Adoption News

The U.S. Department of State has announced this message concerning the Hague Convention on International Adoption:

The U.S. Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues, is pleased to announce that the President signed the Hague Adoption Convention on November 16. The legal requirements for ratification of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention) have been completed, and we plan to deposit the instrument of ratification on December 12, 2007!

The China Center of Adoption Affairs has implemented an internet based communication and online operational system. This system, which is in the trial phase, is intened to make China’s inter-country adoption work more efficient and convenient. The online program functions are a special needs children’s online entrustment, email and mail communication, and feedback for processing information. As these functions are tested and demonstrate to be effective the Center will add to the online system.

The Center for Family Connections has the mission of helping children feel safe, seen, and valued. They work to help children adjust to the challenges of being or having been moved from one family to another whether this be in the foster care system, residential treatment, orphanages, or hospitals. The agency has clinical staff that work with complex and blended families to provide them with the skills to build strong and healthy family units.

If you are looking for a way to wear your support for adoption we have an answer for you! Reeces Rainbow Down Syndrome Adoption Ministry has a fun online store where you can purchase T-shirts, teddy bears, coffee mugs, magnets, tote bags, bibs, sweatshirts, and tanks that advertise special needs adoption.
These items are a great way to promote special needs adoptions while supporting Reeces Rainbow as they work to fund adoption grants for families that will open their home to a child with Down syndrome.

The number of Americans that are adopting internationally is continuing to increase. The Department of State provides extensive information for prospective adoptive parents to education them on the adoption processes in various countries and to provide them with the legal requirements of the United States regarding adoption. The Office of Childrens Issues in the Bureau of Consular Affairs even provides informational brochures that describe the adoption process in many countries.

The Russian Ministry of Education and Science announced that it has successfully accredited additional adoption agencies. These agencies may now begin to resume adoptions between Russia and other countries.

A great adoption resource, Adoptive Families Magazine, has announced their second annual photo contest. The contest is searching for the best photographs adoptive parents have snapped of their kids simply being the fun and adorable kids they are! The pictures that win the photo contest will be published in the November/December 2007 issue of the Adoptive Families Magazine or on the Adoptive Families website.

World Vision, a well-known Christian humanitarian organization, has been deeply involved in working with the AIDS crisis since 1990. Their involvement began by creating a program to help children orphaned by AIDS in Rakai, Uganda. Currently, World Vision is in more than 60 countries operating compassionate and effective AIDS prevention and care programs.
AIDS is the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time. Entire generations of children have been orphaned due to AIDS.

Due to concerns about the Guatemalan adoption process the United States government is choosing to apply a high level of scrutiny to intercountry adoption cases between Guatemala and the United States. Currently, the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala requires one DNA match between the prospective adoptive child and the relinquishing parent.

The Center for Disease Control has issued an official CDC Health Advisory regarding reports of hepatitis A in children and adults linked to adoptees in Ethiopia. Traveling families are highly encouraged to consult with their health care provider at least 4-6 weeks prior to travel to determine what immunizations and medications may be in order. The CDC recommends