulate. This article states that the compliance rate
in the US is only at 30%. This is really bad news and we all have
to do what we can to improve it. In 2006 Ukraine halted adoptions
for a short time and one of the reasons they gave was the lack of
compliance from US parents in filing the post-adoption reports.

If anyone needs information on what is required contact us at
info@asi-adoption.com
and we will send you the required forms and complete
instructions. For the good of future parents and all the children
in Ukraine needing good homes, we all need to do our part to
raise this compliance percentage. If not, we may well see
additional Ukrainian legislation governing post-adoption
monitoring which would add costs, and potentially impact
Ukrainian Adoptions.

"http://en.ria.ru/world/20130223/179636261.html">Ukraine Moves to
Probe Foreign Adoptions

KIEV, February 23 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine's Ministry of Social
Policy has initiated a probe into living conditions and health of
Ukrainian children adopted by foreigners in a wake of a recent
spat between Russia and the United States over alleged abuse of
Russian adoptees by US foster parents.

"We sent a letter to the [Ukrainian] Foreign Ministry with a
request to conduct an investigation into living conditions and
health of children adopted by foreign citizens," Social Policy
Minister Natalia Korolevskaya said on Friday.

"We must have reliable information about every child who has been
registered in Ukrainian consulates and diplomatic missions around
the world," the minister said.

According to Korolevskaya, foreigners adopted 806 Ukrainian
children in 2012.

In line with the current legislation, foster parents must file a
report on adoptee's conditions once a year during the first three
years of adoption (and later - once every three years until
adopted children turn 18).

"Unfortunately, some countries register low reporting rates,"
Korolevskaya said. "For instance, only 30 percent of foster
families in the United States provide these reports."

The Ukrainian move comes as Moscow and Washington continue a
fierce battle over Russian children adopted by US foster parents.

Moscow banned US citizens from adopting Russian children last
month, in what some call a retaliatory measure against a US law
imposing sanctions on Russian officials allegedly involved in
human rights abuses, though a bilateral adoption agreement
between the two countries remains in place until next year.

Russia has said the ban is necessary to protect its children,
citing numerous cases of abuse and neglect by US parents that
have resulted in the deaths of at least 19 Russian adoptees since
the early 1990s.

The tensions erupted again this week, with news that a 3-year-old
boy adopted from Russia last year had died in Texas last month
and led to unconfirmed reports that outraged many in Russia.

Russia vowed on Thursday to bring to trial American citizens it
alleges have evaded punishment for "serious crimes" against
Russian adoptees.

ADOPTION SERVICES INTERNATIONAL

Adoption Services International has extensive experience making
the process as smooth as possible, from the very beginning of
your decision to adopt, through bringing your adopted child home
to the US. Adoption Services International unites loving US
families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique
professional, individualized, quality (including a maximum
guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, at
affordable cost and 20 years Ukrainian experience.


If you or someone you love would like to expand your family,
provide a permanent home for a needy orphaned child, welcome a
sibling for an existing child or discover an alternative for
infertility treatments - contact us to learn more about Ukrainian
adoption, Adoption Services International can help.


"http://www.adoptionservicesinternational.com/">www.adoptionservicesinternational.com


"mailto:info@asi-adoption.com">info@asi-adoption.com


908-444-0999


"https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption">https://www.facebook.com/ASI.Adoption


Upcoming
Events:


The Ukrainian Adoption Process: Free Informational
Meeting


Thursday, March 14, 6:00-8:00 PM


Location: Wellness Rocks: 133 Rupell Road, Clinton, New Jersey

powered by eggzack.com