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<< Russia Adoption -- << Russian Adoption Articles -- Older Russian OrphansRussian Orphan Story
Updated Moscow Time
Hoping to Find a Home in America By Giovanna Dell'Orto The Associated Press ROSWELL, Georgia -- Dima, an outgoing 13-year-old from a Latvian orphanage, liked a lot of things about his five weeks in the United States this summer: bananas, volleyball and "soooo beautiful girls." Like dozens of other children from foreign orphanages who visit the United States through hosting programs each year, Dima was promised the trip only as a summer vacation. But he, like most of them, also understands it could be a rare chance to get adopted. Most host families do not volunteer with adoption in mind, organizers say, but it is often an unstated goal of many hosting programs and of the children, too -- something that worries some adoption advocates. While they applaud the adoptions that arise from the programs, some advocates worry that the children and families may treat the visits as tryouts, and they are also concerned that the children's self-esteem may suffer if they are not adopted and their friends are. Le Ann Dakake, who founded the Atlanta program that brought Dima over in late June, acknowledged that many children dreamed of finding a permanent family, and that her program was "a way to get more parents to meet more of them." "But it's such a big thing to even see America," she said. Although the youths typically have already figured out the adoption possibilities by talking with others from their orphanages, many agencies are careful not to raise expectations, and adults involved in the visits are barred from discussing adoption with the children. But advocates say more safeguards are needed to protect the children from feeling under observation while they should be enjoying their time. "They shouldn't think their looks or behavior will cause adoption," said Chuck Johnson of the National Council for Adoption, a research and advocacy group. "We don't want to provide an opportunity for the child to have false hopes." Program officials said their representatives or local social workers interviewed the children to select those they thought would thrive on the challenge and the novelty of a trip to the United States. And some doctors who have worked with hosts and adopted children say that as long as there is some continued help for the children when they go back -- ranging from phone calls to finding a local mentor -- they should not be traumatized by the experience. Boris Altshuler, of the Moscow-based nonprofit Right of the Child, agreed. "The positive impact of the experience," he said by e-mail, is so enormous "that it justifies the adventure, even if there unfortunately were no subsequent adoption." Andrei, a slender Russian who turned 14 during his recent stay in an Atlanta suburb, flashed happy smiles as he talked about video games, swimming pools, McDonald's fries and the steaks and ribs he's learned to flip on a grill. But Andrei believes his odds of being adopted are bad if he isn't adopted this time, on his second visit. He believes it is possible that he will turn 18 and have to leave the orphanage where he has been since he was 7. There are about 700,000 children in Russian orphanages because of parental death, abandonment, neglect or severe health problems. Of those who leave the orphanages after turning 18, about 10 percent commit suicide, 30 percent commit a crime and 40 percent become vagrants within the first year, Altshuler said. Knowledge of what the children could face prompts many parents who had committed only to be temporary hosts to pursue an adoption, which usually takes about a year and costs up to $30,000. Dakake said only about 20 percent of host families were thinking about adoption when they signed up for the program; most feel compelled by their faith to open their homes for a summer, she said. But about 70 percent end up taking the children permanently or help arrange for them to join another U.S. family. "It's really hard to see them and know what they will go back to. These kids need a chance," said David Bennett, 55, a nurse from Marietta, Georgia, who first paid for a visit and then adopted a 16-year-old last year from the St. Petersburg orphanage where Andrei lives." If you would like information on Russian adoptions through IFS, or adoption through one of our other programs, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me. I would love to work with you to help you bring a child into your family. Brenda Brenda Compton Senior Adoption Consultant International Family Services Brenda@ifservices.org bcb2001@centurytel.net (417) 332-0844 To enroll and learn more about the courses available for adoptive families through our IFS Family Training Program, visit http://www.ifservices.org/family-training.php. All contracted families will be required to complete courses. |
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