Adoption Blog

Eastern Europe Programs Updates

I am pleased to announce that in the past couple of months we have had several families complete their adoptions in Russia and one family complete their adoption in Kazakhstan.  We have also seen some movement in Nizhny with referrals coming in and it has certainly been a long-awaited time for the families registered in this region. 

We are excited to share with you that our Ukraine program is slowly but surely growing.  In the last few months several families have applied and been approved for this program and we are anticipating the good things God has in store!

It is not too soon to be talking Christmas and this year, and so far, we have one family who will officially be parents (their court date is set for December 8 and their ten day wait period will end December 22) only a few short days before December 25th.   What an amazing Christmas present they will receive this year!  We congratulate and celebrate with this family as they prepare to spend their first Christmas in Russia with their son.

USCIS Changes Mailing Addresses For Adoption Applications

Filing a first time I-600A or I-600 application
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new address for prospective adoptive parents to submit Form I 600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative, and Form I 600A, Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition.  While the change takes affect immediately, applicants have a 30-day transition period before USCIS will return incorrectly filed petitions.
 
Applicants were previously required to file at a local USCIS field office. This new mailing system will allow USCIS to process applications more efficiently by eliminating duplicative work, and maximizing staff productivity. Affective immediately, applicants in the United States, who are filing to adopt an orphan, must submit Forms I 600 (if required to file in the U.S.) & form I 600A, and all supporting documents and fees to the following address:

Regular Mail:
USCIS
P.O. Box 299027
Lewisville, TX 75029

Express Mail or Courier Service Deliveries: (FedEx, UPS, etc.)
USCIS
ATTN: Hague
2501 S. State Hwy 121 Business, Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

USCIS will forward incorrectly-filed Forms I-600A and I-600, application fees and supporting documents to the Lewisville, Texas  facility for the  30 days, until Friday November 9, 2009. 
Families filing a Hague I-800a/ I-800 Application
Effective immediately, U.S. citizens seeking to adopt a foreign child under the Hague Adoption Convention must submit Forms I-800, Petition to Classify Convention Adoptee as an Immediate Relative, and I-800A, Application for Determination of Suitability to Adopt a Child from a Convention Country, and all related supplements, forms, and fees to the USCIS lockbox facility located in Lewisville, Texas for initial processing, using the following address:

Regular Mail:
USCIS
P.O. Box 299008
Lewisville, TX 75029

Express Mail & Courier Service Deliveries (FedEx, UPS, etc.)
USCIS
ATTN: Hague
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business, Suite 400
Lewisville, TX 75067

Previously, applicants were required to file these forms at the Chicago Lockbox facility.  The Chicago Lockbox facility will forward any filings of Hague Adoption Convention forms to the Lewisville Lockbox facility for the first 30 days after the effective date of the change of filing location.  USCIS will consider applications or petitions forwarded from the Chicago Lockbox facility or other USCIS offices properly filed when received at the new Lewisville, Texas Lockbox facility.

After the 30-day transition period, USCIS will return any incorrectly filed applications to the sender.

Families Filing an Extension of their I-800A or Filing the Supplement 3 Form
When filing to request a change on a  previous approval or renewing a current I-800A approval, families must submit the I-800A Supplement 3 form to the new USCIS Dallas, TX lockbox facility.

Families Filing an I-600A Grandfathered Renewal or Free Extension
Families filing an I-600A free extension or a grandfathered renewal I-600A application will continue to file all applicable renewal documents with the local office which has jurisdiction over the family’s case. Families in this category will not send their renewal documents to the new Texas location.

Additional Information
Families can verify the instructions for their particular case by going to www.uscis.gov , clicking “Forms” and then “Adoption Forms” and reviewing the I-600A or I-800A instructions. These instructions have been updated and will provide complete details of how each form or renewal should be filed. Families are encouraged to check with their social worker prior to filing,  to confirm if there are any exceptions in the state in which they live.

Eastern Europe Florida Fellowship

As a family coordinator, one of the greatest joys in working with adoptions is being able to see the children come home to be a part of their forever families.  Because adoptive families are located all over the US, family coordinators usually only get a brief glimpse of these newly formed families through pictures when the children arrive home.  Occasionally we are able to meet families who live near the DC area or families passing through on vacation.

This past weekend, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with some of my Eastern Europe families who live in Florida! 

 

I was in Florida for the weekend, visiting a friend, and Amy Kryszan, our DSS in the Orlando area, had the wonderful idea to host a picnic so I could meet the families who are in that area.   It was such a blessing to meet parents currently in the process of adopting and families who have come home with their precious children.   Nine families were able to attend, and we had a total of seven little boys who had come home from Russia!  It was amazing to see how much they have grown and changed from their referral pictures since coming home.  It was such a blessing for me, personally, to be able to make these face-to-face connections and encourage the families still waiting.

Thank you to all of the families who were able to attend and allowed me the privilege to spend time with your beautiful children.  It is truly a joy to have worked with you and I look forward to our next reunion together!

Kristen Dillow

Exciting News from Ukraine

America World received the exciting news that Ukraine has lifted the quota!  America World will now be able to submit dossiers at any time to Ukraine.  We expect that if a new family completes and submits their dossier before the summer there is a good chance to finish the process in 2009!  It may be possible to receive healthier children who are 3 years or above and there are more boys available for adoption than girls in Ukraine.

Merry Christmas!

January 7th is the Orthodox Christmas for families in Russia and Ukraine.   Many families will celebrate this holiday through fasting on Christmas Eve until after the evening worship service or until the first star appears.  After attending mass, traditional Orthodox families will participate in a large meal.  During this “Holy Supper” families will not eat meat but other dishes with symbolic ingredients; grains representing hope, and honey and poppy seed for happiness and peace.  Families will honor religious customs even through their decorations at the dinner.  A white table-cloth will represent Christ’s swaddling clothes, hay is used among the decorations as a reminder of the humble way Jesus was born.  Tall white candles are used on the table to symbolize Christ as being the Light of the World.  Other traditions include “Ded Moroz”, also known as “Grandfather Frost”, who resembles the western Santa Clause.
 
http://www.russia.com/blog/russian-orthodox-christmas-7-january
http://russian-crafts.com/customs/christmas.html

During January 1st through January 10th, most offices in Russia will be closed as officials will observe this holiday with their families.

Sibling Group's Arrival Home!

Congratulations to one America World family who successfully completed their adoption from Ukraine.  This family returned home with three siblings!  We praise God for what He is doing in the lives of these children and our prayers are with them as they adjust to life in the US with their new family.

Families who are interested in adopting older children are encouraged to apply for America World’s Ukraine program.

Ukraine Program

The Ukrainian Rada (parliament) has passed a law restricting singles from adopting in Ukraine as well as enforcing that there be no more than 45 years difference in age between parents and children.  This law has been in discussion for some time and had previously passed the Rada but been vetoed by President Yushchenko.  This time there were enough votes that it cannot be vetoed. The law will go into effect at the time that it is signed by the President, which is expected to be within 90 days.  There is discussion as to the legality of this law since it is said to violate other international treaties that Ukraine has signed.

Ukraine Program

We are sad to report that this week two families returned from Ukraine without children, after the SDA refused to grant third appointments. We are sad to see the continued difficulty for families seeking to adopt young children from Ukraine without major health concerns. 

Ukraine Program

One America World family received word of their first appointment date at the State Department for Adoption this week.  This is the first America World family who was submitted in 2008.
We are seeing increasing difficulty for families who are waiting on second and third appointment dates at the SDA.  It appears that families are often being referred children with significant health concerns, and only finding out about these health concerns after traveling to the region to meet the child.  We continue to wait for additional appointments for families and pray for acceptable referrals for these families.

Ukraine Program

One family returned home this week with their two boys from Ukraine. We  also received news of a second appointment at the SDA for a family waiting to return to Kiev. We continue to have other families wait for second appointments. 
At this time, America World would encourage families interested in adopting children over the age of 6 and children with special needs to contact the Eastern Europe Program Director about the possibility of adopting from Ukraine.