Russia and the Adoption Ban

Many of my friends have decided to speak out and encourage Russia and President Putin to reconsider his decisions.  I want to share the links to their news interviews that have occurred this week.

I met Emily, Michael and Leeza the week that I picked up Owen. Here is her interview from today:

http://www.winknews.com/Local-Florida/2012-12-28/Russian-bill-banning-US-adoptions-devastates-SWFL-families-#.UN4yC6Vj7ww

I met Jessica and Jonas when I was on my way back from my first trip to Russia to meet Owen in July. Jonas is such a beautiful little guy.  It has been a pleasure to watch him blossom in his family's love.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/Russian-adoption-ban-hits-close-to-home-for-Michigan-family/-/1719418/17939596/-/4iwtjs/-/index.html

Jaime Vanchura is a mom I met in one of my online groups.  Their family is planning on adopting a baby boy with down symndrome from Russia.

http://www.abc12.com/story/20436409/midland-family-may-not-get-to-adopat-a-1-year-old-from-russia

This list goes on... to include a friend that has completed court... she was waiting out the 30 days... she is supposed to pick her beautiful little boy up in 2 weeks... now what?!?!? The list goes on and on... nobody saw this coming.  I did hear at some point that there is may be hope for those children with medical needs... but it may just be a rumor... but I still have hope.. I sincerely hope...

I feel like I have been glued to the computer and the television for even a shred of hope for these families and for the children of Russia. I am dumbstruck... I am enraged... I look at my son and can't believe he made it out in the nick of time.

Russia is stating they want more access to orphans once in the USA... what would they like?  I will give it to them if one more can come home... We are already required to do post placement reports... that include medical updates, photographs, visits with social workers... but I will do more.  I personally took the e-mail address of the baby home director and plan to keep her updated on Owen's growth and development.  She was surprised at my willingness.  But I do this for Elina's baby home as well... they love our children.  So, yes we as parents can do that... we can communicate with the people that cared for our children.  Just because their caregivers couldn't show the love of a family doesn't mean they weren't the family our children knew. We can show them the love that we pour into their little countrymen... the lights that begin to burn brightly within our children.

My heart hurts for the injustice.... over a political game... a backlash that was intended to show their power.  Instead it showed their cruelty. I of course would prefer to see no child be available for adoption... for each country to have an overabundance of adoptive parents.  But they do not have a plan... they did this out of spite... they have approximately 18,000 adoptive parents for the 740,000 children in the system.  What about the children? Please President Putin, don't let them become adults within the system, age out and get sent out onto the streets when we barely see our children as young adults able to handle driving a car on their own let alone being on their own.