Karen's Adoption Links Blog

Here are groups to join based on where you adopted / where you were adopted, most of these groups welcome both Adoptive Parents and Adoptees. These groups are a great place to learn more about a specific orphanage, share photos and connect with people who have traveled to the same places. Click to go to the facebook group.         Arkhangelsk ++ Astrakhan ++ Bryansk ++     Bryansk Zhukovka School Internat  ++ Chita - see Zabaikalsky krai Chuvashia (Cheboksary) ++ and Ethnic Chuvash adoptees Ekaterinburg (Sverdlovsk) ++ Irkutsk ++ Ivanovo ++ Kaliningrad ++ Kaluga ++ Kemerovo ** Kirov ++ Krasnodar ++ Krasnoyarsk ++ Krasnoyarsk 2 ++ Moscow ++ Perm ++ Pskov  ** Rostov-on-Don ++ Samara ++ Saratov  ** Smolensk ++ St Petersburg & Leningrad ++ Tomsk  ** Tula ++ Tver  ** Udmurtia (Izhevsk) ++ Vladimir ++ Volgograd   ++ Voronezh ++ Yaroslavl ++ Zabaikalsky krai (Chita) ++ ++ Adoptive Pare...

Considering contact via social media? *There is no privacy on social media. A boyfriend or husband may be reading the messages and be very angry about not knowing. (there is less acceptance of adoption and more acceptance of domestic abuse in most of EE/FSU) *A mother may not actually be using that account, or not know how to check messages (this is true in USA too), doesn't reply, thus leaving the adoptee or AP feeling rejected, when the message was just not seen. *No support for the birth mother in her processing of the situation. *Birth mother may perceive it as a scam and/or blackmail attempt, especially given in Russia/other countries they have little experience with open adoptions. She may not reply because she is afraid. *An experienced searcher is skilled in communicating with birth family, reassuring them of your good intentions. An experienced searcher will gather medical and family history for you. My advice? Use social media as a way to connect afterwards, n...

There are MANY Russian adoption groups on facebook now. Here are some: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AFCare  - for adoptions for Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and other Central Asian EE countries https://www.facebook.com/groups/AdoptStPetersburg  - St Petersburg + Leningrad Adoptive Parents and Adoptees https://www.facebook.com/groups/KemerovoAdoption  -  Kemerovo Adoptive Parents https://www.facebook.com/groups/KrasnodarAdopt  - Krasnodar  Adoptive Parents and Adoptees https://www.facebook.com/groups/moscowadopt  -  Moscow  Adoptive Parents and Adoptees https://www.facebook.com/groups/TulaAdoption  - Tula Russia Adoptive Parents and Adoptees https://www.facebook.com/groups/russianadoptees   -  Russian Adoptees 

I am headed to Washington DC next month to represent the voice of adoptive parents at the upcoming Department of State symposium: “Strengthening Practice for the Future of Intercountry Adoption” . I have been asked specifically to speak about my experiences in international adoption and suggest improvements to policies and processes in international adoption. Therefore, I want to gather information from you. I have a poll set up in the facebook group Adoptive Family CARE .  Please stop by and answer the poll questions. I want to hear your ideas!

Our family is like a patchwork quilt, with kindness gently sewn. Each piece is an original, with beauty all its own. With threads of warmth and happiness, it's tightly stitched together To last in love throughout the years Our family is forever! ~~ Unknown  Found here   Found here

I believe that well prepared, fully - informed  families, appropriately matched, with children who truly are in need of a family (and who want to be adopted) , have the best chance of success for all parties.  Adoptive families, especially those adopting teens, need to be able to parent outside the box, be able to adapt, and be able to discard prior beliefs, dreams, and plans. Find your new dreams, Make your new plans, and Love your new life, 

From the USA prospective family of a waiting child in Russia. Russian captions in "CC" по-русски  Субтитры  --> "CC" Sending You a Little Christmas Til You Come Home "We made this video to show how much we love and care about the children we had to leave behind at the orphanage because of the adoption ban. We want everyone to know that they still do not have families and that we have not stopped fighting for them. Thank you for taking the time to view this video. A special thanks to Jim Brickman for allowing us the rights to use he music for our video. Many children have been adopted or taken into foster care since the ban one year ago but there are many children still left without families. This video only includes a small number number of children still left without families."

  Пожалуйста, наслаждайтесь этотим торжеством детей и (уже) взрослых, которые были усыновлены из России, Украина, и Киргизия.  Мы делимся этими фотографиями, чтобы мир знал, как сильно мы любим своих детей. Mы так же растим наших детей в любви к их родной стране. Здесь представлен всего 90 ребенoк из многих тысяч усыновленных в США ..... но мы, их родители,видим в каждом из своих детей дар от Бога, и радость, чтобы созерцать. Другие дети по-прежнему ждут дома и родителей, которые любят их.  Мы уверены,что правительство России сможет найти решение, чтобы у каждого ребенка были родители. Every child is a different kind of little flower, and all together they make this world a beautiful garden. Please enjoy this celebration of children and young adults who were adopted from Russia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan.  We share these photos so the world will know how much we love our children. We are raising these children to love their native homelan...

Пожалуйста, наслаждайтесь этотим торжеством детей и (уже) взрослых, которые были усыновлены из России, Украина, Казахстана, Беларусь, Ўзбекистон, Болгария и Румынии. Мы делимся этими фотографиями, чтобы мир знал, как сильно мы любим своих детей. Mы так же растим наших детей в любви к их родной стране.Здесь представлен всего 300 ребенoк из многих тысяч усыновленных в США ..... но мы, их родители,видим в каждом из своих детей дар от Бога, и радость, чтобы созерцать. Другие дети по-прежнему ждут дома и родителей, которые любят их. Мы уверены,что правительство России сможет найти решение, чтобы у каждого ребенка были родители. ------------ All children are a joy~~ All children deserve the love of a family. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol1LvzVCyxE Children grow best in a family. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA4lMsprxUs It is in a family that children will bloom. All children need parents. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzkDMcSSNJk Please enjoy this celebration o...

Many adoptive parents are asking where and how to submit Post Placement Reports (PPR) for their adopted children since  several agencies have closed, and other agencies have indicated they are only keeping the reports, but not translating and submitting the PPR to MOE in Russia. This is not a new issue; there have always been agency closures which have left families to finish their Post Placement Reports without the assistance of an agency. In addition, families adopting from some Former Soviet Union countries submit reports until their children is 18 years old under similar self reporting procedures. In Fall 2006, the following advice was obtained for all families who needed to file their own Post Placement Reports: 1.   Use a Licensed Social Worker to do the Post Placement Report 2.   Translate it with a Certified Russian Translator. 3.   Get the Post Placement Report apostilled. 4.   Include 5 pictures 5.   Sample form is...

Children adopted from Russia by USA parents All children are a joy~~ All children deserve the love of a family.

Kaluga , a child came home http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/01/russia-allows-final-child-adoptions-to-leave-for-us/ St Petersburg , in at least one case the prosecutor filed an objection during the 30 days period http://www.interfax.ru/society/news.asp?id=286237 But here the St Pete Childrens ombudsman is arguing for the adoption http://piter.tv/event/Agapitova_otstoyala_pravo/ (In Russian, use a translator)  Earlier this month, St Petersburg cases did proceed.

A caution for families currently in process of adopting in Russia from Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform (PEAR) http://pear-now.blogspot.com/2013/01/cautionary-statement-for-families-in.html PEAR has become aware of possible scams and exploitative practices being aimed at families currently in the process of adopting from Russia . Read the entire statement at the link above

Children grow best in a family. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA4lMsprxUs

It is in a family that children will bloom. Here is a video showing Russian children adopted by USA families who are growing happy and healthy in their families. All children deserve parents. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzkDMcSSNJk