I'm always on the look out for anything Russian or pertaining to Russian culture. I would love to learn all that I can so I can keep my future child's heritage alive.
I learned something new a while back. My Godson/little cousin was making his first holy communion. So, I went to a religious store to get some of those patron Saint card things for in his card. I was in the M's and decided to mosey down to St. Nicholas. I've always liked the name Nicholas (but spelled...Nikolas) for a son and decided to see what it said. I was pleasantly surprised to find out..."The Russian Church honors St. Nicholas more than any other Saint. He is the patron of Russia." How cool!
I do plan to either keep his given Russian name or make it a middle name, along with adding my Grandfather's name as a middle or second middle name. My Grandpa was extremely important to me and to the rest of my family. We were pals and I think he would be honored I would choose to pass his name down. I believe that it's important his Russian heritage be honored and kept, but also, just as important for him to be given a cherished family name. My future son may potentially have one long (but important) name!!! =)
Now, I just need to hurry and age a little bit(I can stop after I hit the magic #25) so I can get the ball rolling!!! Or, should I say the humongous paper chase? Ever think you'd hear a woman want to hurry up and get older?!?!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Adoption Treaty
I found this article in the Moscow Times, dated June 18. I am glad that the US and Russian governments are able to work together to form an agreement.
A new Russian-U.S. child adoption agreement is ready to be forwarded to authorities for approval after negotiators reached a speedy deal under which Washington accepted most demands put forth by Moscow.
Adoption from Russia will now be done through authorized agencies only, and the adoptive parents will have to undergo special training, children's ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told Vremya Novostei in an interview published Thursday.
U.S. parents will also report on the health and living conditions of the children, and social workers will be allowed to visit their homes to verify the reports, Astakhov said.
Both countries are expected to approve the treaty within six months, a senior official at the Education and Science Ministry, Alina Levistskaya, told RIA-Novosti this week.
The agreement will have retroactive effect, which would allow Russian authorities to press charges against the U.S. mother and grandmother who sent their adopted child, Artyom Savelyev, 8, to Moscow unaccompanied on a plane with a note that said he was violent and psychologically unfit.
The incident prompted Russia to effectively suspend adoptions.
Savelyev was adopted through an independent agency — a model that Russian officials have said does not allow them to monitor the living conditions and well-being of children.
Under the agreement, Russia accepted a U.S. proposal to introduce obligatory U.S. accreditation for adoption agencies, which will have to comply with the Hague Adoption Convention, ratified by the United States but not by Russia, Astakhov has said.
About 3,500 Russian children are currently in the process of being adopted by 3,000 U.S. families.
U.S. families have adopted more than 14,000 children from Russia over the past five years, including 1,500 last year.
About 120,000 Russian children are registered as orphans every year.
A new Russian-U.S. child adoption agreement is ready to be forwarded to authorities for approval after negotiators reached a speedy deal under which Washington accepted most demands put forth by Moscow.
Adoption from Russia will now be done through authorized agencies only, and the adoptive parents will have to undergo special training, children's ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told Vremya Novostei in an interview published Thursday.
U.S. parents will also report on the health and living conditions of the children, and social workers will be allowed to visit their homes to verify the reports, Astakhov said.
Both countries are expected to approve the treaty within six months, a senior official at the Education and Science Ministry, Alina Levistskaya, told RIA-Novosti this week.
The agreement will have retroactive effect, which would allow Russian authorities to press charges against the U.S. mother and grandmother who sent their adopted child, Artyom Savelyev, 8, to Moscow unaccompanied on a plane with a note that said he was violent and psychologically unfit.
The incident prompted Russia to effectively suspend adoptions.
Savelyev was adopted through an independent agency — a model that Russian officials have said does not allow them to monitor the living conditions and well-being of children.
Under the agreement, Russia accepted a U.S. proposal to introduce obligatory U.S. accreditation for adoption agencies, which will have to comply with the Hague Adoption Convention, ratified by the United States but not by Russia, Astakhov has said.
About 3,500 Russian children are currently in the process of being adopted by 3,000 U.S. families.
U.S. families have adopted more than 14,000 children from Russia over the past five years, including 1,500 last year.
About 120,000 Russian children are registered as orphans every year.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Talks
I haven't posted in forever! When things get busy for me, it sure gets hectic around here.
This post is way over due but extremely necessary. Everyone familiar with the Russian adoption world already knows this, but I thought I should put this up before the final round takes place in June. Here is what the U.S state department said:
May 14, 2010
A U.S. interagency team met with their Russian counterparts in Moscow May 12 – 14 to discuss an adoption agreement. This most recent round of negotiations ended Friday, May 14, after three days of positive and productive talks. Both sides are committed to the common goal of increasing safeguards for adoption between Russia and the United States. “We listened to each other’s concerns and made significant progress toward an agreement that will improve the safeguards in the inter-country adoption process,” said the head of the U.S. delegation. The meeting participants shared their views on how to improve existing processes to better protect the children and families involved in inter-country adoption. The discussions were detailed and concerned specific issues, including the domestic laws and international obligations of both countries.
The negotiating teams are working on language of a draft agreement and plan to meet again in the coming weeks. The next meeting will likely be in Washington in June.
It is our understanding that there has been no change in the status of on-going inter-country adoptions originating from Russia. Many thousands of Russian children, who were not adopted by Russian families, have found loving, safe and permanent homes in the United States through inter-country adoption. We are pleased to be discussing with the Russian government a future approach to ensure inter-country adoptions continue.
I am cautiously optimistic that things will work out. Many prayers to the Man Upstairs, especially for families currently in the process.
This post is way over due but extremely necessary. Everyone familiar with the Russian adoption world already knows this, but I thought I should put this up before the final round takes place in June. Here is what the U.S state department said:
May 14, 2010
A U.S. interagency team met with their Russian counterparts in Moscow May 12 – 14 to discuss an adoption agreement. This most recent round of negotiations ended Friday, May 14, after three days of positive and productive talks. Both sides are committed to the common goal of increasing safeguards for adoption between Russia and the United States. “We listened to each other’s concerns and made significant progress toward an agreement that will improve the safeguards in the inter-country adoption process,” said the head of the U.S. delegation. The meeting participants shared their views on how to improve existing processes to better protect the children and families involved in inter-country adoption. The discussions were detailed and concerned specific issues, including the domestic laws and international obligations of both countries.
The negotiating teams are working on language of a draft agreement and plan to meet again in the coming weeks. The next meeting will likely be in Washington in June.
It is our understanding that there has been no change in the status of on-going inter-country adoptions originating from Russia. Many thousands of Russian children, who were not adopted by Russian families, have found loving, safe and permanent homes in the United States through inter-country adoption. We are pleased to be discussing with the Russian government a future approach to ensure inter-country adoptions continue.
I am cautiously optimistic that things will work out. Many prayers to the Man Upstairs, especially for families currently in the process.
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