If you are thinking about adopting from Russia or you are currently involved in a Russian adoption, please take a moment and check out the newest information and adoption alert on the Department of State's website.
It seems that Russia is not very happy with The Magnitsky Act that was signed into law by President Obama on December 14. This law keeps Russian officials that are believed to have been a part of the abuse and human rights violations of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky from entering the United States. Russia feels that the United States is meddling in their affairs and creating problems between the two countries.
Russia has since responded with their own bill named after a child that died at the hands of American adoptive parents Miles and Carol Harrison. The Dima Yakovlev bill will ban US citizens from adopting Russian orphans.
The Department of State wants pre-adoptive parents to know that they are working with Russian officials and have yet to hear of a halt or ban on Russian adoptions. The Department of State does want those in the process of adopting a Russian child to email AskCI@state.gov to provide information regarding where they are in the adoption process, using the subject line "Intercountry adoption in Russia - family update."
Photo © Carrie Craft, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Photo © Carrie Craft, licensed to About.com, Inc.