GOTCHA DAY

Court Date

Friday, September 19, 2008

We are Home


We are home. We had such a great trip. We are tired. I have never felt jet lag like this I cant seem to get enough sleep. We already slept twice today and I am ready for another nap.

The boys were so excited to see us. I didn't even bring my luggage in I just ran in the house and gave them the biggest hugs and kisses. Allen & Zachary gave me the biggest hug and didn't let go. They love the pictures of their sister. I was telling them she loves music and to dance and Zachary started laughing with the big grin. You could see in the boys faces they just lit up. They couldn't wait to see all the pictures of their baby sister. She is 11 months old this month. Her Birthday is Oct 30th so we are hoping we will either be in Russia for her Birthday or she will be here with us for her 1st Birthday. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THE PRAYERS, GOD DID ANSWER THEM. PLEASE PRAY WE ARE WITH HER FOR HER 1ST BIRTHDAY, THAT WOULD BE THE BEST.


WE ALSO WANTED TO THANK YOU, SPASIBA TO OLGA IN RUSSIA SHE IS GREAT AND HELPFUL, AND ELENA IN RUSSIA. YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST. WE CANT THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR EVERYTHING.
ALSO THANK YOU LESLIE AND EVERYONE AT CHILDRENS HOPE.
That is all for now I am going to go take another nap.

ALSO DAN AND I ARE AMAZED BECAUSE ALL THE KIDS BIRTHDAYS WILL BE TWO WEEKS APART. OCT 30TH, NOV. 11TH. NOV. 26TH, BUSY MONTH THEN CHRISTMAS.


With Love

The Israel Family
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1 comment:

Kim Abraham - Mom to the Fabulous Five! said...

I'm very happy for you and your family! P.S. It took me two weeks to fully get over the jet lag. I hope you recover much quicker ;0)

Kim

Friday, September 19, 2008 7:03:00 PM

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Foreign adoptions down in Russia as foster care grows

Foreign adoptions down in Russia as foster care grows

Fewer Russian children are being adopted abroad, although the number of total adoptions in Russia is declining, figures show. The statistics point to a complex future for the country's orphans as the government struggles to implement additional means of foster care even as it tries to encourage more Russians to adopt.
According to the U.S. State Department, which released figures for the 2008 fiscal year, the number of foreign children adopted by Americans fell by 12 percent.
In 2008, there were 17,438 adoptions for abroad, while there were 19,613 in 2007. Much of this decline is due to fewer adoptees from Russia and China. Although Russia has not yet released statistics for 2008, the numbers from previous years confirm the trend.
There were 6,689 foreign adoptions in 2006, and only 4,536 in 2007 - a decline of over 30 percent - according to statistics provided by the Ministry of Education and Science, which is responsible for developing adoption programs and legislation in the country.
The United States is the chief destination for Russia's foreign adoptees - in 2006, American parents adopted 3,468 children, making up well over half of the total number of foreign adoptions.
But these numbers do not indicate that Russians are adopting more children. Of the adoptees, the share of those who remain in Russia has increased - from 7,767 in 2006 to 9,537 in 2007. But overall adoptions decreased in 2007 by about 3 percent. Indeed, the number of adopted children peaked in 2004 at 16,434, and has been declining ever since.
This is explainable by foster care programs. While adoptions declined, there has been a rise in the number of children in new, alternative foster care initiatives. Whi­le not adoptions formally, these included various kinds of foster care in which a child lives with a guardian or a family that is paid by the government. There are at least three kinds of foster categories apart from adoption. Although the government officially considers adoptions the best option for orphans, it has opted to develop these programs to bring down the number of children without parents.
Since 2006, more stringent laws regulating foreign adoptions have gone into effect. According to Yekaterina Bridge of the World Association for Children and Parents, that has meant more paperwork.
"In 2007, adoption agencies were getting accreditation based on new rules, and that has led to fewer adoptions," she told The Moscow News.
"The first accreditations were received only in June, 2007, and this caused a delay."
Explaining the decline in the number of adoptions, Bridge cited alternative forms of foster care, but noted that these forms had their drawbacks.
"Local officials in the provinces are wary of developing foster care because of the money issue. They fear children could be taken advantage of for the government subsidies."
While she said her agency was supportive of the government efforts to develop newer forms of foster care, she cited the latest figures for children without parents as "staggering."
As of December 31, 2007, 171,044 children were listed in the official adoption data base.
Officials acknowledge the need to encourage more Russians to adopt.
"Adoption is the top priority in placing children with families," says Alexandra Ochi­rova, who chairs the Public Cham­ber's Commission on Social and De­mographic Policy.
"But the statistics do not show that the problem is being solved. Since not enough children are being adopted, other forms of foster care are being offered."
Ochirova does not believe that foreign adoptions will solve the problem, however.
"There are various points of view, and the interests of the child should be put first," she told The Moscow News. "But I believe that this problem should be solved inside the country. This doesn't mean we should have a ban on international adoptions, but considering the demographic situation, it would be good to make the population better prepared to adopt Russian children."
Ochirova says that raising awareness, advertising, and easing bureaucracy would lead to more adoptions. There are many Russians willing to adopt, she says, but they are daunted by the bureaucratic process.

LOVE

Love... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. - 1 Corinthians 13:7
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves."-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7