But at least we got a new picture
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Another News Article
Eurasia Insight:KYRGYZSTAN: ADOPTIVE FAMILIES LOSING HOPE AS KYRGYZ CHILDREN REMAIN STUCK IN CENTRAL ASIA Laurie Rich: 12/14/09
US lawmakers intend to press the government of Kyrgyzstan to expedite the adoptions of 65 Kyrgyz children by American families. The adoptions have been stalled as Kyrgyz officials mull changes to the Central Asian state's adoption framework. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) are preparing a letter to Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev concerning the 65 stalled adoptions, according to a spokesperson in Sen. Brownback's office. Despite encouraging signs earlier this fall that the situation might be resolved, the Kyrgyz Parliament failed to take action on new adoption legislation in a mid-November session, as had been expected. The parliament pushed off further talks on the issue to February 15, citing a need for "deeper study," according to the parliamentary press service. The latest delay is causing some of the prospective American parents to lose hope that they will ever be allowed to bring the children to the United States. "Every time we think we're right there ...something changes in the government," said Ann Bates, a Pennsylvania pediatric nurse who has been waiting since June 2008 to bring home the four-year-old girl with mild cerebral palsy she was matched with. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The prospective parents thought they had achieved a breakthrough back in September when Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov promised senators Brownback and Casey that he would urge parliament to expedite the pending adoptions. But three weeks later, Chudinov resigned in a governmental shakeup by President Bakiyev. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. It was Chudinov who instituted a moratorium on international adoptions in February of 2009 amid allegations of fraud and child trafficking on the part of orphanages and adoption workers. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The government has been investigating those claims, and, with the aid of UNICEF, is developing a new adoption framework. The 65 US families had gone through the often year-long process to be matched with an adoptable Kyrgyz child and were in the final stages of adoption when the Kyrgyz officials stopped processing applications. Many of the children have disabilities, including one girl who has become blind and deaf and has incurred brain damage during the wait because of late-diagnosed hydrocephalus, a problem that likely would have been treated immediately in the United States, the girl's prospective adoptive mother, a Florida pediatrician, believes. "The human costs of these delays are so enormous," said Lisa Brotherton, who has been waiting to be handed the baby girl with whom she was matched since 2008. Brotherton, who visited Bishkek last August, believes the baby has Cerebral Palsy and is malnourished based on diagnoses she received from doctors who examined photographs of the girl. "For her to continue to be victimized by languishing in a place where she can make no life-long bonds adds insult to injury," said Brotherton, who worries that the adverse psychological effects -- like attachment disorders, depression and PTSD - will affect their children. The prospective parents are well aware of an ongoing Harvard Medical School study called the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, which has shown that children in Romanian orphanages had significantly lower IQs (65 versus 103) than children living in the community. Those living in orphanages also have a much higher rate of mental illness than those living in the community, the study also shows. Those placed in foster families made dramatic recoveries in mental health and language acquisition - but the success rates were significantly diminished for those who were older than two when they were put into the foster homes. The US State Department has tried to intervene on behalf of the families, raising the adoption issue in meetings with Kyrgyz diplomats, according to a State Department official. The US government also brought a group of Kyrgyz MPs this May to the United States to discuss the adoptions and to meet with some families. "The Department of State has urged the Kyrgyz government to complete its criminal investigation and resolve the pending cases so that eligible children can be placed in permanent homes," the official said in an e-mailed response to EurasiaNet's questions. "The Department will continue to engage the Kyrgyz government on this issue."
US lawmakers intend to press the government of Kyrgyzstan to expedite the adoptions of 65 Kyrgyz children by American families. The adoptions have been stalled as Kyrgyz officials mull changes to the Central Asian state's adoption framework. Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS), Bob Casey (D-PA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) are preparing a letter to Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev concerning the 65 stalled adoptions, according to a spokesperson in Sen. Brownback's office. Despite encouraging signs earlier this fall that the situation might be resolved, the Kyrgyz Parliament failed to take action on new adoption legislation in a mid-November session, as had been expected. The parliament pushed off further talks on the issue to February 15, citing a need for "deeper study," according to the parliamentary press service. The latest delay is causing some of the prospective American parents to lose hope that they will ever be allowed to bring the children to the United States. "Every time we think we're right there ...something changes in the government," said Ann Bates, a Pennsylvania pediatric nurse who has been waiting since June 2008 to bring home the four-year-old girl with mild cerebral palsy she was matched with. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The prospective parents thought they had achieved a breakthrough back in September when Kyrgyz Prime Minister Igor Chudinov promised senators Brownback and Casey that he would urge parliament to expedite the pending adoptions. But three weeks later, Chudinov resigned in a governmental shakeup by President Bakiyev. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. It was Chudinov who instituted a moratorium on international adoptions in February of 2009 amid allegations of fraud and child trafficking on the part of orphanages and adoption workers. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. The government has been investigating those claims, and, with the aid of UNICEF, is developing a new adoption framework. The 65 US families had gone through the often year-long process to be matched with an adoptable Kyrgyz child and were in the final stages of adoption when the Kyrgyz officials stopped processing applications. Many of the children have disabilities, including one girl who has become blind and deaf and has incurred brain damage during the wait because of late-diagnosed hydrocephalus, a problem that likely would have been treated immediately in the United States, the girl's prospective adoptive mother, a Florida pediatrician, believes. "The human costs of these delays are so enormous," said Lisa Brotherton, who has been waiting to be handed the baby girl with whom she was matched since 2008. Brotherton, who visited Bishkek last August, believes the baby has Cerebral Palsy and is malnourished based on diagnoses she received from doctors who examined photographs of the girl. "For her to continue to be victimized by languishing in a place where she can make no life-long bonds adds insult to injury," said Brotherton, who worries that the adverse psychological effects -- like attachment disorders, depression and PTSD - will affect their children. The prospective parents are well aware of an ongoing Harvard Medical School study called the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, which has shown that children in Romanian orphanages had significantly lower IQs (65 versus 103) than children living in the community. Those living in orphanages also have a much higher rate of mental illness than those living in the community, the study also shows. Those placed in foster families made dramatic recoveries in mental health and language acquisition - but the success rates were significantly diminished for those who were older than two when they were put into the foster homes. The US State Department has tried to intervene on behalf of the families, raising the adoption issue in meetings with Kyrgyz diplomats, according to a State Department official. The US government also brought a group of Kyrgyz MPs this May to the United States to discuss the adoptions and to meet with some families. "The Department of State has urged the Kyrgyz government to complete its criminal investigation and resolve the pending cases so that eligible children can be placed in permanent homes," the official said in an e-mailed response to EurasiaNet's questions. "The Department will continue to engage the Kyrgyz government on this issue."
Friday, December 11, 2009
They May Be On Vacation But We Are Not
Watch out KG!
The Chihuahuas are out in full force
Current Projects in the works as of Dec 8, 2009:
PSA Video:To educate and draw attention to the situation here and in KG (will be translated). It will feature Post adoption photos as well as a section on the waiting children. This is a professionally produced project managed by one of the PAPs
Open Letter to KG President: To give attention to the human cost of prolonging the finalization of the pipeline cases. To directly request intervention from President, the Parliament, and the Kyrgyz people, for them to realize and act in the best interests of these specific children, not at the cost of their efforts to transform their Child Protection System, but in accordance to their efforts to provide deinstitutionalization and permanency for unparented children.
Summary Report: on JCICS letterhead to give a brief yet thorough introduction to the ongoing issues involved in the Kyrgyz adoption situation so as to get someone unaware up to speed and to rally support in a cohesive manner.
Letter to SOS Hillary Clinton: To be submitted with a cover sheet signed by Congressional supporters asking for her direct involvement. Letter is nearly complete.
Congressional Outreach: To KG officials to move these cases forward authored by Senators that met with former PM and the colleagues they are able to get signatures from.
Delegation to Bishkek: PAPs and adoption advocates possibly traveling to meet with various government officials arraigned by Ambassador Sydykova and sponsored by Damira Niyazalieva (parliamentarian at DC meeting May 09).
TBARelief Efforts: To get food and warmth to all the children in the 3 orphanages especially during the harsh winter months.
Advocacy Searches: Looking for an attorney and or NGO outlets to help in each of our efforts.
UNICEF Agenda confrontation:Working towards a dialog by invitation or by demand, keeping the focus on actions in the best interests of the children.
Publicity: Media articles and press releases to keep our cases in the spotlight, currently through Laurie Rich. The next EurasiaNet article is due any day. Laurie feels hopeful about getting a bigger publication soon. Susan Sample has a veteran journalist, PR specialist willing to help if Laurie's efforts fail. Several of the interviewed PAPs keep Laurie up to date on all the incoming news.
Here We Go Again
Kyrgyzstan going for 11-day New Year holidays
11/12-2009 07:34, Bishkek – News Agency “24.kg”, By Arstan AALYEV
Kyrgyzstan will be going for 11-day New Year holidays from January 1 to 10, 2010, governmental press service spread an official statement Friday.
“According to the government’s rational plan, all firms and enterprises of Kyrgyzstan with a five-day working week will have to work Saturdays of January 16, 23, 30 and February 6, ” the press service said.
However, ministries and state agencies will have skeleton groups working on the holidays.
11/12-2009 07:34, Bishkek – News Agency “24.kg”, By Arstan AALYEV
Kyrgyzstan will be going for 11-day New Year holidays from January 1 to 10, 2010, governmental press service spread an official statement Friday.
“According to the government’s rational plan, all firms and enterprises of Kyrgyzstan with a five-day working week will have to work Saturdays of January 16, 23, 30 and February 6, ” the press service said.
However, ministries and state agencies will have skeleton groups working on the holidays.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Looks Like Nothing Will Happen This Year
Consideration of the transfer of children from Kyrgyzstan on international adoption postponed until February 2010
13/11 08:25, Bishkek --IA «24.kg», Ayzada Kutueva
Consideration of the transfer of children from Kyrgyzstan on international adoption postponed until February 2010. This decision was made today at a meeting of the Jogorku Kenesh following consideration of the actual implementation of the LCD of the CD on the transfer of children left without parental care, for adoption (adoption) to foreign nationals.
Not much else to say except that I am extremely thankful that I am fortunate enough to have been born into and grown up in a country where I just cannot fathom what thinking and motives are behind this long and twisted adoption process.
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