In the last six weeks I have
received several emails about four Serbian children who have been listed on the
Rainbow Kids
website. Here's one listing in particular.
Although it doesn't say "Serbia" on it, if
you contact the agency International Family Services they will tell you the child is
in Serbia.
Photo listings of Serbia's waiting children is a violation of
Serbian law. It doesn't matter if you or I agree with the law, the fact is it's
not allowed.
These children are said to be "healthy", without any
identified special needs, with birth dates putting them at *just* over 12 months
old. If you inquire about the children you'll be told they have all been
matched with families. (healthy infants go fast, you know!)
You are
welcome to verify what I'm about to tell you by contacting the Serbian ministry
directly. Serbia ONLY allows children with special needs to be adopted
internationally.
What you will also get is IFS's information on their
country programs and fees. I think you will find this information quite
interesting. I know the Serbian Ministry of Labor and Social Policy adoption
unit along with officials at the US Embassy in Belgrade will find it interesting
as well.
Here is IFS's description of their program. I will break it into
chunks and insert my comments.
Serbian adoption, through the Ministry of Labor and Social policy as you're
supposed to be, most families travel within a matter of WEEKS after their
paperwork is submitted in Serbia. With Asher I traveled within two weeks. Axel
was almost a month but only because that's the date we CHOSE.
unrelated children cannot be adopted from Serbia at the same time. Serbia only
allows the adoption of one child at a time except in the case of sibling
groups.
This is one of my favorite parts, read it very carefully and see
if you can find the discrepancies. Oh wait, I'll highlight them for
you!:
parents must be at least 18 years older than the child, but the parents must
also be at least 25 years old. Let me think: 25 - 18 = 7. That would mean the
youngest child you could get out of Serbia is 7 years old???? How can that BE
when they've just listed four 12 month old children???????
Ok, here is
more, most of which is copied directly from the US State Department website:
Did
you just read what I read???? IFS is claiming they have healthy children they're
willing to help you adopt, and yet in their own email they said Serbia will only
allow parents to adopt children who have physical or mental disabilities who are
better able to get help in the U.S. The only 'healthy' children coming out are
siblings to those already begin adopted who have special needs.
And more
to you. A child must be on the domestic registry for one full year before they
are able to able to be added to the international registry and must have been
rejected by at least three domestic (Serbian) families before they can be added
to the international registry. Do the math...you're not going to get a "healthy"
12 or 14 month old child out of the country legally.
For all
the information they copied directly from the Department of State website, they
forgot to include this (which I have taken directly from the Department of State
website!)
email from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy I was told there is
only one agency who has made an attempt to get approval to conduct adoptions
in Serbia but they have not yet moved forward to conduct any adoptions.
International Family Services was not on this list of ONE.
Now
lets talk about money, shall we? I find this to be quite
interesting.
Here is what I paid during Axel's adoption in December 2010
with the corrupt facilitator who is now facing an upcoming trial for several
counts of criminal activity:
Hometudy App. Fee: $150
Background check:
$210
Fingerprints: $50
Birth certificates: $150
USCIS fingerprints:
$830
Homestudy: $2400
Passport: $123
Apostille: $50
Reece's Rainbow
commitment fee: $210
About A Child agency Fee: $2000
FEDex:
$100
Translation Fee: $900
Airfare: $1700
Ticket Change Fee:
$463
Facilitation Fee: $6500
Hotel: $1028
Visa/passport:
$500
Medical: $100
Food/expenses: $1000
Total: $18,529
Exactly one year later,
December 2011, the corrupt facilitator no longer in the picture, I completed
Asher's adoption. This was working directly with the Serbian ministry as people
were supposed to have been doing (this adoption I needed only to update my home
study not start from scratch).
Homestudy update: $1900
Airfare TO:
$500
Translation: $750
Medical: $100
Birth certificate:
$60
Passport: $100
Visa: $404
USCIS: $720
Airfare Home: (1 adult, 1
child) $1000
Lodging (25 euro/night x 20 nights): $670
Transportation and
daily per diem (15 euro/day x 20 days) $600
Food/Misc: $400
Total:
$7,194
Now, let me show you the fees that International Family
Services has quoted for their Serbian adoption program:
received several emails about four Serbian children who have been listed on the
Rainbow Kids
website. Here's one listing in particular.
Although it doesn't say "Serbia" on it, if
you contact the agency International Family Services they will tell you the child is
in Serbia.
Photo listings of Serbia's waiting children is a violation of
Serbian law. It doesn't matter if you or I agree with the law, the fact is it's
not allowed.
These children are said to be "healthy", without any
identified special needs, with birth dates putting them at *just* over 12 months
old. If you inquire about the children you'll be told they have all been
matched with families. (healthy infants go fast, you know!)
You are
welcome to verify what I'm about to tell you by contacting the Serbian ministry
directly. Serbia ONLY allows children with special needs to be adopted
internationally.
What you will also get is IFS's information on their
country programs and fees. I think you will find this information quite
interesting. I know the Serbian Ministry of Labor and Social Policy adoption
unit along with officials at the US Embassy in Belgrade will find it interesting
as well.
Here is IFS's description of their program. I will break it into
chunks and insert my comments.
"SERBIA ADOPTIONThis is very interesting. When doing a
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
International Family
Services is excited to offer an international adoption program through the
country of Serbia.
One trip
is required, for approximately 16 days (in Belgrade), approximately 4-6
months after your completed paperwork is in Serbia. Adoptions through this
program are expected to be less costly than an adoption through Russia. The
staff in Serbia speak English and will be with you to help you through the
process."
Serbian adoption, through the Ministry of Labor and Social policy as you're
supposed to be, most families travel within a matter of WEEKS after their
paperwork is submitted in Serbia. With Asher I traveled within two weeks. Axel
was almost a month but only because that's the date we CHOSE.
This is absolutely untrue. Two"Un-related children can be adopted at the same
time."
unrelated children cannot be adopted from Serbia at the same time. Serbia only
allows the adoption of one child at a time except in the case of sibling
groups.
This is one of my favorite parts, read it very carefully and see
if you can find the discrepancies. Oh wait, I'll highlight them for
you!:
At this time the IFS/partner Serbia adoption program isOk wait a minute. The
going to be available to healthy, married couples only, but could change later.
Both parents go to meet the child but only one needs to stay for 3 weeks, while
the other can return home. The
parents must be at least 18 years older than the child, but no more than 45
years older than the adopted child. Adoptive parents
must be 25-45 years old.
parents must be at least 18 years older than the child, but the parents must
also be at least 25 years old. Let me think: 25 - 18 = 7. That would mean the
youngest child you could get out of Serbia is 7 years old???? How can that BE
when they've just listed four 12 month old children???????
Ok, here is
more, most of which is copied directly from the US State Department website:
Prospective adoptive parents will
be disqualified from adopting if they have been diagnosed with mental disorders
or infectious diseases. Adoptive parents with other serious health conditions
must demonstrate to the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Policy their
ability to raise the child. In most cases, Serbia will allow Americans to adopt only children with
physical or mental disabilities that are most effectively treated in the United
States. Children between the ages of two months and 18 years are eligible for
adoption. Please note that a child must be under the age of 16 in order to
qualify for a U.S. immigrant visa.
Did
you just read what I read???? IFS is claiming they have healthy children they're
willing to help you adopt, and yet in their own email they said Serbia will only
allow parents to adopt children who have physical or mental disabilities who are
better able to get help in the U.S. The only 'healthy' children coming out are
siblings to those already begin adopted who have special needs.
And more
A foreign citizen may adopt a child in Serbia only afterOk, let me explain this
the child has been registered for adoption for at least one year and no domestic
adopters have been found. If prospective adoptive parents have
located a child prior to their arrival in Serbia, the whole process may be
finished within four weeks.
to you. A child must be on the domestic registry for one full year before they
are able to able to be added to the international registry and must have been
rejected by at least three domestic (Serbian) families before they can be added
to the international registry. Do the math...you're not going to get a "healthy"
12 or 14 month old child out of the country legally.
For all
the information they copied directly from the Department of State website, they
forgot to include this (which I have taken directly from the Department of State
website!)
Currently there are no adoption agencies operatingIn a recent
in Serbia. Prospective adoptive parents must work directly with the Ministry of
Labor, Employment and Social Policy
email from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy I was told there is
only one agency who has made an attempt to get approval to conduct adoptions
in Serbia but they have not yet moved forward to conduct any adoptions.
International Family Services was not on this list of ONE.
Now
lets talk about money, shall we? I find this to be quite
interesting.
Here is what I paid during Axel's adoption in December 2010
with the corrupt facilitator who is now facing an upcoming trial for several
counts of criminal activity:
Hometudy App. Fee: $150
Background check:
$210
Fingerprints: $50
Birth certificates: $150
USCIS fingerprints:
$830
Homestudy: $2400
Passport: $123
Apostille: $50
Reece's Rainbow
commitment fee: $210
About A Child agency Fee: $2000
FEDex:
$100
Translation Fee: $900
Airfare: $1700
Ticket Change Fee:
$463
Facilitation Fee: $6500
Hotel: $1028
Visa/passport:
$500
Medical: $100
Food/expenses: $1000
Total: $18,529
Exactly one year later,
December 2011, the corrupt facilitator no longer in the picture, I completed
Asher's adoption. This was working directly with the Serbian ministry as people
were supposed to have been doing (this adoption I needed only to update my home
study not start from scratch).
Homestudy update: $1900
Airfare TO:
$500
Translation: $750
Medical: $100
Birth certificate:
$60
Passport: $100
Visa: $404
USCIS: $720
Airfare Home: (1 adult, 1
child) $1000
Lodging (25 euro/night x 20 nights): $670
Transportation and
daily per diem (15 euro/day x 20 days) $600
Food/Misc: $400
Total:
$7,194
Now, let me show you the fees that International Family
Services has quoted for their Serbian adoption program:
The adoption fees
for each child are:
$4,950 Agency
fee
$22,000 Foreign Fee
paid out as follows:
$10,000 Due at time of match
with a child $7,000 Dossier
FeeDue With Completed
Dossier (without I 171H)Can
retain $1,000 of this fee to carry with you to Serbia $5,000Due when travel date
is
scheduled
Did you add that up???
$26,950
This does not include your
homestudy, USCIS or other expenses required to become paper ready to
adopt.
This does not include your
homestudy, USCIS or other expenses required to become paper ready to
adopt.
So add in the fees according to where you
live. Home studies are more expensive is some parts of the country that others.
USCIS has recently been reduced. Also add your airfare and travel expenses. The
actual cost is significantly more than $26,950.
live. Home studies are more expensive is some parts of the country that others.
USCIS has recently been reduced. Also add your airfare and travel expenses. The
actual cost is significantly more than $26,950.
As I have always said, please feel free to
contact me privately and I will give you the contact information for the Serbian
ministry, where you can always verify whatever I have said and ask your own
questions. Although I usually respond to people right away, please know that
sometimes emails coming off this site sometimes go to my spam mailbox. I try to
scan it at least once a week so but don't always catch them.
contact me privately and I will give you the contact information for the Serbian
ministry, where you can always verify whatever I have said and ask your own
questions. Although I usually respond to people right away, please know that
sometimes emails coming off this site sometimes go to my spam mailbox. I try to
scan it at least once a week so but don't always catch them.
This is a good post, but your math is
ReplyDeletewrong. They are breaking out the $22,000 by explaining when each part is due. So
it's really $22,000 + $4950 (from how I am reading it) which still seems
incredibly high. Agencies like About a Child advertise a Serbia program too. I
can't find their fees readily on their site, so I have no clue, but hopefully
they are more competitive than this! It doesn't surprise me that people
advertise children with SN as without them...but it's definitely not
ethical!
The general message is well taken. Just 2
ReplyDeletecomments on the math:
1. If a parent is at least 25 years old and at
least 18 years older than the child, that does not imply a minimum child's age
of 7.
(x>25) - (y>18) could be anything at all. For example, if
x=26,y=26, then x-y = 0. Or, if x=40, y=22, then x-y=18
2. In the
breakdown of IFS's fees, you counted the $22K twice. They list $4950 agency fee
and $22K country fees, and then break down the $22K. That is an explanation, not
additional fees! So the total is only (!) $26,950. Still outrageously more than
what the actual costs are.
Sorry to be pedantic, but I am a math
teacher....
You don't have to print this, but I do suggest you update the
post to avoid damaging your credibility.
S.October 6, 2012 10:14 PM
Thank you both for correcting my math.
You're right, I had read the statement of fees incorrectly, which I have
corrected. Jennifer, my first adoption was through About A Child. I paid them
$2000. It was a 100% unnecessary $2000 that was literally wasted. I prepared my
own dossier (with the exception of the homestudy, the dossier took me only days
to put together) and sent everything myself. I emailed directly with the
facilitator. I kept asking AAC what that $2000 was for and was told "a receipt
when you're done." I'll leave it at that. It is not necessary to use an adoption
agency to adopt from Serbia. You need to use a licensed agency to do your
homestudy and that's it.