Children Coming Home
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January and February have been busy travel months for families. Six families came home in January with their children and one family in February. Five families made an initial trip to visit children. At this writing four families (with five children) are in Russia finalizing their adoption process. Four of these children are school age. One of the couples is in Irkutsk and will come home in March with the child they have waited four long years to adopt. What a blessed homecoming they will experience!
The need is great for families to consider adopting children (especially boys) who are over the age of five or six years. Many of these children will not be adopted in Russia because of their age or special challenges. We currently have about 20 families approved or in process to adopt younger children (age 3 and under) and just a few who will consider those who are older.
We continue to wait for clarity regarding home study requirements for Russia as it applies to the I-604 review process. Department of State, USCIS along with JCICS are working with this. In the interim it may be necessary for some families to have an addendum to their home study after they accept a referral on their initial trip indicating their preparedness to adopt a particular child.
Recently the Ministry of Education published a list of agencies whose documents will not be accepted due to missing post-placement reports. In many of these situations, reports have been lost or misplaced in Russia and agencies are in process of verifying the completion of the reports. A Bethany branch was among those on the list and according to our records all reports have been sent. We are confident that this will be resolved soon.
On a lighter note, February 23 was Men's Day in Russia and Ukraine. This holiday is celebrated out of respect for the generations of Russian soldiers who from ancient times to the present have defended their country from invaders. On this day all men, from the very young to the very old receive congratulations and presents. Women have the opportunity to say "warm and sweet words" to the men in their lives and to "please them with their attention". Women's Day will be celebrated on March 8.
Bookmark :
January and February have been busy travel months for families. Six families came home in January with their children and one family in February. Five families made an initial trip to visit children. At this writing four families (with five children) are in Russia finalizing their adoption process. Four of these children are school age. One of the couples is in Irkutsk and will come home in March with the child they have waited four long years to adopt. What a blessed homecoming they will experience!
The need is great for families to consider adopting children (especially boys) who are over the age of five or six years. Many of these children will not be adopted in Russia because of their age or special challenges. We currently have about 20 families approved or in process to adopt younger children (age 3 and under) and just a few who will consider those who are older.
We continue to wait for clarity regarding home study requirements for Russia as it applies to the I-604 review process. Department of State, USCIS along with JCICS are working with this. In the interim it may be necessary for some families to have an addendum to their home study after they accept a referral on their initial trip indicating their preparedness to adopt a particular child.
Recently the Ministry of Education published a list of agencies whose documents will not be accepted due to missing post-placement reports. In many of these situations, reports have been lost or misplaced in Russia and agencies are in process of verifying the completion of the reports. A Bethany branch was among those on the list and according to our records all reports have been sent. We are confident that this will be resolved soon.
On a lighter note, February 23 was Men's Day in Russia and Ukraine. This holiday is celebrated out of respect for the generations of Russian soldiers who from ancient times to the present have defended their country from invaders. On this day all men, from the very young to the very old receive congratulations and presents. Women have the opportunity to say "warm and sweet words" to the men in their lives and to "please them with their attention". Women's Day will be celebrated on March 8.
