ADOPTIONS FROM ROMANIA 1990 BIS 1999 AND HOW IT IS TODAY FOR THE CHILDREN

An Interview with Heidi Wolfram, who was responsible for "Parents of children Austria" for international adoptions from Romania

Adoption Advice: Ms. Wolfram, they were some years in the Parents Association for Children (EFKO) for the management of international adoptions from Romania, responsible for Romania has not stopped them before and they are to remain in contact with the adoptive families whose children have become teenagers . How was it that the EFKO has been active at that time in the field of international adoption? Have you worked from the outset in this project?

Heidi Wolfram: The project began, have been discussed as a foster parent Round the appalling conditions in Romanian institutions, and soon we were at one point in seeking to change a bit for the better. In response, some interested parties together and done the first time driving under the guidance of a Romanian-Catholic priest in a home in Sin Martin. Here was the primary concern is to contribute a little to meet basic needs. On the occasion of this visit, the hostel administration turned to us and told of the many unvisited children whose parents to a large extent, were not known. She asked if we could arrange for these children adoptive parents. This idea was then brought home by the Romanian leadership to us and it was actually adopted some children from Sin Martin with its support to Austria. Then, however, international adoptions have been stopped by the state, because after the opening of the country in a short time a vast number of Romanian children were adopted abroad. Nationals of Western countries came to Romania and not brought the older children from the homes, but moved through the villages and bought the babies from their mothers. This terrible situation was ended by the adoption stop.

Subsequently, the central adoption committee was set up in Bucharest, which we recognized as an official clearinghouse for Austria. We were authorized to convey to the whole of Romanian children were also in Austria, and Austria from all provinces with the exception of Salzburg authorized to assist families with the adoption of Romanian children.
 
Photo: Parents of children Austria
Suburb in Romania were needed from now on a lawyer who was required by the Adoption Committee and completed all the necessary channels for the adoptive family. The documents of the family had to be sent to the committee which made a child's proposal after the attorney had in turn presented to the committee the child for this special family.

If logged in our families, we first conducted a very detailed initial interview. All adoptive recruiter had to complete a preparatory course. We also visited all the families personally and I know that I traveled to Vorarlberg, to make me a picture of the life circumstances of individual families. After this preparation, the following documents were sent to Bucharest: the documents of the adoptive applicants, their curriculum vitae, a detailed social report from the relevant Youth Welfare Office and the statement by the competent district administrative authority, that it does not violate the Austrian laws to adopt a child from Romania. All these documents were translated in Vienna, certified by a court-approved translator into Romanian and. After different lengths of time the child's proposal came from the committee. It helped that we contacted the attorney and the children who were released to mediate, said. According to the scanty records, such as age, gender and health certificate, we then tried to gently make a proposal to fit into the family of this child could. Thus, the lawyer went to the committee, which then gave permission for a first contact. Once the family had visited the orphanage, saw the child and an adoption is approved, settled the attorney with the adoptive recruiters the necessary means, so the adoption process could start immediately.

Amazingly not a single adoptive family has rejected a child, although two or three disabled children were among them. Upon completion of the Romanian adoption process, the adoptive parents could pick up their children. At the Austrian Embassy, the children were given a limited permit because they were still Romanian citizens. In Austria, the parents had to extend the residence permit and apply for Austrian citizenship for their child. After its issuance, the children were discharged from the Romanian citizenship and her passport had to be given at the embassy.

Adoption Advice: Can you tell us about the situation a little, you have experienced in Romania? As the children were cared for in homes and at what age they could be adopted? Can you tell something about the health and development of children?

Wolfram Heidi: I was several times in Romania. Although the pictures of the homes at that time went through all media, we were all shocked. The hospital infections of the children was extremely strong, they were severely neglected. The nurses had no training and therefore do not know what a child needs. The older children came forward to an all with arms raised high and wanted to be taken. The homes at that time did not have a baby bottle so that the children poured into the food with tin cups "" was. I can remember a family whose newly arrived child refused to eat until the adoptive mother remembered that the children only tin cups were used to. After they had bought something like that, the child began to eat again ...

Even when there were already many convoys, nor passed a lot of mistakes. Were delivered things that were not really needed, or knew of them, not people, as they were applied. I remember that I was once invited by the Committee in a model home (you always need a permit) to visit a home where the nurses showed us how children from eighteen-Disney video set, which she apparently by the Americans have had. In another home there was a sumptuously furnished room for physiotherapy, which remained empty because no trained support staff was present. We repeatedly offered training for the staff in "our homes", which first aroused great opposition. In Romania, it was a long time so that people no longer knew who they could trust. If three were talking, they did not know which of them was the spy. This mistrust is still noticeable. Mittlerweilen are the children placed in institutions are often better than the children outside in the families, especially in the countryside, where unemployment and poverty are still very large.

The first children who came to Austria, were developed in very different ways. Through the long adoption process came the youngest adopted children with less than a year into her new family. There were also children who had more than one home switch behind and had therefore almost bindable. During a visit we met a three-year boy who was constantly in a cot on his back. You have to understand that children between the ages of three years from the nursery into a babies home, or in a home for handicapped children had to go, what their fate is often sealed. The criterion for inclusion in an infant home was that the child could eat alone. The affected boy, but was absolutely nothing, so we tried to get him out of the home before it was too late. He could be placed in a foster family, and after a year you would have this child no longer recognized in Austria. He began to walk, to talk to ... Outwardly he was a four year old, but obviously not all in its development. The family has done and now he's enormous, although with difficulty, but can still finish the school. The family is currently looking for a suitable education.

Adoption Advice: Have you had contact with other organizations in the field of adoption agency from Romania?

Heidi Wolfram: After the second stop we had to adoptions in Romania with a Romanian organization working together, the adoptions but also cover other social services in the country. Our partner organization, for example, had to check whether at home were found adoptive parents for children, which point in very young children and was once the case. Slowly they also began to seek foster care for the children. Even the convoys to the refugee camps were better coordinated. I once took part in a meeting organized by giving the adoption committee for all organizations, international adoptions from Romania. Of the Americans, to the Greeks, all nationalities were represented. The meeting was held in Bucharest Ceausescu's palace. A greater discrepancy can hardly imagine. In huge state rooms with negotiations on the fate of these poor children. There were working groups in which I took also in contact with other organizations. Basically it was the agencies, but primarily about getting children to adoption.

Adoption Advice: How have you experienced it, when international adoptions in Romania were suspended in June 2001 to improve the adoption of legislation? Do you have an insight into how the situation looks like in Romanian orphanages at the moment?

Heidi Wolfram: Our club had at the time, some candidates who are well-prepared and already were about to put their records together. It was therefore very difficult to make it clear to them that they must take distance from her adoption request. If you have seen, however, the situation witnessed in the country and how adoptions were handled and how much money was involved, was probably a sensible stop adoptions measure. We all know that the adoption of the Romanian tourism was an obstacle on the path to the EU. However, it is again the weakest link, namely the children who suffer the most to stop adoptions because the homes are still full. Also, it still lacks of sufficient understanding of children. That's why I think it would be useful if there was an orderly and technically sound way to pursue international adoptions from Romania. Romania has signed the Hague Convention, already ratified and is, a feasible way would be given.

The association "Parents for Children", following the adoption stop its activities for the care of the homes even more enhanced and differentiated. The most urgent task now is to enable children in care professional training. The situation in the orphanages became more secure. But knowing what a child needs, it must only be re-purchased here. Even the untrained personnel is still a problem. Since there is much to be done.

Adoption Advice: Ms. Wolfram, you are still part of the annual meeting of Romanian adoptive families contact with the children who come by now in her teens. How have the children develop? What influence has taken the history of children in Romania on their development?

Wolfram Heidi: The last meeting with Romanian families were last year. In my opinion, has the majority of children are really well developed, although often arise problems in school. But I think that we are well prepared parents. If an educated family, adopted, it may well be that even her adopted child will embark on an academic career, but it may be that it has totally different installations and can not meet these expectations. It must be able to accept the adoptive parents. Especially when children in infancy, have such large deficits, much patience is necessary.
As far as I can judge now, it is most children well. I know a girl, when there has been no problems at all. She lives in the family, as she had never come from outside, and is also a very good student. Other families say, the kids might need help in school, but are no delays in other issues in the development. Still others are really difficult and there are some children here who need professional assistance such as therapy. When these problems are accepted by the adoptive parents, it is also good. Some children have ADHD, what parents can be overloaded and they are looking for ways how to promote the child best. If there is willingness from all sides who have children but certainly good prospects.

Adoption Advice: Ms. Wolfram, thank you very much for your time!


Heidi Wolfram was at the club as a Certified Social Worker "Parents for Children" for the care and organization of international adoptions from Romania responsible. Meanwhile, Mrs. Wolfram retired, but remains in Romania meetings and actively foster parents laps.

Please also note the support for Romania project of "Parents of children Austria. For more information about the project, which will find supports eight orphanages in Slobozia / southern Romania, among them: www.rumaenienhilfe.at or www.efk.at. Donations: The First 05150914, BLZ 20111


Release Date: 02/06/2004
http://www.adoptionsberatung.at/index.php/article/articleview/152/1/99