The Department of State continues to follow developments in Russia related to Federal Law No. 186614-6 and remains actively engaged in discussions with the Russian government regarding concerns that, if signed into law, this legislation will needlessly remove the opportunity for hundreds of Russian orphans to join loving families each year.  The Federation Council (the upper house of the Russian Parliament) approved the legislation in a unanimous vote on December 26 and it will now go to President Vladimir Putin for signature or veto.  The Department of State has not received any notice that adoptions to the United States are suspended, and both the Department of State and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services continue to work closely with Russian authorities on intercountry adoption issues as set forth in the U.S.-Russia adoption agreement. 

 U.S. families currently in the process of adopting a child from Russia are encouraged to reach out to the Department of State at AskCI@state.gov to provide information regarding where they are in the adoption process.  We encourage families to use the subject line “Intercountry adoption in Russia – family update.”  We will seek to provide information directly to families that contact our office through email as it becomes available.  Information regarding the passage of any legislation that affects U.S. citizens who are in the process of adopting a child from Russia will also be posted on adoption.state.gov.

If you’ve been following the news, you probably know that the Russian government is proposing a ban on adoptions to Americans.

A few places you can look for more information: https://www.adoptioncouncil.org/for-media/press-room.html

http://www.jointcouncil.org/

http://adoption.state.gov/country_information/alerts_notices.php

Please also contact your State Representatives, Congressmen/Congresswomen, and Senators (visit http://www.contactingthecongress.org/ to find your representatives) and ask them to stop this from happening. You can also contact The White House and President Obama: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments.

NCFA has a sample for you to use (please contact me at info@adoption-options.org for the full text of the sample letter). Please personalize it. Congressional offices value hearing the unique voices of their constituents. You may cut and past the following text (be sure to personalize the letter at the bold and italicized points):

Dear President/ Senator/Representative ____________ ________:

I am writing to alert you to an urgent concern regarding adoption.
Congress recently passed the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act and President Obama signing into law on December 14, 2012.

In response, Russia’s legislature, is considering legislation this week that is being referred to as the Dima Yakovlev Law, named after a Russian-born child who died in the care of his adoptive parents. Many thousands of Russian born children have been adopted and thrived in the love and care of their American families. If intercountry adoption between Russia and the United States were to close, many thousands of children would likely languish in orphanages instead of finding their way to safe, loving, permanent families in the United States.

Now, let me tell you our story, [tell them how adoption has impacted your family, what outcomes may have been if your child could not have been adopted]. If intercountry adoption between Russia and the United States closes, other children like [your child's name] will not be able to find their way to the many U.S. families willing and waiting to call them their own.

Respectfully,

[Your Name]