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Russia stops adoptions by foreigners
Published: 21 May, 2010, 10:53
Edited: 25 May, 2010, 10:24
TAGS: Children, Scandal, Russia, Human rights, Psychology
Russia's commissioner for children's rights, Pavel Astakhov, has announced that Russia has suspended all adoptions of children by foreigners until bilateral agreements are signed to protect the children.
Astakhov stressed that this is a de facto situation and no official decision has been taken so far. He explained that, according to Russia’s Family Code, foreign adoptions are exclusive and could be allowed only if there is a bilateral international agreement.
"Otherwise, the earlier adoptions of over 70,000 children in the United States will be deemed illegal," he said, informs Itar-TASS news agency.
It follows the suspension on adoptions of Russian children by American citizens last month, after a US woman sent her seven-year-old adopted son back to Russia alone on a transatlantic flight.
It was the latest in a string of cases of neglect by adoptive parents, including the deaths of Russian children in the US.
The ban will remain in place until international agreements ensuring the safety of children are signed.
Talks on the issue are underway, with the next round scheduled for early July.
So far, Russia has signed an adoption agreement only with Italy, but is conducting talks with France and Spain, as well as the US.
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Curious, I am not Russian and I have seen some staggering statistics of child abuse in Russia but the same is true for the United States. I think banning forieng adoption of Russian children is most of all a matter of self image and national dignity. This issue is very damaging to Russia's self-image. I think this issue should be closed. Russians must take care of their orphans. This is a matter of moral duty.
Please understand that I'm not making any judgement calls or sarcastic statement, but I am really curious since looking through RT. What are the numbers domestically vs. foreign on Russian adoptions? Child treatment in these adoptions (I only saw numbers on foreign adoptions, but I saw just as many stories on badly treated children by Russian parents, step parents, etc.)? What are the results of your children staying in state run care because I've heard that they don't have much of a chance? I've met several families who adopted from overseas and those children were all loved and spoiled rotten. Doesn't it matter more that a child is loved and cared for and has a chance at life rather then what language they're taught? ... I do get that more care needs to be taken because even on child being neglected or abused is one too many...
This man is a hero. The point of child services is to improve them to the point so that no citizen should have to be adopted out of their country. Children should have rights and protection and their own lawyer/ care provider to ensure their healthy development into adulthood. If social services were brought down to the school level. Children's progress could be tracked and coordinated and all services, psychological, social, academic, medical, after school activities, tutoring could be tracked. Having a community of watchful eyes on a child is better than isolation where abuse can take place. Placing children in strong communities with excellent schools is the framework needed to support children. We should be raising happy, intelligent, balanced citizens. It takes will, good policies and people who believe in the best interests of children. "All hands on deck" for the first 20 years of a child's life. It's not rocket science? It's Child Development 101. It should be a requirement for all citizens. Russia could become the beacon of excellent child development practices throughout the known world. Just get the job done so that we're not having this same conversation 10 years from now.