What Happens Now?

I read with great sadness that our adoption agency has decided to shut down its Russian adoption program. They haven’t made a big deal about it but a quick search of their website reveals no traces of Russia at all. This makes me sad and just a little angry as well.

Russia has increasingly been making adoptions more and more difficult for the last couple of years. In December, it culminated with Putin signing into law that no more adoptions by the United States would take place. This has left many families in limbo, not knowing whether or not they will be allowed to bring their little one home.

The adoption process is long and difficult and is not for the faint of heart. There are mountains of paperwork to complete, sometimes two and three times before it is accepted. In the case of international adoption, there are two or three trips to make to a foreign country where you meet a child that you instantly fall in love with.

Every day there is a different headline out of Russia concerning adoption. These days many of those headlines are fixed on the Max Shatto case out of Texas. This precious little boy died back in January and some of the Russian government officials are now calling for all kids that have been adopted to return to Russia.

While this is just a knee-jerk reaction and is designed to get emotions going, I have been thinking what if Russia puts in place more stringent requirements for those of us who have long ago completed our adoptions. Every time I read something, I think about what is going to happen now to the thousands of children living in orphanages and those that might live there someday.

Now more than ever these kids from Russia need our help. Children are children, no matter where they are born or what country they live in. Many adoption agencies are deciding to shut down their Russian programs and this also makes me sad. Who is going to adopt these beautiful Russian children now? Russians are not known for adopting, and unless things change to make it easier to adopt, Russians will not be lining up to adopt these kids. 

These kids have done nothing wrong but are being punished as Russia and the United States engage in an emotional tug o’ war. Adoption agencies were the first to work with the children of Russia by providing humanitarian aid to orphanages. With so many agencies shutting down their Russian programs, what is going to happen to these kids?  Without the help they so desperately need, many will age out and go on to a life of crime, homelessness, prostitution, sex slavery, etc.

My heart is filled with sorrow for Max Shatto’s family and for all the families who have been told they will not be allowed to bring home their child.

My heart is also filled with sorrow not only for the children of Russia but also for those who worked tirelessly in Russia, who worked with the Russian government on our behalf and who became our tour guide, friend and most importantly family. My heart will always have a special place for Tatyana, Pasha, Sasha, Lev and Ludmila.

Thank you doesn’t seem like enough but it is all I can say at this time.  

Благодарю Вас от всего сердца