Adoption Services International: October 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Federal Adoption Tax Credit: The Only Hope For Many Who Want To Adopt From Ukraine?

Since the federal adoption tax credit is due to expire at the end
of December, the New York Times had an opinion column on the
subject. Ukrainian adoptions are one of the most affordable
international adoption programs, yet, it is still expensive and
many families simply can't afford that without help.

Here is one opinion:

The Only Hope for Many Who Want Children

Becky Fawcettis the co-founder and executive director
ofHelpusadopt.org, which gives grants up to $15,000 to defray
adoption costs for couples and individuals regardless of race,
ethnicity, religion, gender, marital status or sexual
orientation.

Children's lives depend on the renewal of the adoption tax
credit. Most adoptive families need it in order to afford
adoption, whichcostsan average of $30,000. Most of our applicants
at Helpusadopt.org spend $30,000 to $50,000, and sometimes more
depending on the circumstances and travel involved.

Many American families seeking to build their families through
adoption can provide for a child on a day-to-day basis but cannot
pay these fees in full and up front. So these large costs present
insurmountable financial obstacles.

Some families are able to pay for their adoptions only because
they know they will receive the tax credit upon finalization of
the adoption (which can be a year or longer after the child is
home). Knowing the tax credit will be available enables them to
deplete their savings (to a dangerous level), borrow against
their home, take out a bank loan, put the expenses on credit
cards and/or borrow from a family member. They know they can pay
the loan back within a reasonable amount of time with the tax
credit money. This is not a perfect solution by any means, but it
is a solution that allows would-be parents to complete their
adoption.Removing the tax credit would create another layer of
American families who must wonder not when but if they will be
able to adopt. It would remove a very viable option for the tens
of thousands of people seeking to build their families through
adoption.

If these families cannot afford to adopt, what would it mean for
all of the children in our country and around the globe that are
in need of adoptive families? What will happen to these children
if they are not adopted? Who wants to tell them it is because
money stood in the way?

Adoption Services International unites loving US families with
Ukrainian children. We provide a unique combination of
professional, individualized, quality service (including a
maximum guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience,
affordable local 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.

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

The Honeymoon Phase After A Ukrainian Adoption

Did you have a honeymoon phase after your adoption? If you are
considering adoption or in the process, don't count on it. Every
child adjusts differently, sometimes there is a "grace period"
before they start testing limits as every child shall, and
sometimes they start right in and never let up.

I learned the importance of adhering to my Ukrainian adoptive
son's orphanage regimen. If I kept to his schedule of breakfast,
play, snack, play, lunch, play, long nap, play dinner, early bed
- everything was great. When travel and life got in the way and I
missed nap time, I had a screaming, squirming nightmare on my
hands at a lunch cafe. Nightmare. I had to leave. My
recommendation: find out the schedule and stick to it as much as
possible.

It is a wonderful thing about Ukrainian adoption that you get to
spend some time with your adopted Ukrainian child in his or her
orphanage and get to know his schedule. Generally I have found
this smoothes the transition a bit.

Also, every child is different! Share your experience or stories
you have heard!

The Honeymoon Phase of International Adoption

Destinations, Dreams and Dogs Blog

"Ah, the honeymoon phase," other adoptive parents would smile
benignly when they heard we had nary a problem with our first son
from Russia. "Just wait."

This common adoption legend persists to the present day: that
children arrive after court, fresh-faced and angelic, and then a
week later, or several months later, descend into the depths of
whirling-dervish demon possession when the honeymoon phase is
over.

Tell that to any adoptive parent whose child is screaming bloody
murder in a hotel room all night long the first night, or wailing
and kicking before stepping into a car for the first time, or
heading out on an airplane, bound for who-knows-where with atomic
diaper blow-outs. Those parents are still waiting for the
honeymoon phase.

In our case with Petya, brought home at 7.5 years old, the
honeymoon never ended. He was delightful and helpful,
enthusiastic and energetic from Day 1. Our first morning home, he
fed me the blueberries out of his yogurt, "Mama, taste this, it's
amazing!" and picked me wildflowers from our garden. I loved him
unreservedly and unconditionally.

Our second son was adopted four years later at 11.75 years old,
followed by our daughters arriving a year later at 8.5 and 11
years old. None of them believed in happily-ever-after honeymoons
by the looks of things. Or, if this was their idea of a
honeymoon, God help their future mates-!

No, they came to us pouty and problematic, and in Pasha's and
Sashenka's cases, pretty pukey, as well. Anytime we were in a
moving conveyance, the projectiles would hurl forth, which for a
jet-setting family, was most of the time. There's nothing like
setting off for a new life in a new land while changing your
daughter's soaked and stinky clothes on the side of the highway
in a freezing drizzle and then washing her matted hair in the
airport sink- sans soap and sans paper towels.

So maybe the "honeymoon" was doomed from the start, lol. I
learned to carry plastic bags in my purse at all times. With
prayer, they overcame the motion-sickness, slowly but surely,
along with the other pukey behaviors.

If it wasn't coming out one end, then we had problems on the
other. Some honeymoon. I broached the subject with Pasha,
reported to be a bed wetter.

"Privyet, welcome to the family," came my rehearsed speech.
"Maybe you've never heard of it, but some children wet the bed at
night. There is special underwear to put on so that the bed stays
dry. Would you like some?" I asked as we entered our hotel suite.

"Nyet, spaseebah," he replied, as though politely refusing
another bit of caviar on toast points.

"Umm-hmm…" I didn't give in so easily, for his sake, as well as
mine. For some reason, I had been nominated to share the bed with
him. "Maybe we should wear these "troosee" at least for the first
night-?"

But he was adamant.

Fine. Far be it from me to embarrass the guy and treat him like a
baby.

And thus, he awoke with a start in the early-morning hours as his
urine saturated both himself and the hotel bed sheets.

Stripping them off immediately, I washed the sheets in the
bathtub and miracle of miracles, they dried before any maids
arrived.

These were the bumps in the road, the little surprises that
surfaced after we were already committed for life. Benedetto and
I had walked the aisle and said "I do" for these children before
a Russian judge. For us, we had massive amounts of time, and
money, and documents invested in these kids, whereas for them, it
was a whim, another disconnected, disjointed event in their life
that might turn into yet another detour. These were not kids on
their "honeymoon", on their best behavior for a week or so and
headed for a specific destination in life. Instead, they
continued their chaotic past into their present, letting it all
hang out from the very first moment.

"Sashenka! What's all this trash?!" I gasped in horror as I
entered our Russian apartment's living room. She had gathered
water bottles, juice bottles, and assorted debris, playing with
them, and then tossing them helter-skelter on the floor, rather
than placing them in the trash bin. It looked like an alcoholic's
den.

Bingo.

"Here, let me help you put these in the trash. Do you know where
the trash can is?" we walked together to the kitchen.

A few minutes later, we were ready to go out on some official
appointment. My eyeballs nearly popped out at the elder sister's
getup.

"Mashenka! Stop rolling down your pants. I don't care to see your
popa. And what's on your face? You're so pretty you don't need
makeup," I say for the hundredth time in Moscow within days of
taking custody. I have adopted a floozy, intent on having her
front and back side hanging out of her clothes, as well as
wearing heavy, cruddy old makeup no doubt retrieved from some
garbage bin.

"No, Mama, they're not rolled down, I swear it," she says so
innocently with the face of a liar. "Cosmetics? What cosmetics?"

We could only go up from here.

For these last three children, our love grew over time, more of
an arranged marriage, getting-to-know-you phase, instead of any
happy-go-lucky, swept-away honeymoon. We saw them trying to
please, trying to fit in, trying to adapt to a new family- on the
even days of odd-numbered months whenever the moon was not waxing
nor waning. The good times gave us hope for the grueling times.

I've heard that a number of married couples take no honeymoon,
preferring to wait until later for any celebratory travel. In our
lifestyle, we travel, and we generally celebrate every step
forward, great or small. So, I guess, in essence, every day is a
honeymoon at our house.

Whether sooner or later, take time for a honeymoon. Enjoy what's
right about life and what's cause for celebration. Make the
honeymoon more than a passing phase, make it a way of life for
the whole family. Bon voyage!

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Adopting An Older Ukrainian Child: What Can Adoptive Parents Expect?

Adopting an older Ukrainian child can be extremely rewarding. My
husband and I adopted an older child and it has been a wonderful
experience.We were very concerned about the health of the
Ukrainian child we adopted. It is always a concern that any child
was exposed to alcohol or drugs during the prenatally. Most
children in institutions are developmentally delayed due to lack
of stimulation. Developmental delays can be physical, speech
related, and many others. Originally we wanted to adopt an
infant.

Just like when giving birth to a child, in adoption you never
know what you will get. Our concern was that if we took a very
young child, we would not be able to judge if there were true
cognitive issues or if the child was just displaying the expected
developmental delays. After understanding the risks, we knew we
did not want to adopt an infant.

Unlike in an infant, with an older child, you can already see
their personality, intelligence and emotions. Nearly every child
that grows up in an institutional setting, especially
internationally will have developmental delays as a result of
lack of stimulation. When adopting an older child, it is somewhat
easier to tell if there are cognitive problems, illness or
behavioral problems than a child under the age of two, since at a
very young age, it is hard to distinguish between developmental
delays and all the other potential issues.

Healthy children in Ukraine are available for international
adoption at the age of 5. You can adopt younger children if you
adopt siblings and one of the children is 5 or older. Children
with special needs are also available for international adoption
from 12 months old.

Often adoptive parents worry about bonding with an older child as
well as any traumatic or just negative experiences they may have
experienced and remember. One of the best things in my opinion
about adopting from Ukraine is that we get to spend time with the
adoptive child in his or her environment. We could see how our
son interacted with us over weeks. Our bonding was almost
immediate. He started calling us Mama and Papa from day 2.
Studies have shown that attachment is not about age, that the
critical factor is how many different places the child has lived.

Our son was a happy little boy when we met him and he still is.
We adopted him when he was three and after early intervention
provided by our school district to address his developmental
delays provided by the State and our district, he is an A student
in second grade.

Enjoy this article by Ellen Singer of the Center for Adoption
Support and Education

Adopting Older ChildrenBy Ellen Singer, LCSW-CThe Center for
Adoption Support and Education, Inc

There are many reasons why prospective parents choose to adopt
children who are older (defined as typically three and up.) For
some it is their own age - because they are "older parents" -
either first-time parents, or having already raised
biological/adopted children, it makes sense to them to parent
older children. Marla, 47 mother of two adopted children, ages 8
and 10 says, "I didn't want to have children in college when I'm
getting ready to retire!" For others, there's a feeling of
wanting to provide a home for a child who really needs one.
"Everyone wants babies," says, Rebecca. "We felt that older
children are sometimes forgotten. They need good homes, too!" For
others, caring for infants and young children is either not that
appealing or doesn't feel practical. "Doug, Rebecca's husband
says, "My wife and I work full-time and have no family in the
area to help out. We felt that an older child would fit more
easily into our lives."

Whatever the motivation, the decision to adopt older children
must come after careful consideration ( KNOW THYSELF!) and
education as to both the many rewards as well as the challenges
involved. Older children come with histories - whether having
lived in foster care, orphanages, or with birth family. Their
pre-adoptive experiences may leave them with unresolved emotional
issues. Such issues include significant loss - of birth family,
possibly including siblings, previous caregivers, and sometimes -
culture, religion, etc. In addition, some children may have
experienced trauma - physical, emotional, sexual abuse; neglect,
witnessing violence, substance abuse, parental psychiatric
disturbance, etc.

Walking in the Child's ShoesAll adopted children need help to
grieve the losses they have experienced. Placed in permanent
families where they experience their new parents' commitment and
loving support, they are often able to address their issues.
Empathetic listening, compassion, and patience from their parents
can help them further develop the resiliency they already have
that enabled them to survive difficult life experiences.

Parenting older children is therefore a very special and
important job. Key to the success of older adoptive placements is
preparation, according to Madeleine Krebs, Clinical Coordinator
at CASE. She notes, "Both the parents' and the child's
expectations need to be carefully explored and adjusted for what
the realities are likely to be. For example, a child coming from
an orphanage may never have lived in a family and therefore may
have no idea as to how a family functions. Having experienced
multiple caregivers, he may have no model for being able to
understand what a "Mom or Dad" is. On a practical level, for
example, he may never have ridden in a car with a seatbelt, or
been to a grocery store. And of course, he is experiencing these
cultural differences in a foreign language."

Ms. Krebs notes that children may be very excited, and/or scared
about the new changes, and have difficulty adjusting to parental
expectations. They may be confused by how the reality differs
from their fantasies of what life would be like after adoption.
Ms. Krebs describes how one seven year old girl moving into a
family with older siblings was terrified of them because in her
orphanage in Russia, the older children were often in charge of
the younger ones and were quite hurtful to them. The parents'
knowledge of their daughter's orphanage experience enabled them
to prepare the older siblings to adjust the ways they interacted
with their new sister until she grew comfortable with them. This
meant a great deal to the girl and enabled her to learn that the
roles of older children - siblings - in her family included that
of protection of younger siblings, helping her to feel safe.

An older child coming from foster care may have multiple models
of what parents are like and unfortunately, some of their
experiences may not have been positive ones. They too, may have a
mix of feelings of excitement, fear and confusion. Ms. Krebs
says, "One little eight year old boy with a history of physical
abuse, adopted by a single mother, would hang his head and become
mute whenever he was upset, and then later get into trouble with
aggressive behavior toward peers at school. It was likely that
his birth parents told him to keep quiet and that his silence
kept him from further abuse." With therapeutic support from his
therapist and loving encouragement from his mother, he learned
how to verbalize his feelings. He eventually became more
confident in expressing his feelings in new and positive ways.

Children involved in concurrent planning, where the plan may have
been reunification with the birth family are likely to be quite
confused about this plan and show signs of anxiety that may be
difficult to understand. Again, parents need to take into account
the earlier chapters of their older child's life experiences for
clues to make sense of present day behavior or emotions.

What Parents Can DoMs. Krebs notes that in light of this
understanding, parents need to be very patient with themselves
and with the children. Older children will go through many
changes as they learn how to develop reciprocal relationships
with their new family members. "It just takes time," she says.
"It helps tremendously if parents have a good understanding of
the child's pre-placement history and are prepared to listen to
their child's stories from the past. They must be also be
prepared to do a lot of teaching about what is expected in their
family - Parents must continually state, 'In our family, we don't
do___. This is what WE do. One ten year old boy stated that in
previous placements, everyone ate dinner in their own rooms. He
had to adjust to the fact that in his adoptive family, family
members were expected to eat dinner together. Of course, it is
equally important that parents be open to incorporating some of
the child's wishes (such as traditions and rituals) into family
life."

One of the most difficult aspects of parenting older children is
the patience required for the time it may take for a mutually
satisfying attachment to occur. In her book, Attaching in
Adoption, Deborah Gray notes that it can take up to one to two
years for the love to come. Many children who have been
traumatized may be quite resistant to love for fear of being hurt
and rejected. When parents can remember how long their courtship
took to lead to a committed relationship, they can have more
realistic expectations of themselves and their child.

Parents often report feeling guilty when there are times when
they have negative feelings about their children. Others feel
lonely when family or friends do not understand how hard it can
be sometimes. Support is critical for parents to know that what
they are experiencing is normal, and important for helping them
to persevere.

Adopting an older child can bring great joy to both parents and
the child. The willingness to work with unique challenges is not
right for everyone, but for those who choose to bring an older
child into their lives, the hard work can bring great happiness.

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Ukrainian Homestead Offers Activities For Ukrainian Adoptive Families Throughout The Year

Looking for something fun to do and celebrate and enjoy your
Ukrainian adopted child's culture. Here is a gem not far from New
York City and Philly in the Poconos. Check it out!

Nestled in the Pocono mountains of Pennsylvania, just 75 miles
north of Philadelphia and 90 miles west of New York City, the
Ukrainian Homestead offers visitors a wide range of activities in
a beautiful country setting. Founded in 1957 by ODWU, the
Homestead is dedicated to the celebration of Ukrainian heritage
and culture.

For over 50 years, the Homestead has been a unique gathering
place for friends and family. If you want to just unwind from big
city stress, you can pick a soft grassy spot on the many acres of
the Homestead and watch the clouds go by, or take a refreshing
dip in the pool. Whether you are a sightseer or an avid sports
enthusiast, you'll find something to meet your interests all
within a few miles of the Homestead. You can also participate in
any of our scheduled activities.

Each year, on the third weekend in August, the Homestead attracts
thousands of visitors to its two-day cultural folk festival
featuring Ukrainian dance ensembles, singers, musicians, arts and
crafts vendors. The festival also includes an evening of dancing
'till dawn.

Ukrainian youth organizations such as PLAST, SUM, and other
organizations hold weekend outings, meetings or conferences at
the Homestead. Weddings and special family gatherings are another
reason to get together at the Homestead. From picnics or formal
events to soccer or volleyball tournaments, our country place has
the room and the facilities for small or large groups to hold
whatever events they choosein any season.....for any reason.

www.UkrainianHomestead.com

For information, call:

Nadia Andrejko, Ukrainian Homestead Club President

(610) 377-0412

Lesia Stecyna Homestead Adminhistrator (215) 657-1758 - Weekdays

Homestead (610)-377-4621 - Weekends

1230 Beaver Run Drive Lehighton, PA 1823518

To contact us by email, click below:

Email:ukrhomestead@gmail.com

Adoption Services International unites loving US families with
Ukrainian children. We provide a unique combination of western
quality service (including a maximum guaranteed adoption fee),
personal adoption experience, affordable local cost and 20 years
Ukrainian experience.

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Consider Adoption!

However you look at it, consider adoption!

Adoption Services International unites loving US families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique combination of western quality service (including a maximum guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, affordable local 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.

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process, Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey 07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Another Potential Source Of Grants For Your Ukrainian Adoption

Grants for adoption.Check out another financing resource:

Helpusadopt.org is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) financial
assistance grant program providing qualified couples and
individuals-regardless of race, ethnicity, marital status,
gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability-with grants
of up to $15,000 towards their domestic, international, foster,
or special needs adoption expenses.

Helpusadopt.org - P.O. Box 787 - New York, NY 10150Phone
917.684.5484Fax 253.399.6780info@Helpusadopt.org

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Considering Adoption? Don't Watch "The Baby Wait" And Understand There Are Many Adoption Options

Dramatizing the waiting period as a birth mother considers
whether she should take back the child she gave up toadoption,
"The Baby Wait", a TV series airing tonight on Logo, is an
adopting parent's worst nightmare.

If you are considering adoption, this can be very scary. Most
States do give the birth mother a period when they can
reconsider. There is a level of risk during this period. In
contrast, Ukrainian adoptions are permanent and final. The birth
parents and family have not rights regarding the child.

With all the children needing homes, both in the US and around
the world, I hope this TV show does not scare some into not
adopting.

Enjoy this article by Rob Owen, Susan

If you're planning to adopt, by all means, stay far away from
Logo's"The Baby Wait"(10 tonight) for the sake of your own
emotional health.

While shows about adoption can certainly be uplifting, "The Baby
Wait" seems designed to scare off potential adoptive parents by
framing the premiere episode with the drama of whether the
adoptive parents will get the child or if the mother will change
her mind in the first 30 days after birth, which is the law in
Connecticut, where the first episode takes place.

Russia’s Children’s Rights Rep Calls For Ban On Foreign Adoptions: Consider Ukrainian Adoptions

Fueled by a new rise in nationalism and anti-American sentiment,
Russian adoption officials have been making lots of noise this
week calling for a halt to international adoptions of Russian
children and especially targeting American adoptions. In another
article, they state that all the supposed benefits of adoption
for the children are only made by those that are making money out
of the Russian adoption "business".

Take a read of an example of the articles in the press this week
in Russia.

By Maria Young for RIA Novosti

Russia's Children's Rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov called for
the ban Monday at a hearing before Russian lawmakers in Moscow on
US human rights issues

A call by a Russian child rights official to halt foreign
adoptions of Russian children, including in the United States,
would result in more harm to a greater number of children, said
US adoption experts Monday.

Russia's Children's Rights Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov called for
the ban Monday at a hearing before Russian lawmakers in Moscow on
US human rights issues.

Astakhov said the $1.5 billion adoption industry attracts
unscrupulous people and that concerns over the future of orphans
"are all lies."

Astakhov's call to ban foreign adoptions comes just as an
exhaustive,bilateral agreement between the US and Russiato
dramatically improve the adoption system is set to begin.

"Why we would just throw that away doesn't make any sense," said
Kathleen Strottman, executive director of the Congressional
Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), a non-profit organization
that works with policy makers to remove barriers to safe,
successful adoptions.

"The two governments have been working in earnest for two years
to address the concerns. This is a very solid agreement that will
improve the outcomes for children," Strottman said.

The US-Russian adoption agreement, signed into law in Russia by
President Vladimir Putin and set to be phased in beginning
November 1, mandates a number of changes including more screening
and training for adoptive parents, and greater scrutiny
post-adoption.

The US and Russia put the agreement into place "to promote
stronger safeguards for adoptive children and parents in the
inter-country adoption process," said a US State Department
official not authorized to speak on the record.

The official added that it incorporates several fundamental
principles of the Hague Adoption Convention, which Russia has not
signed. That agreement signed by 89 countries, including the
United States, sets standards for international adoptions, and
puts safeguards into place to prevent the abduction, sale and
trafficking of children.

Russian officials claim at least 19 Russian children have died
following abuse by American foster parents since adoption of
Russian children in the US began in the early 1990s.

Since 1999, parents in the US have adopted more than 45,000
Russian children, including 962 children adopted last year.

The numbers are down in part because of more than a dozen
high-profile adoption abuse cases.

A father in the US, who left his adopted toddler son in a hot car
to die, was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter, a
ruling that infuriated many Russian officials.

They were also outraged when an American woman decided the
7-year-old boy she had adopted had too many emotional problems
and put him on a plane back to Russia unaccompanied.

"That was the final straw that led to this agreement," said Chuck
Johnson, president of the National Council for Adoption, a
non-profit advocacy group that works to promote a culture of
adoption.

But he adds, with an estimated 700,000 children in orphanages or
other state-run care facilities, the idea that Russia can serve
the needs of its institutionalized children without an
international adoption process doesn't work.

"They have an orphan epidemic in their country," said Johnson.
"Inter-country adoption will never be the cure but it is a viable
solution, a viable option."

Strottman said an increasing number of Russian orphans have been
institutionalized in Russia for longer times, and more of them
have been exposed to alcohol and other substance abuse, factors
that lead to significant physical, emotional, social and
developmental delays, and make adoptions very challenging for
both parents and children.

"As we have learned more about the needs of these children who
are adopted, we are better able to prepare adoptive parents," she
said.

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Monday, October 29, 2012

Bullying And International Adopted Children: New Research Results

The stereotype that older adopted children are more likely to be
bullies is not true, but unfortunately, children adopted
internationally are more at risk to be bullied. Obviously, this
is a study and does not answer for every child adopted
internationally from institutionalized care. Yet, as parents of
an internationally adopted child, be aware of the data and keep
an eye out to protect your child.

Enjoy this article by Dawn at Creating a Family

Adopted Kids: More Likely to Bully or be Bullied?

I love the International Adoption Project at the University of
Minnesota. They've been conducting longitudinal research on the
issues that adoptive families really care about since 1999, and
their findings are often applicable not only to internationally
adopted kids, but also to those adopted from foster care and
often to those adopted domestically as infants. And the icing on
the cake for me is that they publish their ongoing results in a
readily accessiblenewsletterrather than just in academic journals
that are only available to subscribers for a hefty fee. One of my
pet peeves is that research findings are so darn hard to
disseminate to the folks who really need the knowledge-adoptive
parents and professionals. (One of the things on my perpetual
to-do list is to find a grant source to help Creating a Family
spread research findings to our extensive network of families and
professionals. If you have suggestions, let me know PLEASE.)

One issue the International Adoption Project is researching right
now is peer relations for international adopted children. All
parents know how important peers are in the emotional development
of children. Some kids with rough starts in life struggle in
finding and keeping friends. There has been little research to
help parents understand the basics of how adoption might affect
friendships and whether their children are more likely to be the
bully or the bullied.

Specifically the University of Minnesota researchers are paying
attention to two types of bullying:

Overt aggression, such as hitting, pushing and name calling
,andRelational aggression, such as threatening to exclude a child
from the group, making up nasty stories about a child or in other
ways ruining their relationships. (The classic "you're not
invited to my birthday party" type of meanness.)

Researchers studied 575 children between the ages of 9- to
14-years from 24 different countries, who were adopted between
1.5 and 86 months of age (approximately 7 years), and had been in
their families for at least six years. They were specifically
looking at whether age at adoption and time spent in an
institution would be related to peer bullying and victimization.

When they just looked at the adopted kids within the study they
found that the children who had spent longer periods in
institutional care were more likely to engage in overt
aggression, but not more relational aggression. The researchers
think that relational aggression may require a more sophisticated
understanding of relationships that might elude children with
greater histories of deprivation prior to adoption, so it is not
surprising that these kids would not be as effective at this type
of bullying. I suppose this is not considered a major surprise
and might even fit the stereotype of kids raised in orphanages as
being aggressive. However, when researchers compared this group
of adopted children to a matched group of non-adopted kids, they
found that the adopted children were not more aggressive. Thus,
they concluded that being a bully does not seem to be a big risk
for children with a history of institutional care.

Sadly, however, they found that internationally adopted kids with
a history of institutional care were more often the victim of
bullies for both overt aggression and relation victimization.
Interestingly, this was the case despite reports that their
children were no less positive in their social behavior towards
peers. Not surprisingly, the children who were being bullied
suffered from more anxiety and depression.

Doesn't this just break your heart?!? I can't say the results
really surprise me. I'm not sure what the researchers meant when
they said that the adopted children were equally "positive in
their social behavior towards peers". Sometimes children who
spend much time in institutions are awkward in their
relationships. I would think this would contribute to being
picked on. Being slightly different may make you a great
interesting adult, but often sets you up for torment in
childhood. Sigh!

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Consider Ukrainian Adoption: Change One Child's World

Adoption Services International unites loving US families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique combination of western quality service (including a maximum guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, affordable local 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.

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process, Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey 07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

National Adoption Foundation Provides A New Source of Financing For Your Ukrainian Adoption

Do You Need Financing To Fund a Portion of Your Adoption?

The National Adoption Foundation has partnered with Prosper.com
to help our supporters receive the financing they need. Prosper
is America's first peer-to-peer lending marketplace that has over
1,480,000 members. They connect people looking to borrow money
with people who have money to invest. The application process is
simple and usually only takes a few minutes.

Now you can receive an unsecured personal loan at a competitive
rate with peer-to-peer lending

· Borrow up to $25,000

· Credit score of 640 or higher accepted

· APRs range from 6.59% to 35.84% for first-time borrowers. All
loans made by WebBank, a Utah-chartered Industrial Bank,
MemberFDIC. Your actual rate depends on credit history, income,
loan term, and other factors.

· Multi-year loan terms available

· Easy online application; approval in minutes

· No pre-payment penalties

Please be careful to compare various financing options for
adoption. The top rate quoted here is very high and may even be
higher than some credit cards.

This is the link to apply:

http://www.prosper.com/prm/lp3.html?

Apply Online to find out if you qualify immediately

The application process is quick and easy:

Please follow the steps below and you're there!

Click on the "Click Here to Apply" hyperlink Provide some basic
information about yourself.Check your rate and review your loan
options.Select the loan option that fits your budget.Post your
loan request to the platform and watch as individual investors
commit funds to your loan.Provide supporting documentation to
verify your identity. (The faster you provide this documentation,
the faster you will receive your funds).Once your loan is fully
funded, the money is deposited directly into your bank account

That's it! The National Adoption Foundation is committed to
helping families fulfill their adoption dreams. We hope our
relationship with Prosper.com will assist families to obtain the
necessary financing they need.

You can also help support the National Adoption Foundation by
downloading our brandedshopping toolbar,credit cardor bymaking a
donation. Each donation of $25 or more entitles you to receive a
matchingRestaurant.comdinner certificate available at more than
18,000 restaurants throughout the country. Thank you again for
your support…

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Consider Adoption: Make A Waiting Child's Wish Come True

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.

Adoption Services International unites loving US families with Ukrainian children. We provide a unique combination of western quality service (including a maximum guaranteed adoption fee), personal adoption experience, affordable local cost and 20 years Ukrainian experience.

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process, Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey 07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Adoption Reality TV Show On US Open Adoption: Very Different From The Ukrainian Adoption Process

While Ukrainian adoptions are closed and final, most US adoptions
are open, and depending on the state and other factors, subject
to a waiting period in which the biological mother may take back
the child.

This 6 part TV documentary by the team thatbehind such reality
hits as "Teen Mom" and "16 and Pregnant" follows one US open
adoption story and tries to bring all perspectives to the table.

Even though I think there are some major stereotypes presented in
the show, it is great to bring awareness of adoption and the
process to a greater audience.

Enjoy, Susan

TV's 'The Baby Wait' tracks adoptive, biological parents during
highs, lows of open adoption

By Leanne Italie, The Associated Press

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Pregnant at 18, a high school dropout, Genavieve
Diggs knew she wasn't equipped to raise a child, but after
surrendering her newborn for adoption, she nearly changed her
mind.

Under state law in Connecticut, where she lives, Diggs had 30
days to make sure the adoption was what she wanted. Such
post-birth waiting periods are common in the patchwork of laws
governing adoption around the country, in Diggs's case an open
arrangement where the two dads she had chosen had already agreed
to grant her regular visits with her baby girl.

The waiting period nearly melted her resolve.

"The 30 days were just a rollercoaster of emotions," she said in
a recent interview. "I had just had the baby and all my hormones
were going crazy. I had to struggle, to tell myself, you know,
'You can't take care of a child right now. You're not ready.
You're not ready emotionally or financially.'"

Diggs poured her sadness, longing and frustration into "The Baby
Wait," a new, six-part documentary series on Logo that focuses
equal attention on agonizing post-birth waiting periods from the
perspectives of both biological and adoptive parents.

Mark Krieger and Paul Siebold, the Manhattan couple matched with
Diggs, agreed to appear on the show to shed light on same-sex
couples who want to adopt. They were in the delivery room when
baby Morgan was born and handed over to them first as Diggs lay
sadly nearby.

Later, after agreeing to the adoption but still in the 30-day
wait, Diggs laments as she shops for baby clothes, camera
rolling: "I honestly wish I could just take it back and be her
mom." She explodes in anger during a fight with her parents as
the clock ticked, Krieger and Siebold already home caring for the
baby.

"It was a very vulnerable time," said Siebold, who does public
relations for a real estate company in Manhattan. "Genavieve,
this is her baby, and she loves Morgan and anything could have
really happened at that point. Thank goodness she had a certain
amount of time to decide whether she was making the right
decision."

Diggs moved ahead with the adoption after the 30 days passed and
sees Morgan regularly. The show premieres with her story and that
of Morgan's two dads on Oct. 30, with other segments featuring
other same-sex and heterosexual couples.

The series, produced by Tony DiSanto and Liz Gateley, coincides
with a heart-wrenching account of domestic adoption gone wrong in
the October issue of Vogue magazine, headlined "The Long Wait."

New York writer Jennifer Gilmore chronicles her failed attempts
to conceive with her husband and their two years of trying to
arrange an open adoption, so their baby's biological parents
could be part of their lives. The difference: This story's ending
wasn't a happy one for the childless couple.

There were false starts with birth moms who chose other families,
disappeared or decided to parent their babies after all. And
there were many of them, including scammers looking for money.
The desperate couple finally agreed to fly to St. Louis soon
after a hurried contact with a woman who had just given birth two
months prematurely and wanted to arrange an adoption.

Holding the tiny baby hooked to wires and machines in the
hospital, Gilmore and her husband, Pedro Barbeito, decided they
couldn't handle the newborn's special needs and walked away,
heartbroken.

"In reality," Gilmore writes, "there is no fairy tale. There are
far fewer babies than those who so badly want them. And adoption,
while often the best arrangement possible, is, by its very
nature, about loss. Everyone is grieving."

Karen Vedder knows the loss firsthand. In 1967, at age 24, she
surrendered a baby girl for adoption the old fashion way: knocked
out cold during the birth, the infant whisked away at the
hospital without so much as a chance for her to see or hold her,
before Vedder even knew the gender.

Reunited years later with her daughter, after raising four sons -
one of whom is Pearl Jam drummer Eddie Vedder - she believes
today's prevalent open adoptions aren't the perfect answer.

Visitation arrangements often dwell in a grey area legally. If
access is cut off or curtailed, it takes mountains of money for
birth parents to fight back in court. And pre- and post-adoption
counselling provided biological mothers is often skewed to favour
surrender, said Vedder, who lives in Carlsbad, Calif., and is
former president of the advocacy group Concerned United
Birthparents.

On TV and in movies, she said, "It just amazes me that we're
always these unsavoury people who really don't deserve to keep
our babies. The sympathy is always with the adopting parents. If
the mom changes her mind, nobody says, 'Oh good, that baby's
going to be raised by his or her mommy.' Everybody feels sorry
for the couple that wanted the baby."

Openness in infant domestic adoption has become the norm,
according to a report from the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption
Institute. But such arrangements, with contact ranging from cards
sent to biological parents once a year to regular visits, are
often misunderstood by those outside of the adoption community,
the report said.

"In the case of open adoption, I think people might
intellectually understand, but this show sheds light on the
emotional and experiential level," said DiSanto, "The Baby Wait"
producer who with Gateley is behind such reality hits as "Teen
Mom" and "16 and Pregnant."

"This show sort of starts where most other shows would climax, so
it starts with the birth and the hand-over, and the fact that
that could change," said DiSanto, himself a parent with his wife
through a surrogate mother. "We thought to really tell the story
the right way you need to have that parallel path and tell both
sides. We look at this as being one way that a modern family is
formed."

Come Nov. 1, Morgan will turn 1. Diggs will be there for a party
planned by Krieger and Siebold two days later at the couple's
second home in Pennsylvania. Now 19 and about to earn her GED,
she has no regrets but does have tearful moments of loss despite
seeing her baby once or twice a month.

"I'm in a great place," she said, explaining that she's back in
touch with Morgan's biological father, who now also visits the
baby but is absent from the show. "It's an amazing feeling that I
still get to be her mother."

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Friday, October 26, 2012

Event: Free Adoption Presentation: Ukrainian Adoption 101 - Oct 12 @ 6:00pm

Califon Book Shop Hosts Adoption Presentations In Celebration of
National Adoption Awareness Month

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

With over 24,000 children available for international adoption,
Ukraine is the 5thgreatest source of adopted children in the US
in 2011, yet many parents considering adoption have never heard
about this European adoption program.

Have you or someone close to you considered international
adoption? Learn more by attending one of our free information
meetings. At the meeting, Susan Kibler, adoptive Mom and
Ukrainian Adoption Specialist will provide detailed information
about all Adoption Services International's Ukrainian adoption
program and services, as well as the unique challenges and
opportunities that international adoption provides for both
children and their prospective parents. We encourage an open,
judgment free question and answer session to answer any concerns
and inquiries.

Adoption Process: Stress vs. Ease

Coaching, What's In It For You? Everything!

We will discuss what coaching is and isn't. As someone who has
been adopted, I bring a unique perspective to the journey of
discovering who we are, where we belong and what each of us
desires to be.

The process of adoption can surface many emotions; fear of
rejection, excitement over the possibilities, and anxiety over
the process, and wondering if your child will accept this new
family unit. Decisions: fear or confidence based, who is making
that choice?

Join in a casual conversation on ways to prepare yourself for all
the thoughts, emotions, and "what if" scenarios you may
experience during the process of adoption and how coaching can
assist you along the way.

Details:

Join Us: Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-8:00PM

Location: Califon Book Shop: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830 (www.califonbookshop.com)

To find out more visit us
at:www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

To register in
advance:info@asi-adoption.comorKathy@TheAdopteeCoach.com

Presenters:

Adoption Services International:

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

The Adoptee Coach of Self Reflection Coaching LLC:

Adopted into a loving family as an infant, Kathy has traveled a
personal journey of courage and curiosity. When seeking a coach
that incorporates a love for life, reassurance and ability to
inspire others, and the passion to make this her life's work,
Kathy will partner with you through the process.

Through Kathy's own journey of self-discovery and experiences,
she has accessed areas that once were dark and unknown that now
are filled with light and clarity. She knows the fear, pain, and
guilt associated with having been adopted and wanting to know her
heritage. Kathy had been best described by her clients as someone
who radiates "pure love" and that shines through in her coaching.

You can:

· Overcome fear and doubt by becoming more open and trusting

· Make clear decisions

· Come to peace

· Transform relationships

· Set goals and design a life you love

Anyone with a strong desire and willingness to take action can
transform their lives.

Kathy Vervan Bugglin, CPC, ELI-MP:

www.TheAdopteeCoach.com

Kathy@TheAdopteeCoach.com

(908) 797-4893

http://www.facebook.com/TheAdopteeCoach

Look for Kathy in the soon to be released book "Ready, Aim, Soar"
on Amazon.

How to Know When a Ukrainian Child Is Not a Good Adoption Match for Your Family

When adopting from Ukraine you are given time to get to know and
bond with your perspective Ukrainian adopted child in their own
environment. What are the factors other than medical that you
should look for to make sure you are making a good match?

This article is written from a foster care perspective, but her
points are important considerations for all parents when
evaluating a referral.

As she says"This will be one of the toughest situations you'll
have to face. It is hard to say no to a child in need." However,
"Remember that there is a difference between caring for a child
and that child's well-being and making that child a lifelong
member of your forever family."

Enjoy, Susan

How to Know When a Child Is Not a Good Adoption Match for Your
Family

ByCarrie Craft, About.com Guide

Part of thefoster care adoption processis meeting the child after
theadoption matchby theadoption agency. The agency social workers
look at the strengths and needs of both the child and of
prospective adoptive parents to decide who would fit together the
best. Theprospective adoptive family are also allowed to read the
child's filesbefore making their final decision.

The first meeting could be held at an agency office or in your
home asrespite if you're a licensed foster parent.

You and your family may have a lot of different emotions and
concerns, especially if after the visit you're left with some
doubts about the adoption match. So how do you know if the child
is not a good fit?

· You find yourself and your family not enjoying time with
the child.

· Characteristics of the child or the child's personality
does not mesh well with your family.

· Overall, you find the child to be annoying or unpleasant
to be around.

· The child's overall morals or values are different from
your family's. This is beyond thechild needing to be taught
morals and values, but what the child finds important is vastly
different.

· Everyone in the family, including the child, feels like
they have to mold or change themselves in order to better fit or
get along.

· You feel that you are not able to meet the child's
needs, especiallybehavioral or emotional needs.

· Your other children do not feel good about the adoption
match. They seem to not be willing to interact much with the
child.

· You feel burdened with the decision and can't decide
what to do. You may feel full of doubts and fears. Remember that
there is a difference between caring for a child and that child's
well-being and making that child a lifelong member of your
forever family.

If you feel that the child is not a good adoption match, then
notify your adoption social worker right away. They need to know
so they cancontinuelooking for a family.

Don't let anyone guilt you into adopting a child that you or your
family does not feel is a good fit. This would not be fair for
you or the child.

People in your life who may put pressure on you to adopt a child
may include:

· The child's birth family- especially if you have been
fostering the child. They may feel comfortable with you and want
to know where their child will be living.

· Your church family- Those who spend limited time with
the child in short term environments may see a different side of
the child and not fully understand the child's needs. Remember
confidentiality; don't feel tempted to share or justify your
reasons for saying no to the adoption match.

· Friends and extended family- Again, they spend limited
time with the child, especially if you're doing respite visits or
short-term pre-placement visits. This is your forever and the
child's, don't adopt trying to please others.

· The child- This will be especially tough if you have
been foster parenting the child for a while. The child may feel
very safe and comfortable in your home, while you doubt the
forever commitment to the child. If the child is visiting with
you and your family after a possible adoption match, the child
may feel so lost or scared that they want to hold on to any
chance to have a forever family. Again, this is not a good reason
to adopt.

· You- Be aware that there are a ton of emotions involved
withtermination of parental rightsand with the possibility of
adopting a child. It is very tempting to want to adopt and parent
a child out of emotion. Is that ultimately what is best for the
child? Do you think the child will be able to tell if you aren't
fully in love with them? Yes! I believe that every child deserves
to have parents who think that the sun rises and sets with them.
Remember, there are other parents waiting for a child who may be
a perfectadoption matchfor this child. They may also find the
things you find annoying, cute.

This will be one of the toughest situations you'll have to face.
It is hard to say no to a child in need. Hopefully you have a
supportive social worker or therapist who will share your
decision with the child. Do not tell the child without permission
from the workers on the case. It may be more appropriate coming
from a worker, a therapist, or the child's foster parent.

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Ukrainian Adoption Update: SDA Will NOT Accept Dossier Submissions in Dec. & Half Jan.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

The SDA in Kyiv will not be accepting new dossiers for
International Ukrainian Adoptions in December 2012 and the first
half of January 2013.

This should have no affect on your adoption if your dossiers have
been accepted. The SDA will not be accepting new submissions
during this time.

If you have any questions, please contact us at:

info@asi-adoption.com

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Adoption-in-Ukraine/168084499905366

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

International Adoption Policies Make Fewer Foreign Children Available for International Adoption

While the number of international orphans and the interest in
international adoptions is increasing, the number of
international adoptions by Americans is decreasing.

The Hague convention regulating international adoptions from many
countries has potentially placed an excessive burden on adoption
providers. I believe it has also added costs. The recession has
certainly not helped parents afford adoption. Strong
nationalistic movements in many foreign countries to try to push
local citizens to adopt (sometimes with monetary payments) have
limited the number of children available to international
parents. Other countries have placed new policies and procedures
limiting the number of children foreigners can adopt.

Lost in all the politics and policies are the tens of millions of
children without families. I think there needs to be a balance
between protection and availability.

Brook Adams addresses some of the issues affecting foreign
adoption trends in this article:

As the number of orphans worldwide grows, those eligible for
adoption by Americans has plummeted.

There is no single factor that explains the drop in adoptions,
experts say, which has occurred as orphans now number 153 million
worldwide, including 18 million who have lost both parents, and
as many as 8 million living in institutions, according to UNICEF.

Interest in adoption remains strong, though the recession may
have affected some families' ability to handle the expense,
experts say.

But most experts bring up two issues when asked to explain the
decline: the rise in nationalistic policies by foreign countries
favoring domestic adoption, and The Hague Adoption Convention,
which was fully implemented in the United States in 2008.

In China and Russia, which have 600,000 and more than 700,000
orphans, respectively, new policies and procedures have affected
the number of children available to foreigners to adopt. Russia's
review, which led to new regulations that begin Nov. 1, was
spurred by alleged abuse and deaths of nearly two dozen children
adopted by American families.

As for The Hague treaty, "It's taken a few years to try to figure
out the accreditation of agencies and put safeguards in place
around the world for children ... but we're seeing progress,"
said Denise Bierly, president of the American Academy of Adoption
Attorneys. "I'm optimistic that international adoptions will
increase and will increase dramatically."

The United States recorded a peak number of adoptions of children
from foreign countries in 2004 -- 22,991 -- but international
adoptions have fallen steadily since then. In 2011, slightly more
than 9,300 children were brought into the United States from
another country.

The U.S. became a signatory to The Hague Adoption Convention in
1994, but it did not take full effect until four years ago.
Countries that belong to The Hague treaty agree to follow
international standards and protections for service providers,
adoptive parents and eligibility of adoptees. Those safeguards
are intended to prevent the abduction, sale and trafficking of
children.

About 86 countries now belong to the accord, though the U.S. is
not processing adoptions from six countries it believes are not
in full compliance with the treaty.

"We think a lot of good things have come out of (Hague)," said
Chuck Johnson, president of the National Council for Adoption.
The positives include uniform practice standards, pre- and
post-adoption support, oversight and transparency.

At the same time, some adoption experts say The Hague adoption
treaty has overly burdened the international adoption process,
and the United States has been too harsh in its assessment of
whether some countries are fully complying with the protocols.

"The reports we receive from adoptive families is the new
processes due to working with a Hague country have become too
difficult," said Laura Trinnaman, director of For Every Child
Adoption Services. "And the cost of accreditation and meeting the
requirements of being a Hague-accredited agency have put many,
many agencies out of business."

When Hague was approved by the U.S. Senate, it was viewed as a
better way to facilitate and safeguard international adoptions,
said Kathleen Strottman, director of the Congressional Coalition
on Adoption Institute and former adviser to Sen. Mary Landrieu,
D-La., who has led numerous adoption-related initiatives.

But many countries have struggled to meet its provisions, turning
the standards into a legalistic checklist rather than goals, said
Strottman.

Many of those countries simply don't have the resources --
monetary or technical -- to do what is needed.

Ambassador Susan Jacobs, special adviser for children's issues in
the U.S. Department of State, is unapologetic about the more
rigorous standards now in place.

As for added scrutiny of agencies, Jacobs said, "What we have
found is providers who are accredited do a better job. Parents
should have confidence in agencies doing this work."

And that may eventually be law. A "universal accreditation" bill
pending in the U.S. Congress -- already approved by a Senate
committee -- would set similar standards for adoption service
providers working in non-Hague countries, which are responsible
for slightly more than half the adoptions taking place today.
Four of the top five countries from which children are adopted by
American families have not signed The Hague treaty.

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTIONS IN THE U.S.

Top five countries, with most recent year's numbers:

2011: China (2,587), Ethiopia (1,732), Russia (962), South Korea
(736), Ukraine (640)

2010: China, Ethiopia, Russia, South Korea, Ukraine

2009: China, Ethiopia, Russia, South Korea, Guatemala

2008: Guatemala, China, Russia, Ethiopia, South Korea

Source: U.S. Department of State

BROOKE ADAMS, Salt Lake Tribune

Adoption Services International:

www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

info@asi-adoption.com

908-444-0999

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

Upcoming Events:

Ukrainian Adoption 101:

Conversation On International Adoption: Opportunity, Process,
Concerns and Questions

Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-7:00PM

Location: Califon Book Store: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830

Ukrainian Adoption Information Meeting

Wednesday, November 28, 2012 7:00-8:00PM

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

Event: Free Presentation: The Adoption Process: Stress vs. Ease - Nov 12 @ 6:00am

Coaching, What's In It For You? Everything!

We will discuss what coaching is and isn't. As someone who has
been adopted, I bring a unique perspective to the journey of
discovering who we are, where we belong and what each of us
desires to be.

In Celebration of National Adoption Awareness Month

Join Us: Monday, November 12, 2012 6:00-8:00PM

Location: Califon Book Shop: 72 Main Street, Califon, New Jersey
07830 (www.califonbookshop.com)

To find out more visit us
at:www.adoptionservicesinternational.com

To register in
advance:info@asi-adoption.comorKathy@TheAdopteeCoach.com

The Adoptee Coach of Self Reflection Coaching LLC:

You can:

· Overcome fear and doubt by becoming more open and trusting

· Make clear decisions

· Come to peace

· Transform relationships

· Set goals and design a life you love

Anyone with a strong desire and willingness to take action can
transform their lives.

Kathy Vervan Bugglin, CPC, ELI-MP:

www.TheAdopteeCoach.com

Kathy@TheAdopteeCoach.com

(908) 797-4893

http://www.facebook.com/TheAdopteeCoach