U.S.: Status of Russian Adoptions Unclear

(CBS/AP)  Updated at 5:03 p.m.

A Foreign Ministry spokesman said Thursday that adoptions of Russian children by U.S. families had been suspended, although other Russian and U.S. officials disputed this.

Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said during a briefing that new adoptions by Americans are on hold pending a visit in the next few days by a U.S. delegation to reach an accord on future placement of Russian children.

The U.S. hopes to resolve a bitter dispute that broke out last week, when an American woman sent her 7-year-old adopted son back to Russia on a plane by himself.

"Further adoptions of Russian children by American citizens which are currently suspended will be possible only if such a deal is reached," Nesterenko said in a televised briefing.

"Russia believes that only an agreement that contains effective tools for Russian and U.S. officials to monitor the living conditions of adopted Russian children will ensure that recent tragedies in the United States will not be repeated," he said.

But the Russia Education and Science Ministry, which oversees international adoptions, said it had no knowledge of an official freeze. A spokeswoman for the Kremlin's children's rights ombudsman said that organization also knew nothing of a suspension.

And in Washington, the U.S. State Department said the administration had gotten conflicting information when it sought clarification from Russian officials about the status of adoptions. Spokesman P.J. Crowley said the U.S. was continuing to seek clarification. "Right now, to be honest, we've received conflicting information," he said.

A State Department official says Michael D. Kirby, a deputy assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, will leave this weekend for Moscow and has scheduled talks on Monday and Tuesday with Russian officials, CBS News Reporter Charles Wolfson reports.

For now, the State Department has set up an e-mail address [e-mail] for Americans with questions about pending adoptions.

A spokesman for Russia's foreign ministry, Andrei Nesterenko, said U.S. and Russian officials will discuss a possible bilateral adoption agreement "in the next few days."


The Tennessee woman who sent back her adopted Russian son last Thursday claimed she had been misled by his Russian orphanage about his condition.

The driver hired to pick up the little boy at the airport in Moscow told the Associated Press Wednesday he looked cheerful, played with a Spider-man toy, and did not seem to show any of the mental problems the woman claims he has.

Russians were outraged that no charges were filed against her in the United States.

"How can we prosecute a person who abused the rights of a Russian child abroad?" Russia's children's rights ombudsman, Pavel Astakhov, said in a televised interview Wednesday. "If there was an adoption treaty in place, we would have legal means to protect Russian children abroad."

Some 3,000 U.S. applications for adopting Russian children are now pending, according to the Joint Council on International Children's Services, which represents many U.S. agencies engaged in international adoption.

But the numbers have declined sharply in recent years - with only 1,586 U.S. adoptions from Russia last year, compared with more than 5,800 in 2004.

Russia itself has been a big factor in the drop-off, adoption experts said, citing a perception that many children from Russian orphanages can present special challenges, due to such conditions as fetal alcohol syndrome.

Russian lawmakers for years have nevertheless suggested suspending such adoptions, after other cases of abuse and even killings of Russian children adopted in the United States.

Thousands of American adoption advocates had hoped this week to petition Russian and U.S. leaders to prevent the halt in adoptions announced Thursday. Poignant pleas from would-be adoptive parents were included in an online petition, signed by more than 11,000 people and addressed to President Obama and Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev, the council said.

U.S. officials appeared willing to consider Russia's demand for a formal adoption pact, after years of resisting such entreaties while arguing that an international accord called the Hague Convention would be sufficient once Russia ratified it.

"We're willing to talk about some sort of bilateral understanding where we would ensure that these kinds of things could not happen," U.S. Ambassador to Russia, John Beyrle, told CBS's "The Early Show".

More on Russian Adoptions

Driver: Russian Boy Didn't Seem Mentally Ill
Petition Urges Russia Not to Halt Adoptions
Ambassador: Russian Boy "In Very Good Hands"
Adoption Scandal Abuse Probe
U.S. Adoptions from Russia
Officials to Visit Moscow to Discuss Adoptions
Adoption Outrage
Orphan Uproar
Russia's Adoptions Threat Worries Advocates

More on U.S.-Russian Relations

Obama Hails Treaty as Mend to Russia Relationship
Obama Signs Nuclear Arms Pact with Russia
Obama, Medvedev Pledge to Pursue Iran Sanctions
Obama Announces Nuclear Weapons Reduction Treaty With Russia

[myopinionpal]

Why do people adopt childern from other countries when right here in the United States there are plenty of children waiting to be adopted. I've heard of exotic animals but now they want exotic children. So that they can bragg my child is from China, my child is from Romania and so on.

[Empire-George-]

by gem0408 April 15, 2010 3:04 PM EDT

While it would be nice to say "Torry should have done her research," that is virtually impossible as you are not allowed to take the children from the orphanage's
_________________

Yeah, Russia, a country that still uses rotary phones, has extensive 'research' about this orphan....and it was her fault for not doing research...come on already.

Did anyone see that movie, Orphan ? that was a crazy ending.

[brianp55]

I don't blame this woman a bit. Who needs a psychotic kid to take care of? Trust me, the Russian authorities want to unload these kids and will never stop the adoption process. I have absolutley no doubt that they will resort to gross misrepresentation of a child's emotional and psychological state to keep things moving.

[gem0408]

Why are we letting Russia make all the calls here? American citizen's are unwittingly taking on Russia's psychotic kids. The US needs to take control here to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved. It is not about Russia having more control... it is about Russia telling the truth about the kids they are sending to America for adoption. The US must change the laws requiring complete and accurate disclosure by the Russians and the American Adoption Agencies. When this does not happen and a family discovers they have adopted a psychotic child, the Russians and the adoption agency must be held responsible. This is not the fault of the adoptive families but of the irresponsible people representing the children, who's only interest is in the money! And, by the way, American families are expected to take up to $10,000 in "gift" money to pay off everyone in Russia from the person that picks them up at the airport to the Judge at the adoption hearing. That is in addition to the $25,000 they have already paid the adoption agency.

[vietnamwar]

Once again, We do have alot of homeless baby here in the US....
Once again, We do have alot of homeless baby here in the US....
Once again, We do have alot of homeless baby here in the US....

[kyleminli]

You do remember the "Baby Jessica" case, don't you? There's a reason why many Americans go overseas to adopt. They don't want to have the birth mother (or biological father) come back two years later to ask for the child back. Your advice is excellent, but I do think it's a major factor in some adoptive parents' decision.

[vietnamwar]

One bad apple and you take down the tree ??????

[yingwoo]

I cant believe that woman sent that kid back like bad electronics. Wow. Amazing.

Lou
www.fbi-logs.hk.tc

[erasmus111]

"U.S.: Russia Adoptions Not Suspended"


Of course they aren't suspended. They aren't that stupid. Who else is going to take their mentally defective children? I realize that wasn't nice, but Russia is just as much to blame as this woman. Russia shouldn't be hiding any problems these children have. And the woman should have done her research BEFORE adopting the child. Once she adopted him, it was her responsibility to look after him and get him the care that he needed.

[Empire-George-]

by erasmus111 April 15, 2010 12:55 PM EDT

Good day erasmus, I agree completely with you....the Russians act like we are doing them a favor, by taking their violent psychotic children off their hands...do us a favor, suspend adoptions, that would mean more American adoptions....the last thing we need is more psychos in this country.

[gem0408]

While it would be nice to say "Torry should have done her research," that is virtually impossible as you are not allowed to take the children from the orphanage's. In fact, I was only give 30 minutes with the children to visit at the orphanage on the 1st trip. The next trip, we were taken directly to the courthouse to the adoption preceedings and then given the children. You are not permitted to take the children to drs. until after the adoption has been finalized. Therefore, the only information an adoptive family can obtain is that which the Russians are willing to give you.

[drthvader]

I'm wondering how this truly 'went down'. Did she ask for help with this child? She DID need help with him. Why did't someone advise her to contact the Russian embassy?
How did he get here? Did she travel there to pick him up?
I haven't kept up with this story so I can't say too much about it.
Seems tragic for the kid.

[drthvader]

I'm wondering how this truly 'went down'. Did she ask for help with this child? She DID need help with him. Why did't someone advise her to contact the Russian embassy?
How did he get here? Did she travel there to pick him up?
I haven't kept up with this story so I can't say too much about it.
Seems tragic for the kid.

[IndianaGuy]

But is there more to the story than meets the eye?