Sun | Family

By JoAnne Marez, Sun Staff — Nov 15th, 1998

* Parenting has become a family affair for the Mahans of South Kitsap, two couples who have opened their homes and hearts to children from India.

There was something special about the little girl in the adoption newsletter.

"She had this sweet smile," explained Bill Mahan, 63, a former Kitsap County commissioner and current director of Paratransit, "and I just melted. I knew in my heart Yasmin was for us."

Avocata arestata pentru implicare in adoptii ilegale

07.11.1998

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Principales normas que regulan el trámite:

Decreto 2737 de 1989

"Convenio de la Haya sobre Adopciones Internacionales" suscrito el 29 de mayo de 1993, ratificado por el gobierno de Colombia y vigente en el país a partir del 1º de noviembre de 1998.

Resolución 1267 de 1994 modificada parcialmente por la Resolución 1056 del 3 de Junio de 1996

In May 1998, Casa Alianza/Covenant House Latin America reported that it had been working with the Procurator General's Office for more than nine months to stop the marketing of Guatemalan babies through illegal adoptions. Casa Alianza also reported that, since September 1997, it had presented, in conjunction with the Procurator General's Office, 18 criminal cases of anomalies in international adoptions. In August 1998, Casa Alianza issued a press release concerning the first case against an illegal adoption that had been won. On 18 August 1998 the baby boy was returned to his home after the fourth Judge of the First Instance of Minors delivered him to his mother. Casa Alianza considers it urgent that new laws be implemented in order to control and regulate international adoptions and recommends the ratification by Guatemala of the 1993 Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption. Accordingly, before any international adoption takes place, the authorities should exhaust all possibilities of the child being adopted within its own country.

On 27 October 1998, Casa Alianza reported that it welcomed a decision, by the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in Guatemala, to introduce compulsory DNA testing for all babies being adopted from Guatemala. Casa Alianza reported that the change came into affect on 1 October 1998, in order to "ensure public confidence in the international adoption process in Guatemala", according to a written statement from the Guatemalan Embassy. "DNA testing will be required for all birth mothers and orphan children in cases submitted for adjudication," according to the same release. Casa Alianza further reported that the American Embassy in Guatemala processes some 1000 international adoptions each year, around half of the total number of babies being adopted from the country. This latest decision comes after the U.S. Department of State recently confirmed that "the trafficking of babies is a serious problem in Guatemala", and is part of a package of measures being made by the Embassy's Immigration and Naturalization Service in order to reduce the number of fraudulent adoptions being made from the country. Previously the embassy only undertook DNA tests where they suspected a fraud had been committed. "The US is now following Canada's lead, which has required obligatory DNA testing for several years. Being the largest market for Guatemalan babies, we are pleased that the United States has taken this important step," commented Bruce Harris, the Regional Director of

Casa Alianza.

Casa Alianza/Covenant House Latin America

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The chair of the Parliamentary Committee, Lissa Mathiassen (S), will have tightened the rules for the adoption of foreign children.

SEP 02 1998 AT. 16:00

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The chairman of the Danish Parliament's Legal Committee, Lissa Mathiassen (S), wants to tighten up the rules for the adoption of foreign children.

The chairman of the Danish Parliament's legal committee, Lissa Mathiassen (S), now instructs the counties to review adoption declarations for foreign children, so that there is certainty that they are not falsified. The reaction comes after the TV program "Önskebarnet" on DR1 last night revealed that a private adoption organization had not translated medical statements correctly. A Danish couple who had adopted a Romanian child came forward in the broadcast and told how -contrary to the health declaration- it turned out that their adopted child was understimulated, malnourished and retarded. The Civil Rights Directorate pointed out that the mediator of the child, the organization "Terres des Hommes", which had the adoption was not allowed to use the consultant who had signed the erroneous declaration - but several cases appeared. A situation that is clearly unsustainable, believes the chairman of the Danish Parliament's legal committee, Lissa Mathiassen. The Christian People's Party also wants to have the conditions surrounding adoption investigated more closely. At the same time, the organization "Terre des Hommes" has asked for a meeting with the Ministry of Justice. According to the head of the organization "Terre des Hommes", Jessie Rosenmeier, there are a number of misunderstandings that the organization would very much like to correct. "Terre des Hommes" maintains, however, that the consultant in question has not falsified medical reports, as appeared on the TV broadcast. Jessie Rosenmeier also states that since the case came to light in 1995, the organization has tightened up the case processing to avoid similar situations, and all Romanian medical reports are now sent to the counties for approval.

REPORT ON THE IN-HOUSE CAPACITY BUILDING WORKSHOP ON INTERCOUNTRY

ADOPTION, ICDC, FLORENCE, ITALY, 14-17. SEPTEMBER, 1998

1.0 Background and Participants:
This was the first UNICEF in-house capacity building workshop on the subject of adoption. The
workshop was organized by the International Child Development Center. It was necessitated by the
situation in UNICEF offices in all regions where abusive and illegal practices on adoption of
children internationally have been alleged or proven. In the such circumstances UNICEF offices
are faced with a continuous challenge of stating and/or defending UNICEF position on intercountry
adoption.
Participants in this workshop were comprised of mainly UNICEF officers, from ICDC, New York
and the following countries: Armenia, Barbados, Bangladesh, Colombia, Ecuador , Guatemala,
Romania, Rwanda, and Uganda. Other participants were from: Save the Children (UK) Rwanda, a
national NGO on adoption in Paraguay, the International Social Services, Hague Convention on
Private International Law, the Netherlands Committee for UNICEF and the Government of
Romania.
2.0 Workshop Objective:
 To analyze the purpose of intercountry adoption among other welfare measures;
 To identify international principles and standards on intercountry adoption and mechanisms to
safeguard them;
 To review acceptable and unacceptable conditions for intercountry adoption;
 To identify high risk situations; early warning signs of abuse and how to prevent abuse.

3.0 Workshop Methods:
Participants made presentations on country situation and experiences. Presentations were made on
relevant themes on international provisions such as, the Hague Convention on Intercountry
Adoption and situation regarding ratification. County presentations gave insight in varying
situations leading to adoption of children internationally, related principles and standards; as well
measures to safeguard them .
Regarding Africa , the main factors behind adoption are mainly conflict situation and HIV/AIDS,
leading to an increase in the number of unaccompanied children and of orphans(orphans in Uganda
refer to a child who has lost one or both parents). These have overwhelmed the capacity of the
extended family system. Not loosing sight of the situation in Rwanda, intercountry adoption in
Africa is not as massive as the case is in some Latin American and Eastern Europe countries.
Nevertheless, the situation poses a challenge of developing and/or strengthening in country foster
care and adoption systems and structures.
4.0 Lessons Learnt and Programming Implications:
 Continuity is of paramount importance for children in need of alternative family care. Preference
should be given to children staying in their countries. Intercountry adoption should be a last resort;

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Friday, July 10, 1998

Doctors aid couples in adoption of Russian children

Drs. Platonov and Kogan founded Small World Adoption Foundation in 1992

St. Louis Business Journal - by Lou Kalosc

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