As reported this week in ForUm (reprinted below), Ukrainian
officials are considering making all adoptions open. They use the
word Secret to describe the type of Adoptions Ukraine has today.
Today when U.S. parents adopt from Ukraine the birth parents, if
known, have relinquished all rights and all links are severed.
The court documents are sealed in the Ukraine. For some parents,
the fact that this is the ultimate in closed adoption is an
attractive factor in their decision to adopt from Ukraine.
I believe there is no chance this idea, which would open court
documents to adopted children at the age of 14) will gain no
traction. Over the last few years Ukraine has been pushing hard
to encourage more Ukrainians to adopt. Culturally open adoption
would be considered unacceptable by the majority of adopting
Ukrainian parents. I can't count how many Ukrainians have told me
(often in front of my son) that it would be better for him if he
was never told he was adopted.
There has been an increase in adoptions by Ukrainians and this
initiative would definitely roll back the gains they have made in
making adoption acceptable culturally.
The original article:
Secret adoption may be cancelled in Ukraine
Ukraine wants to abolish secret adoption, presidential envoy for
children rights Yuri Pavlenko said at a briefing, ForUm
correspondent reports.
"We need to cancel the confidential adoption. It does not allow
tolerant control over adopted children. The secret adoption is a
burden from the soviet system. There is a myth that this
mechanism protects children and parents from unnecessary
attention and psychological trauma and ensures them a normal
life," he said.
In his opinion, this is just a myth. "A child learns a truth, and
the later it happens, the more unpredictable consequences will
be. This may lead to resentment, rupture of relations and running
away from home. The secret adoption is a priority of the adults'
interests over the child's interests. It does not comply with the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The child
should know his natural parents. We have initiated a relevant
bill concerning the abolition of the secret adoption," Pavlenko
said.
In addition, each child at the age of 14 is entitled to find out
the circumstances of adoption in a court case.
"I do not think it will affect a number of people willing to
adopt. Most parents reveal this secret to the children from the
first days. I do not see any negative aspects in the abolition of
the secret adoption," Pavlenko stressed.
If you or someone you love want to welcome a child into their
lives and families, as my husband and I did, we can help.
www.adoptionservicesinternational.com
info@asi-adoption.com
908-444-0999
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