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For those of you who are following the saga of Nikolai...
As you may recall, we went to Russia the first week of December and met a 10 month old baby boy named Nikolai. We petitioned to adopt him and proceeded home to attend to the various paper requirements that had to be completed for the second trip. Meanwhile, back in Russia, the Duma (their Congress) began debating legislation to eliminate some of the income restructions and home size requirements that are in place for Russian Nationals, in order to attract more people to adoption. (There is still a huge bias against adoption there) A second snag was that the Duma decided that the children needed to stay on the National Databank (the listing of available children) for three more months (for a total of 6 on the national list), also to encourage more people to adopt- theoretically "increasing the pool" available to Russian families prior to these kids being allowed to be adopted by Foreign Nationals. Putin signed the legislation on to law on January 11. The regions also have databases and most kids are placed on the regional lists first, then the national list. They can be on the lists concurrently but that apparently rarely happens. Why this matters is that the courts can't schedule dates for adotpions until they have received the letter from the MOE in Moscow stating that the child has been on the national databank for the appropriate length of time and is therefore officially free to be adopted (by a foreign family- any Russian family can adopt any kid at any time, even kids who have been identified by other foreign families for adoption- They trump all) (or of ANY family member shows up the kids are no longer adoptable. (within a year- so there are kids whose parents show up once or twice a year to visit and then leave again)
So- (are you all still with me? because this is where it gets kind of complicated) Concurrently, the Russian government decided to move the National Ministry of Education from one department to another (to essentially the equivalent of our Dept of Health and Human Services) and also, many of the adoption agencies accreditation with Russia has expired or will expire (our agency has their accreditation through the end of April, thankfully) and it's illegal for Russia to use nonaccredited agencies. AND, because of the move of the MOE (physically they moved, too) it took them a few weeks to get their offices set up. AND the person who apparently used to issue the letters left. AND our state department has (obviously, welcome Dr. Rice) undergone several key personnel changes recently and the person who was the one responsible for monitoring adoptions etc. for Russia left on January 7.
Whew. So- as of last week we knew nothing- we didn't know whether Nikolai had to stay on the list for three more months, we didn't know if the MOE was even going to issue letters at all while the changes were happening, we didn't know whether due diligence had been completed and all family members were either OK that he's going to be adotped or they were unable to be located, etc....
I have been a wreck, needless to say. Finally, we have heard that our release letter from Moscow is on it's way to Perm (the regional city), that the orphange director has ensured that no family will show up to snatch him, and there has been no interest from any Russian family. Our agency said yesterday that we could have a court date as early as the last week in February.
Think positive thoughts!!!
Jenn
PS- Now I get to stress over where I'm going to come up with $12,000 dollars more to pay the fees in Russia, plus the airfare and other travel costs. (having already spent $4000 for the adoption agency here, $2800 on the first set of tickets, $600 dollars for the hotel and god knows how many dollars in paperwork fees and miscellaneous expenses)
As you may recall, we went to Russia the first week of December and met a 10 month old baby boy named Nikolai. We petitioned to adopt him and proceeded home to attend to the various paper requirements that had to be completed for the second trip. Meanwhile, back in Russia, the Duma (their Congress) began debating legislation to eliminate some of the income restructions and home size requirements that are in place for Russian Nationals, in order to attract more people to adoption. (There is still a huge bias against adoption there) A second snag was that the Duma decided that the children needed to stay on the National Databank (the listing of available children) for three more months (for a total of 6 on the national list), also to encourage more people to adopt- theoretically "increasing the pool" available to Russian families prior to these kids being allowed to be adopted by Foreign Nationals. Putin signed the legislation on to law on January 11. The regions also have databases and most kids are placed on the regional lists first, then the national list. They can be on the lists concurrently but that apparently rarely happens. Why this matters is that the courts can't schedule dates for adotpions until they have received the letter from the MOE in Moscow stating that the child has been on the national databank for the appropriate length of time and is therefore officially free to be adopted (by a foreign family- any Russian family can adopt any kid at any time, even kids who have been identified by other foreign families for adoption- They trump all) (or of ANY family member shows up the kids are no longer adoptable. (within a year- so there are kids whose parents show up once or twice a year to visit and then leave again)
So- (are you all still with me? because this is where it gets kind of complicated) Concurrently, the Russian government decided to move the National Ministry of Education from one department to another (to essentially the equivalent of our Dept of Health and Human Services) and also, many of the adoption agencies accreditation with Russia has expired or will expire (our agency has their accreditation through the end of April, thankfully) and it's illegal for Russia to use nonaccredited agencies. AND, because of the move of the MOE (physically they moved, too) it took them a few weeks to get their offices set up. AND the person who apparently used to issue the letters left. AND our state department has (obviously, welcome Dr. Rice) undergone several key personnel changes recently and the person who was the one responsible for monitoring adoptions etc. for Russia left on January 7.
Whew. So- as of last week we knew nothing- we didn't know whether Nikolai had to stay on the list for three more months, we didn't know if the MOE was even going to issue letters at all while the changes were happening, we didn't know whether due diligence had been completed and all family members were either OK that he's going to be adotped or they were unable to be located, etc....
I have been a wreck, needless to say. Finally, we have heard that our release letter from Moscow is on it's way to Perm (the regional city), that the orphange director has ensured that no family will show up to snatch him, and there has been no interest from any Russian family. Our agency said yesterday that we could have a court date as early as the last week in February.
Think positive thoughts!!!
Jenn
PS- Now I get to stress over where I'm going to come up with $12,000 dollars more to pay the fees in Russia, plus the airfare and other travel costs. (having already spent $4000 for the adoption agency here, $2800 on the first set of tickets, $600 dollars for the hotel and god knows how many dollars in paperwork fees and miscellaneous expenses)
??? You are truly an incredible person! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers!! Here's to a speedy mail system to get that letter!!
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