banning U.S. citizens from adopting Russian children

Three Years Into Foreign Adoption Ban, Russian Children Feel The Impact

Published 30 December 2015

In December 2012, Moscow passed a law banning U.S. citizens from adopting Russian children. Russian officials say that their efforts to promote domestic adoptions instead of foreign ones have paid off, citing falling numbers at state-run orphanages. But some family advocates say the numbers are far from clear, and warn that the ban has only hurt countless orphans and potential parents. (Melani Bachina, RFE/RL's Russian Service) 

 http://www.rferl.org/media/video/27458059.html

It still showed overwhelming opposition to redefining marriage

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia, January 28, 2016 (LifeSiteNews) – The socialist government of Slovakia has dropped its National Action Plan for advancing the LGBT agenda in the predominantly Roman Catholic country, according to a gay rights advocacy group funded by the European Union.
The retreat is a victory for the Alliance for the Family (AZR), a coalition of church and civil organizations that has opposed the Social Democratic government's efforts to develop a National Action Plan for LGBT rights to please the European Union.
According to ILGA (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association) Europe, "The Slovak government abandoned its plan to adopt a National Action Plan on LGBTI Equality, stating it should be a matter for the next government." ILGA pronounced itself "very disappointed and dismayed" at the Jan. 13 announcement.
The next parliamentary elections are set for March.
Four years into the drafting by the usual coalition of bureaucrats and operatives from pro-LGBT human rights organizations funded by the European Union and American philanthropists, the draft plan was unveiled for public feedback in October, followed by a seminar in Bratislava in November transmitted live via podcast throughout the country.
The Action Plan declared: "Gays and lesbians, as well as bisexuals and transgenders, have for centuries been exposed to homophobia, transphobia and other forms of hatred and discrimination. There is a need for particular measures … to eliminate their criminalization, marginalization, social exclusion and violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity."
Conservatives feared that the government wanted legal recognition of homosexual partnerships followed by adoption rights. "We're not against human rights protection and promotion," AZR vice chair Anna Veresova told the news media in the fall. "But we know that the pressure from lobbyists won't stop with registered partnerships but will always continue on to marriage, children's adoption by same-sex couples and penalties for speaking one's mind."
ILGA's web page quotes Katrin Hugendubel, its "advocacy director": "Slovakia has [a] very poor track record on LGBTI equality and currently is on 22nd place among 28 EU countries on our Rainbow Europe map."

Click "like" if you want to defend true marriage.

The Slovakian National Council (its parliament) has resisted in 2014 the usual pressure from the European Union to normalize LGBT relations by defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman in the constitution.
But last year, the AZR's referendum rejecting the gay agenda failed to reach the required threshold of 50% of all eligible voters to put its measures in the constitution (the turnout was just over 21%). It still showed overwhelming opposition to redefining marriage, same-sex adoption, and sex education against parents' wishes, with 90% against each of the three.
Agenda Europe, a conservative Christian news agency, argued that the low turnout was at least partly caused by the refusal of the country's news media to run messaging from the church-led coalition behind the referendum.
Agenda Europe predicts that if the Social Democrats are replaced by a conservative coalition, "a change of government [will] further decrease the risk of any homo-privilege action plan being adopted." Left unsaid is the conclusion reached by the SDs: their chances of re-election could only be diminished by pushing homosexual agenda items in the run-up to the election.
Homosexuals are protected from discrimination in employment and housing, but same-sex relationships are not considered marriages, nor are same-sex unions are recognized in law. Parenting by two members of the same sex, be it by adoption, in vitro fertilization, or surrogacy, is not allowed.
 

 https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/slovak-government-drops-gay-agenda-in-hopes-of-getting-re-elected

 

A child must be registered for one year with the central adoption authority

Back in 2003, when I was adopting a baby from Russia, I was never afraid our efforts would be stymied by shifting political winds, or by anything at all. Like many other adoptive parents, we chose Russia because—though the adoption process was grueling and expensive—it was a sure thing, unlike the minefield that domestic adoption can be.

In 2003 alone, Americans adopted 5,221 Russian children, about the same number adopted annually from Russia since 1999. It wasn't until 2008, when other countries' adoption programs expanded, that Russia's started to fall off.

Then, in 2012, thousands of would-be adoptees were shocked when the Kremlin announced its plans to impose a ban on adoptions by Americans. While President Vladimir Putin said the freeze was due to concerns about the plight of adopted children stateside, it was widely understood to be an act of political retaliation for recent U.S. sanctions on prominent Russian politicians.

By the Russians' count, the ban, now a year old, halted the pending adoptions of 259 children, including scores of orphans who had already met their prospective parents. 

For those who still want to adopt internationally, the former Soviet satellite of Ukraine has presented itself as an unexpected solution.

Dieter Gilbin and Lisa Bartholomew are one such couple. The Hawaii residents had been preparing to adopt a Russian girl named Ekatarina. They'd already decorated the nursery for the seven- month-old baby. They sat in on monthly conference calls with the State Department for families caught midstream in the adoptive process.

“At some point, we knew there was really nothing more they could do,” said Gilbin. “Our adoption agency told us [that] Russian offices they were working with were closing down. They also said we could switch to the Ukraine and we wouldn't have to start from scratch.”

Gilbin and Bartholomew grieved the “child they lost” and moved forward with a Ukraine adoption because of their intense desire to grow their family. (Gilbin has a 14-year-old who lives with the couple). They started the process last March, and on Dec. 19, they brought home their son, nine-month-old Maclain. Ukrainian law requires orphans to be at least five years old before they are eligible for adoption, but it exempts children with special needs. Maclain has a congenital heart defect.

Younger Ukrainian children are also eligible when they are part of sibling groups in which one child is at least five years old. A child must be registered for one year with the central adoption authority.

Bartholomew, a maternal fetal specialist who is familiar with medical complications, acknowledges the prospect of bringing home a special-needs baby gave her pause.

“It was something I had to think about,” she says. “I'm not a stay-at-home mom. I wasn't sure what we could handle. We are raising another child, who is 14, and I didn't think we could give all our attention to a sick child.”

The pull for a baby, that tug that allows prospective parents to take a blind leap of faith, propelled them forward. Unlike Russian adoption, where parents had received pictures and sometimes videos of children prior to traveling, parents go to the Ukraine to look through books with pictures of waiting children. When the couple was shown Maclain's picture, they thought he looked like “a lovely, curious baby.” They spent six weeks in Ukraine before finalizing the adoption.

“He sleeps through the night, he has a good appetite, and he's delayed developmentally but he only has a hole in his heart between the lower chambers, and he doesn't need surgery or medication,” said Bartholomew.

Adoption professionals say they're seeing an uptick in interest in the Ukraine. Theresa Barbier, director of Grace International, was working with 10 families in various stages of finalizing a Russian adoption in 2012. Half of those families turned to Ukraine, bringing home a total of 14 children since the Russian ban was imposed. (Some families adopted sibling groups of two or three children).

Barbier, who began working with Ukraine only after Russia closed its doors, says the country is open and receptive to American adoptions. “The Ministry has been amazing to work with; we've been surprised at how good it is.”

 http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/01/ukraine-is-america-s-new-adoption-mecca.html

thet had gotten the official word late Thursday that they would not be adopting the children

Plans to adopt three Ukrainian orphans fell through for Gaston County Commissioner Tracy Philbeck and his wife, Rebecca, after they arrived in the Eastern European nation Sunday.

While some would see disappointment and grief, the Philbecks insist they will return to Gaston County closer as a family, with a stronger faith and a greater resolve to help children.

“We leave knowing that even though we did not get what we came for we leave with more than we ever thought we would have,” Tracy Philbeck said Thursday. “I thought I was coming to get three kids but I’m leaving with a whole different outlook, a whole different attitude.”

The Philbecks, who have a 12-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, flew out of Charlotte on Sunday. They expected to return as adoptive parents of three additional siblings, the oldest being a 9-year-old boy named Mykola, who the Philbecks say they fell in love with after he came to their home in Dallas as part of a church program in July 2014.

But another family arrived in Ukraine three days before the Philbecks and obtained Mykola’s adoption referral first, Philbeck said.

While the Philbecks believe Mykola loves them and wants to be with them, he has chosen to be with the other family who had several days to sway the young boy living in an orphanage. It’s custom in Ukraine that the adoptive family take all of the child’s brothers and sisters.

The Philbecks chronicled their journey to the other side of the world to adopt children in a Facebook group that had hundreds of followers. Those followers strengthened the Philbecks with their encouragement and prayers, they said.

He announced to the group that he and his wife had gotten the official word late Thursday that they would not be adopting the children. They plan to start heading back to Gaston County on Saturday morning.

Philbeck and his wife spoke about what happened from their hotel room via Skype hours after finding out the adoption would not happen.

“We don’t leave here grieving. We leave here rejoicing knowing that we had the opportunity of a lifetime to be able to make an impact in a kid’s life,” Tracy Philbeck said. “We’re not mad at these parents or upset with them. If anything our prayer is that Mykola, Sasha and Nastia will find a loving home and that God will protect them and that hopefully God will lead us to hopefully help another child.”

The Philbecks’ plan to adopt became more widely known in May after he applied for a $9,500 reimbursement from a county program that began in 2013 to encourage people to adopt children. Philbeck withdrew his request, and a county board has begun to look at the guidelines for the program.

 http://www.gastongazette.com/article/20150904/NEWS/150909527

Every year in November for Adoption Awareness Month

November is Adoption Awareness Month, and one local family is embracing the process four times over.

The Paul and Lisa Bowden family of Alexandria, which hosted four Ukrainian orphans for the month of July this year, has made the long and rewarding commitment to adopt the siblings.

Not only will this decision drastically change the Bowdens' lives, but they also want to encourage others to consider hosting and maybe even adoption.

Making a decision

The Bowdens welcomed Vova, Natasha, Yulia and Kolia into their home while the kids' orphanage was closed for one month. While they were here, they experienced the love of a family and things ordinary kids would enjoy, such as riding a bike or buying new shoes.

The kids flew back to Ukraine on July 29, and the Bowdens had a tough time saying goodbye. They knew what they needed to do next.

"When we were driving home, God just made it so clear that they already had been grafted into our family," Lisa said. "He not only told us that we needed to bring them back home but that we needed to have a sense of urgency about it."

The urgency may have to do with the fact that the kids were moved to a different orphanage with even poorer conditions.

"We've Skyped twice since they got there," Lisa said. "It's been really hard because the second time we Skyped with them, that connection was not as strong because they're back in survival mode, and you could really see that."

Before starting the adoption process, the Bowdens' first step was to ask their own four children, Preston, Tahlia, Parker and Briquelle, how they felt about it.

"They're accepting of it. It's a change, and it takes a little time to process," Lisa said.

The orphans also had to say yes, to which they agreed unanimously and are "super excited."

The process

The guardian who accompanied the kids to the U.S. in July referred the Bowdens to Adoption Related Services in Pennsylvania.

The process began with a home study, which includes an interview with the agency and a 17-page document about the adoptive family.

Other steps include getting clearance from immigration, the state and the FBI and verifying information with the Secretary of State.

"It's just a lot, and I understand why," Lisa said. "And it's a good thing in some ways that it's a lot, but in some ways, I wish it didn't have to be such a big barrier."

Lisa hopes the prospect of many steps doesn't deter others from considering adoption or even hosting.

"I want to encourage people. You get guided through what to do. You just do the next step and then the next step," she said. "God pulled us into adoption through hosting. So had it not been for that ministry, I can't picture how we would jump into adoption just out of the blue.

"Adoption's a big commitment, but hosting, people can do that and they can wrap their brain around it and just for a time pour into a child and know that they can handle it and don't have to make any long term plans."

Lisa said that she and Paul will likely go to Ukraine in January or February to get the kids and bring them home.

"Giving the kids a sense of belonging," Lisa said of what she hopes adoption will bring. "They have no idea how much they are loved. Here we are, just pursuing them, and I think that's such a picture of God."

Local support

The Bowdens couldn't have gotten this far in the adoption process without the help of His Kids Orphan Ministry, a local adoption support ministry affiliated with Lake Community Church in Alexandria.

According to Lisa, the ministry is three-fold. It awards grants to families who are approved through a licensed adoption agency, it provides support and networking for adoptive families and it has a global initiative to reach orphans internationally.

His Kids awarded the Bowdens a grant early in the process that allowed them to continue.

Every year in November for Adoption Awareness Month, the ministry hosts a fundraiser, and this year, Paul spoke at the event. He reflected on the biblical topic of adoption and also shared their story.

The fundraiser was Friday at Lake Community Church. Along with having an opportunity to support His Kids, attendees could also support the Bowdens. They had a table at which they sold T-shirts to help with the financial steps of the adoption.

"I am learning that adoption is a vision and a calling that everyone can participate in because not everyone is called to adopt, but in James, it talks about true religion or true worship is taking care of orphans and widows and their needs," Lisa said. "I want people to know that by even just buying a T-shirt, they are part of the adoption team, so to speak."

So whether by hosting, adopting, donating or saying a prayer, everyone can get involved in the process, she said.

"Any way we choose to support kids who need families is important," Lisa said.

 http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/3888212-alexandria-couple-adopt-ukrainian-orphans-they-hosted

grieving for the baby we thought we were having

The words caught in my throat as I called the adoption agency and told them we were cancelling the adoption. Nothing felt real. But my husband had made his mind up and I had to support him.
It was the most difficult decision of our lives and put our marriage to the ultimate test. Who can live with the shame of cancelling an adoption? Yet, we discovered we’re not alone. And that’s why I want to share our story.
Rob, now 39, and I met in August 2004 through friends and we married that December. In the spring of 2006, we found out the baby I was 18 weeks pregnant with had Down’s syndrome. I wept into Rob’s arms, convinced we couldn’t look after a child with special needs.
We went to my sister’s house in floods of tears, grieving for the baby we thought we were having. Then there was a knock on the door. It was my sister’s neighbour, who had a little boy with Down’s syndrome.
She smiled, scooped me into a hug and said five vital words. "Congratulations! You’re having a baby." She was right. The Down’s syndrome didn’t matter. The baby was still ours and needed us to be strong.
In November 2006 I gave birth to Ragen. She was a happy baby and we fell in love with her infectious laugh. Rob was such a good dad, always turning her upside down like a monkey while Ragen giggled furiously.
I settled into life in the Down’s syndrome community and one morning I was reading a blog about adopting children with Down’s syndrome from Ukraine. Children were abandoned in orphanages because their parents couldn’t cope. I cried as I saw photos of children the same age as Ragen, helpless children longing for a home.

 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/felt-shame-guilt-cancelling-adoption-5573029

The owl of Minerva begins its flight only at dusk".

Minerva, in Greek mythology Athena the goddess of wisdom. And her faithful companions – the snake and the owl. Coming, for example, in the Pushkin Museum we can see them next to Minerva.

The owl was the symbol of wisdom. Remember, our beloved elite club of experts "What? Where? When?" is a live owl as its symbol.

Unfortunately, philosophical wisdom, as, indeed, any other, is often late and comes too late. At the time, the aphorism about the Owl of Minerva has caused much rumours. The words "gray on gray" woefully acted on young disciples of Hegel. And one of them decided to add the famous saying of the teacher as follows: "But philosophy is also the pre-dawn crowing of the cock announcing the new youth of the world".

The teacher had not objected to such amendment.

Maybe when the Owl of Minerva will cease for us to be offended and will forgive our lack of attention to her, she surprisingly I'll break out the pre-dawn crowing of the cock, heralds the youth of the world, and the spirits of darkness and ignorance will no longer be naughty and confuse young minds.

In the meantime, to finally make peace with the wise hostess of our philosophical Museum will finally remember another aphorism of the king of philosophers, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel...

”Here in the sphere of the spirit flow river of forgetfulness, from which Psyche drinks, she immerses them in their pain; it softened, turning into dreams, grim ghosts of life and, illumined by the light, become the outline of a shining eternity."