Russian lawmaker proposes stopping U.S. adoptions

Waterbury Republican-American ^ | July 20, 2005 | Maria Danilova (A.P.)

[Graybeard58]

MOSCOW -- A senior lawmaker called Tuesday for a moratorium on U.S. citizens adopting children from Russia -- a sharp escalation in a campaign against foreign adoptions triggered by a series of deaths of Russian children in the United States.

Yekaterina Lakhova, chairwoman of a parliamentary committee that oversees adoption legislation and member of the pro-Kremlin United Russia party, urged authorities to impose restrictions on countries where adopted children have been abused.

She did not mention the United States by name but noted that 13 Russian children have been killed there in recent years.

"When 13 children die in one country ... I would make some statement and introduce a temporary period, a moratorium for that country," she said.

Russian nationalists often accuse foreigners of "buying" children, some 260,000 of whom live in orphanages and similar facilities. Incidents of abuse by foreign adoptive parents are widely reported in the media.

In the most recent case, a North Carolina woman was arrested in early July on charges of fatally beating a 2-year-old Russian girl she had recently adopted. Earlier this year, an Illinois woman was imprisoned for 12 years for the death of her 6-year-old son just weeks after he was adopted from Russia.

Children's advocates assailed Lakhova's initiative, saying that imposing a moratorium would only harm those waiting to be adopted.

"Lakhova is ready to sacrifice thousands of children, many of whom will die" without proper medical care, said Boris Altshuler, director of Russia's Right of the Child group.

He said that the figure of 13 children was minuscule compared with the estimated 2,000 children killed in Russia every year.

Deputy Prosecutor General Sergei Fridinsky disputed that, saying 1,080 children have been killed in Russia in 2000-05, about 200 children per year.

Altshuler said most of the children who died in the United States were adopted via individual brokers, over which Russian authorities have no control, as opposed to foreign adoption agencies that operate with official accreditation and oversight.

He said he supported enforcing stricter controls or even imposing a moratorium over such "independent" adoptions.

Speaking at the same news conference, Fridinsky accused foreign adoption agencies of giving bribes and using illegal middlemen to speed up the process.

"A significant part (of the agencies) is working in a way they should not be working according to law," the prosecutor general said.

He said foreign parents were getting an illegal advantage over Russian citizens wanting to adopt and that Russians should be guaranteed priority.

The number of Russian adoptions dropped from 14,000 to about half that since the early 1990s, he said, while the number of foreign adoptions rose from 1,400 to 9,000 -- half of those by U.S. families.

Russian families rarely adopt because of social stigma, and the Education Ministry recently launched a Web site to promote domestic adoptions.

[txkev]

But mail-order Russian brides are still ok.

[Graybeard58]

But mail-order Russian brides are still ok.

They are adults (I hope) and can make their own decisions.

[oolatec]

Fine by me... just keep the 18 year old blond Russian girls coming... ;)

[Mi-kha-el]

She'd rather they rot in Russian orphanages.

[wideawake]

(1) It is Russia's fault if Russian officials incompetently place Russian children with unfit parents.

(2) According to the article, there are 260,000 Russian children languishing in institutions. Clearly Russia is incapable of caring for its own children.

(3) 13 out of how many US adoptions? Over 100,000 I'm sure. If you asked adult Russians that they could come to America but that there would be a 1/10,000th chance of dying they'd say "I love those odds!" The Russian children in Russia have a death rate probably several orders of magnitude higher than Russian children adopted in America.

[cripplecreek]

So typical of Russia to point out others problems while refusing to aknowledge thier own.

[MarMema]

there are 260,000 Russian children languishing in institutions

Oh no, many more than that. Much closer to a million.

[One Proud Dad]

How many kids did Stalin kill? How many die today as a result of Russia's economy and such?

[MarMema]

Altshuler said most of the children who died in the United States were adopted via individual brokers, over which Russian authorities have no control, as opposed to foreign adoption agencies that operate with official accreditation and oversight.

And this is the exact issue. With no training on attachment, it is no surprise that these parents are killing their children.

[MarMema]

Clearly Russia is incapable of caring for its own children.

That's an overgeneralization with which I am uncomfortable. Having been to many orphanages, they run the entire spectrum, from one end to the other. Some are very poor and some are beautiful.

Before you point too many more judgements at Russia, you may want to look closely at our foster care system and the kids we are sending to other countries for placements.

The US places children in other countries too, you know.

[silverleaf]

This xenophobe understated the number of institutionalized children by 2/3...it is actually estimated at closer to 700,000. They must remain on a registry for at least 6 months and be fully available to Russians to adopt and be shown to have been rejected by Russians or be documented by Russian child woirkers to have very dim prospects of ever being adopted, before even being made eligible for foreign adoption. Many Russians regard orphans as socially inferior human goods (shhhh...it's not PC to admit this) ...Except for a few showcase homes, the State funding of facilities and programs and training of orphganage staff shows this. Many adoptive parents are becoming aware that their adopted children, especially those adopted older, were used sexually by orphanage workers and other children, only after severe problems emerge

Very few foreigners adopt children under age 1. Very few Russians adopt at all, Even fewer adopt children over age 1. Racially mixed children, those of alcoholics prosttutes and drug abusers- forget it.

This was also in last week's Russian news:

Over 1000 Russian Children Killed by Parents in Last 5 Years — Top Official, MosNews

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/07/19/russianorphans.shtml

Over 1,000 children in Russia have been the victims of murder or attempted murder by their natural or foster parents in the past five years, Interfax reported Tuesday quoting Russian Deputy Prosecutor General Sergei Fridinskiy.

“In the period 2000-05 1,080 murders and 21 attempted murders were committed against children in Russia,” Fridinskiy told a news conference.

He added that 1,086 of these crimes were committed by natural parents, and the other 15 by foster or adoptive parents.

According to the Russian Prosecutor’s Office, 13 Russian children were killed by foreign adoptive parents, 12 of them in the United States.
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/07/19/russianorphans.shtml

[old and tired]

13 out of how many US adoptions? Over 100,000 I'm sure.

I doubt it's that many. Although there has been an increase in Russian adoptions, it pales in comparison to the increase in countries like China and Guatemala. In the early 90's the number of children adopted from Russia rarely reached 1000. Last year the number was a little under 6,000.

One of the reasons Americans look to a country like Russia is that there are virtually no "rules" age, marital status, etc. This can be a very good thing but it is obviously open to a lot of abuses.

Another reason people are sometimes drawn to Russia is they don't want to give up their dream of a caucasian child.

There are many, many warm and loving people who've gone to Russia to add children to their families, and I mean no disrespect to them. But there's also a lot of racist losers who couldn't or wouldn't qualify for other countries.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Russia is going to implode. The men are alcoholics (some drink antifreeze to get drunk, I kid you not) and the women are educated and leaving the country in droves. The Russian birth rate is near zero.

[silverleaf]

The latest murder was committed by a woman who worked with an agency and fulfilled all requirements. "Independent adoption" is legal in Russia if all requirements are met. And "independent" adopters must meet the same stringent police and background checks, and home study requirements, and submit 3 years of post placement reports, as do people working with agencies.

It would be useful if the Russians were transparent about the medical and social background of the children being adopted. Many people are being lied to by omission of facts about the birth parents' alcoholism, drug abuse and mental illness. American adopters are being presented with "healthy" children (accordings to the Russian MOE records). The typical "healthy" orphanage child is malnourished, undersized, has had little or no nurture or stimulation, and is developmentally stunted and delayed...

Nevertheless the Russians (and some US agencies) tell the hopeful parents that TLC will bring these kids back to near normal and hide the medical and social/police reports about what these children have suffered.

US agencies for their part should not be allowing any parent to adopt an EE kid unless the PAP's are prepared emotionally AND TRAINED to parent attachment disordered, sexually molested, RAD/FAS/FAE and other permanent and disabling physically and emotionally affected children. Which can be a real joy for parents with the right temperament and outlook and access to resources for support.

[Tuscaloosa Goldfinch]

There are many, many warm and loving people who've gone to Russia to add children to their families, and I mean no disrespect to them. But there's also a lot of racist losers who couldn't or wouldn't qualify for other countries.

Speaking from experience, if you go through a reputable agency, it is VERY difficult to adopt from Russia. Korea (a non-caucasian country) is much easier -- no travel involved, the child can be escorted here.

My husband and I had to travel to Russia, endure examinations of our entire lives and relationships and those of our relatives, etc., before we could bring our daughter home.

We went to Russia because that's where our daughter was.

We were NOT told the entire truth about her because the lives of these children are unimaginably sad and because the authorities there have an entirely different viewpoint on children in orphanages than we do here.

And maybe the people who choose to adopt white children do so not because of themselves, but because of the communities and families they live in.

[silverleaf]

a lot of racist losers who couldn't or wouldn't qualify for other countries.

Shame on you...... "a lot" of racist losers?

I suppose you chose to marry or adopt someone of another race, to live a biracial family life with all the implications and difficulties, and can sit comfortably on your high horse? Some people simply want to be parents of a child of their own race......and if marriage to a partner of their own race doesnt produce that chiuld, then they can adopt one. There is NOTHING stigmatic about that at all. I always lOVE it when someone who has adopted or fostered NO CHILD sits in judgement of others who have and do

PS: Do you even have any idea how high the bar is set to qualify to adopt a child, much less one from Russia?

PPS: What makes you so sure that all kids being adopted from Russia are caucasian?

[old and tired]

Speaking from experience, if you go through a reputable agency, it is VERY difficult to adopt from Russia. Korea (a non-caucasian country) is much easier -- no travel involved, the child can be escorted here.

But that's just my point. You went through a reputable agency and had a difficult time. But the said truth is, a stark raving lunatic can go to an adoption broker and essentially buy a Russian child.

Korea actually has very strict requirements - there are age, marital and weight requirements. You're right that if you meet the criteria, the process in just about any other country is much smoother. In Russia, the process is largely unregulated. There aren't laws protecting abandoned children.

And maybe the people who choose to adopt white children do so not because of themselves, but because of the communities and families they live in.

I went out of my way not to offend decent adoptive parents in my post. I myself am an adoptive parent - two of my children are from Viet Nam. My children are now grown and several of them have already adopted and are currently in the process of adopting internationally again. If you're looking to be offended by what I've posted, go ahead.

[old and tired]

I have many many times posted on this board that two of my now adult children are from Vietnam. All my children are now grown and I've got grandchildren adopted from both Korea and Guatemala. I will soon have an adopted granddaughter from China. I am well aware of the regulations and costs.

There was nothing in my post which indicated that everyone adopting from Russia was getting a caucasian child. I actually am familiar with a Russian little boy from my grandson's adoption play group who is more Asian in features than caucasian.

I went out of my way not to offend good parents. But it really seems like I've hit a nerve. Why are you so angry and making assumptions about me?

[old and tired]

By the way, the medical information is so sketchy on Russian adoptions and from what I understand, the costs are unknown, I have a lot of respect for families whose eyes are wide open but who decide to adopt from Russia anyway. Those children are not thriving in orphanages and God Bless the parents who rescue them.

But the fact remains 13 children have been murdered in these families. I suspect racism and general unfitness to be a parent may be at the root cause. What do you think has caused this problem?