Europe

Russia moves to address US adoptions

Russia moves to address US adoptions

Russia’s ombudsman for children’s rights says no more Russian children will be permitted to join potential adoptive families in the United States.

According to AP, Pavel Astakhov made the announcement on Wednesday despite calls by US officials for flexibility with adoptions that were “in process” before Russia banned US families from adopting Russian children.
On December 28, 2012, Russia approved the Dima Yakovlev law, which bans Americans from adopting Russian children. The adoption ban took effect on January 1, 2013.
The legislation is named after a Russian toddler who died in 2008 of heat stroke due to the negligence of his adoptive father – an American.
Astakhov added that the US Department of State had presented him with a list including the names of over 250 children whom they considered to be already in the process of being adopted by American families. None of those kids would be considered for exceptional treatment.
He noted that about half of the children on the list have already been taken in by adoptive families in Russia or put in foster homes or are back with their biological parents.

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