Adele Rickerby's Blog, page 13

Breaking News- Izidor Ruckel Returns to Romania.

BUCHAREST, ROMANIA>> In a Bucharest apartment last week, Izidor Ruckel was packing to return to the United States when his phone buzzed.

“Hi Izidor, sorry do not want to disturb you, I know you are busy,” said the text message. “But I really would like to talk with you about something…”

The next sentenced stunned him: “We are in the position to offer you a job…”

Ruckel, who resides in Denver, Colorado, spent the last month in Romania. The first part of the trip he facilitated a reunion between a former orphan (adopted by an American family in 1999) and his birth family. Adoptee Michael Slein, his adoptive family, and his biological family were featured together on the La Maruta show on March 28th in a meeting that brought healing and hope.

Ruckel then met up with Sarah Padbury and Serena Orrego, colleagues from The States, who joined Ruckel for a visit to his hometown of Sighetu Marmatiei. Ruckel became the face of institutionalized orphans worldwide when the press discovered him in a horrific orphanage in 1990, soon followed by his adoption into an American family. The trio visited the orphanage (now an abandoned building) and interviewed several former workers and residents. The research trip was organized to confirm the facts of Ruckel’s journey to America in order to turn his life story into a feature film.

“We were astounded at how well Izidor’s childhood memories lined up with the recollections of the adults who were there,” Padbury said. “We found evidence of every person Izidor remembered and confirmation of the events he experienced.”

For more information on the upcoming movie, visit IzidorTheMovie.com.

During his travels, Ruckel also visited an NGO called Love Light Romania (LLR) located in Medias, a town of about 50,000 in Sibiu County. LLR was founded by Ron and Jo Jowett in 2000. The British couple first began visiting Romania to help its orphans in the mid-1990s and soon found they needed to be available full-time to be truly effective in their work. They sold all they had and moved permanently to Romania. Today LLR operates several programs to help Romania’s orphans, including a home and resources for HIV/AIDS infected children and an education program to help families escape poverty.

Helping the orphan is a part of Ruckel’s heartbeat. So when the Jowetts offered him a one-year contract to work at LLR as a mentor to teenagers, he was thrilled.

“I never thought that the time would come when I would be able to live in Romania and be employed,” Ruckel said. “Life is full of surprises and I’m truly honored that the opportunity has knocked.”

Ruckel has dreamed of working in Romania for many years and is starting his new position immediately. Instead of traveling back to Colorado, he took a train to Medias and is currently settling in.

Godspeed!

Copyright © 2016 Izidor Ruckel, All rights reserved.

You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website, IzidorRuckel.com.

Our mailing address is:

Izidor Ruckel

3208 Springmeadow Cir.

Castle Rock, Co 80109

Hope for Institutionalised Children; Adoption Support

The Romanian Prime Minister, Dacian Colios, pays tribute to the dedicated work of ” Hope and Homes for Children”.

He says that there are still 57,000 children not in their families and that the problem of institutionalised care, caused by poverty, is the most critical problem facing the country.

The governments objective is that by 2020, there will no longer be any children in institutions. The government is putting a framework in place to implement new laws to provide families with financial assistance and prevent poverty.

Sunday, 10 April

Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș attended the Hope Concert organized by Hope and Homes for Children Romania Foundation

Address by Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos at the Hope Concert

Dacian Ciolos: Good afternoon. Congratulations, Olga, for the strength you found to continue your way in life despite what people offered you and congratulations to those who found the wisdom, by that time and ever since then, to demonstrate that nothing is irreversible and that along with funds and laws, we can find in us the force and love, and the determination to overcome the most critical moments that this country was confronted with. This issue of institutionalized children was and is one of the critical problems our country is confronted with, and this is why, we should demonstrate that we are able to solve it, and find a resolution for it through ourselves and not just pushed by those outside. Congratulations “Hope and Homes for Children”, for what they achieved and those who helped us that way, but, first of all, we should find the determination in ourselves. I am sure that this problem of institutionalized children is like a test for us, so that we can demonstrate that beyond the love we can find for the one close to us, the family, we can find love to take our children home, as these are our children, are the children of the country, and the way in which we are able to care for them and help them find their way in life, proves that each of us is able to give this country and this nation a path as we want and we wanted it back then, in December 1989. Romania started in 1990 with 100,000 institutionalized children in over 700 centers and, slowly, things have changed. Unfortunately, today, we still have 57,000 children who, in one way or another, are not in their families; for much of them, solutions were found in other families or are cared for by social workers or are in centers that are more welcoming, but the problem still is not resolved. And that’s why I want to tell you that the objective that we take as a state – and here I speak for the government – and I am convinced that this objective will be fully met, regardless of who will be prime minister or the Government that will be in office. The objective we have set is that in 2020, we no longer have children in institutionalized centers. Those 8,000 children Mr. Dărăbuş was talking about – to be able to take them into families and to find them a place to find love around them, to find the wisdom of caregivers so as these children are able to find a way in life. But this is not enough. It is important to have the strength and wisdom to stop the bleeding, so that other children do not add to those whom we wish to see in families, and see them with a purpose in life. These are the two objectives that we meet through this package of measures against poverty which the Government released, and that bring together more financial resources from various sources, several measures, in order to create a safety net for those most vulnerable among us, to be able to overcome difficult times in different stages of life, to reach to be able to go to kindergarten, to be able to go to school despite the difficulties that some families may face and then, they should find a job, find housing. Therefore I wanted to put various measures – which were disparate and were treated coldly, institutionally – in a package for those people determined to find solutions, and who will also have the instrument for it, as many times, we have laws that can be good, we have money, but we do not find the structure, the framework whereby all these put together meet with the determined people, who are able to use these instruments so that we avoid reaching such problems, or to resolve emerging problems. Other objective that we meet is that over the next months, we find solution that these measures that the state makes available, can benefit and be used not only by state institutions –which have already changed, turned by a lot in good, but they still need further development to boost their efficiency, but also non governmental organizations that have demonstrated lately that they know to use these resources efficiently, and that alongside funds and laws, they find love to care for these children. I want to tell everybody who is in this room, representatives of NGOs, that “ yes, we need you”. The state needs you so that we find lasting solutions together for such things not to happen again in Romania and for us to be able, as of 2020 onwards, to look into these children’s eyes and to promise them a future. It is also important to find resources for families in difficulty to receive the support they need to keep their children, because I am sure that no parent wants to abandon their children when he has the means to provide him a future. Therefore, congratulations “Hope and Homes for Children”, congratulations to all who initiated this law and once again, I am leaving from here hoping that we will all find in us the love that would allow us to find solutions to the problems we are facing. Thank you.

Hope for Institutionalised Children

The Romanian Prime Minister, Dacian Colios, pays tribute to the dedicated work of ” Hope and Homes for Children”.

He says that there are still 57,000 children not in their families and that the problem of institutionalised care, caused by poverty, is the most critical problem facing the country.

The governments objective is that by 2020, there will no longer be any children in institutions. The government is putting a framework in place to implement new laws to provide families with financial assistance and prevent poverty.

Sunday, 10 April

Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș attended the Hope Concert organized by Hope and Homes for Children Romania Foundation

Address by Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos at the Hope Concert

Dacian Ciolos: Good afternoon. Congratulations, Olga, for the strength you found to continue your way in life despite what people offered you and congratulations to those who found the wisdom, by that time and ever since then, to demonstrate that nothing is irreversible and that along with funds and laws, we can find in us the force and love, and the determination to overcome the most critical moments that this country was confronted with. This issue of institutionalized children was and is one of the critical problems our country is confronted with, and this is why, we should demonstrate that we are able to solve it, and find a resolution for it through ourselves and not just pushed by those outside. Congratulations “Hope and Homes for Children”, for what they achieved and those who helped us that way, but, first of all, we should find the determination in ourselves. I am sure that this problem of institutionalized children is like a test for us, so that we can demonstrate that beyond the love we can find for the one close to us, the family, we can find love to take our children home, as these are our children, are the children of the country, and the way in which we are able to care for them and help them find their way in life, proves that each of us is able to give this country and this nation a path as we want and we wanted it back then, in December 1989. Romania started in 1990 with 100,000 institutionalized children in over 700 centers and, slowly, things have changed. Unfortunately, today, we still have 57,000 children who, in one way or another, are not in their families; for much of them, solutions were found in other families or are cared for by social workers or are in centers that are more welcoming, but the problem still is not resolved. And that’s why I want to tell you that the objective that we take as a state – and here I speak for the government – and I am convinced that this objective will be fully met, regardless of who will be prime minister or the Government that will be in office. The objective we have set is that in 2020, we no longer have children in institutionalized centers. Those 8,000 children Mr. Dărăbuş was talking about – to be able to take them into families and to find them a place to find love around them, to find the wisdom of caregivers so as these children are able to find a way in life. But this is not enough. It is important to have the strength and wisdom to stop the bleeding, so that other children do not add to those whom we wish to see in families, and see them with a purpose in life. These are the two objectives that we meet through this package of measures against poverty which the Government released, and that bring together more financial resources from various sources, several measures, in order to create a safety net for those most vulnerable among us, to be able to overcome difficult times in different stages of life, to reach to be able to go to kindergarten, to be able to go to school despite the difficulties that some families may face and then, they should find a job, find housing. Therefore I wanted to put various measures – which were disparate and were treated coldly, institutionally – in a package for those people determined to find solutions, and who will also have the instrument for it, as many times, we have laws that can be good, we have money, but we do not find the structure, the framework whereby all these put together meet with the determined people, who are able to use these instruments so that we avoid reaching such problems, or to resolve emerging problems. Other objective that we meet is that over the next months, we find solution that these measures that the state makes available, can benefit and be used not only by state institutions –which have already changed, turned by a lot in good, but they still need further development to boost their efficiency, but also non governmental organizations that have demonstrated lately that they know to use these resources efficiently, and that alongside funds and laws, they find love to care for these children. I want to tell everybody who is in this room, representatives of NGOs, that “ yes, we need you”. The state needs you so that we find lasting solutions together for such things not to happen again in Romania and for us to be able, as of 2020 onwards, to look into these children’s eyes and to promise them a future. It is also important to find resources for families in difficulty to receive the support they need to keep their children, because I am sure that no parent wants to abandon their children when he has the means to provide him a future. Therefore, congratulations “Hope and Homes for Children”, congratulations to all who initiated this law and once again, I am leaving from here hoping that we will all find in us the love that would allow us to find solutions to the problems we are facing. Thank you.

White Supremacy in Australia- The Stolen Generations

Posted on July 28, 2015 by adelerickerby

Australia’s restrictive  adoption policies are still informed by the fallout from the ‘‘Stolen Generations”. Between the 1890’s and 1970’s, Aboriginal babies and children were forcefully removed from their parents. Few records were kept, but it is estimated that between 20,000-25,000 children were stolen. These children are referred to in Australia as ‘’ The Stolen Generations’’. By doing so, white people hoped to put an end to the so-called Aboriginal problem and put an end to Aboriginal culture within a short time frame. The Stolen Generations were taken by Governments, churches and welfare organizations. Because few records were kept of who their parents were and where they had been stolen from, many never saw their parents, relatives, or siblings again. The children were raised on missions or with foster parents. The girls were raised to be domestic servants, the boys to be stockmen. Many were physically, emotionally and sexually abused and neglected. Leaving a legacy of trauma and loss. A cycle of generational abuse and neglect has been born out of a history of racial wounds.

Forcible removal of black children from their families was part of the ideology of assimilation. Assimilation was founded on the notion of black inferiority and white supremacy, which proposed that black people should be allowed to ”die out” through a process of natural elimination. The Stolen Generations were taught to reject their culture, their names were changed and they were forbidden to speak their native language.

Healing Old Wounds.

Acknowledging the wrongs of the past as a means to healing old wounds and reconciliation.

The first National Sorry Day was held on 26th. May, 1998.

Formal Apology

On the 13th. February, 2008, the then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, tabled a motion in Parliament apolagising  to the Australian Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations and their families and communities, for laws and policies which had ” inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians”.

Culture versus Christianity.

Once, I met a pastor and his wife, devout Christians. They wanted to adopt sisters, siblings, from India. The social worker processing their adoption application told them that they had to incorporate Indian culture into their family life. When the pastor said that, as a Christian, their children would be brought up first and foremost as Christians and that the girls culture was secondary to that, their file was put to the bottom of the pile. A lengthy battle with the Department of Family Services ensued. The pastor and his wife eventually won and were able to adopt siblings, sisters, from India.

The Stolen Generations/Australians Together

http://www.australianstogether.org.au/stories/detail/the-stolen-generations

Australian Law Reform Commission | ALRC

http://www.alrc.gov.au/‎

16. Aboriginal Customary Laws: Aboriginal Child Custody, Fostering and Adoption

An Aboriginal Child Placement Principle?

349. The Child’s Welfare as ‘Paramount Consideration’.

In general, decisions on the custody or placement of children are based on a

single undifferentiated rule, directing attention to the ‘best interests of the

child’ as the paramount consideration. The ‘paramount consideration’ applied in

all cases of child custody can be illustrated by a clause common to State and

Territory adoption legislation. The Adoption of Children Ordinance 1965 (ACT) s

15 states that: ‘For all purposes of this Part, the welfare and interests of

the child concerned shall be regarded as the paramount consideration’.[35]

This principle (commonly referred to as the ‘welfare principle’) is also

applied under the Family Law Act 1975.[36]

and in cases in State courts involving custody disputes over children. It is

also relevant to decisions on fostering and placement of children in

institutional care under State child welfare legislation (although it is not

always spelt out expressly in the legislation).

350. An Undifferentiated Criterion. There can

be little dispute that the overriding consideration in all cases of child

custody should be the welfare of the child. The problem is that the relevant

legislation usually fails to define or specify the matters to be considered in

determining this.[37]

In practice it rests with the authority involved — whether judge, magistrate,

welfare officer or public servant — to decide what constitutes the welfare of

the child. Just as the forums for considering child placements vary from State

to State, so too, we may expect, do the values and standards of the persons

applying this principle in custody decisions. The Full Family Court of

Australia has pointed out the open-ended nature of the principle:

In determining a custody application the court must regard

the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration … Each case must be

considered in the light of all the facts and circumstances particular to that

case …[38]

Hiding Behind History

The fallout from the Stolen Generations should not now still be influencing decisions by policy-makers and social workers, who believe that a child’s cultural identity should be maintained at all costs. We all know that a cycle of poverty, neglect and abuse of Indigenous children started with the Stolen Generations. We all know that there is a high proportion of Indigenous children in out of home care. What we don’t know is why the past continues to influence decisions on International and Domestic adoptions into Australia’s future.

 

 

 

Hiding Behind History- Australia and the Stolen Generations

Posted on July 28, 2015 by adelerickerby

Australia’s restrictive  adoption policies are still informed by the fallout from the ‘‘Stolen Generations”. Between the 1890’s and 1970’s, Aboriginal babies and children were forcefully removed from their parents. Few records were kept, but it is estimated that between 20,000-25,000 children were stolen. These children are referred to in Australia as ‘’ The Stolen Generations’’. By doing so, white people hoped to put an end to the so-called Aboriginal problem and put an end to Aboriginal culture within a short time frame. The Stolen Generations were taken by Governments, churches and welfare organizations. Because few records were kept of who their parents were and where they had been stolen from, many never saw their parents, relatives, or siblings again. The children were raised on missions or with foster parents. The girls were raised to be domestic servants, the boys to be stockmen. Many were physically, emotionally and sexually abused and neglected. Leaving a legacy of trauma and loss. A cycle of generational abuse and neglect has been born out of a history of racial wounds.

Forcible removal of black children from their families was part of the ideology of assimilation. Assimilation was founded on the notion of black inferiority and white supremacy, which proposed that black people should be allowed to ”die out” through a process of natural elimination. The Stolen Generations were taught to reject their culture, their names were changed and they were forbidden to speak their native language.

Healing Old Wounds.

Acknowledging the wrongs of the past as a means to healing old wounds and reconciliation.

The first National Sorry Day was held on 26th. May, 1998.

Formal Apology

On the 13th. February, 2008, the then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, tabled a motion in Parliament apolagising  to the Australian Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations and their families and communities, for laws and policies which had ” inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians”.

Culture versus Christianity.

Once, I met a pastor and his wife, devout Christians. They wanted to adopt sisters, siblings, from India. The social worker processing their adoption application told them that they had to incorporate Indian culture into their family life. When the pastor said that, as a Christian, their children would be brought up first and foremost as Christians and that the girls culture was secondary to that, their file was put to the bottom of the pile. A lengthy battle with the Department of Family Services ensued. The pastor and his wife eventually won and were able to adopt siblings, sisters, from India.

The Stolen Generations/Australians Together

http://www.australianstogether.org.au/stories/detail/the-stolen-generations

Australian Law Reform Commission | ALRC

http://www.alrc.gov.au/‎

16. Aboriginal Customary Laws: Aboriginal Child Custody, Fostering and Adoption

An Aboriginal Child Placement Principle?

349. The Child’s Welfare as ‘Paramount Consideration’.

In general, decisions on the custody or placement of children are based on a

single undifferentiated rule, directing attention to the ‘best interests of the

child’ as the paramount consideration. The ‘paramount consideration’ applied in

all cases of child custody can be illustrated by a clause common to State and

Territory adoption legislation. The Adoption of Children Ordinance 1965 (ACT) s

15 states that: ‘For all purposes of this Part, the welfare and interests of

the child concerned shall be regarded as the paramount consideration’.[35]

This principle (commonly referred to as the ‘welfare principle’) is also

applied under the Family Law Act 1975.[36]

and in cases in State courts involving custody disputes over children. It is

also relevant to decisions on fostering and placement of children in

institutional care under State child welfare legislation (although it is not

always spelt out expressly in the legislation).

350. An Undifferentiated Criterion. There can

be little dispute that the overriding consideration in all cases of child

custody should be the welfare of the child. The problem is that the relevant

legislation usually fails to define or specify the matters to be considered in

determining this.[37]

In practice it rests with the authority involved — whether judge, magistrate,

welfare officer or public servant — to decide what constitutes the welfare of

the child. Just as the forums for considering child placements vary from State

to State, so too, we may expect, do the values and standards of the persons

applying this principle in custody decisions. The Full Family Court of

Australia has pointed out the open-ended nature of the principle:

In determining a custody application the court must regard

the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration … Each case must be

considered in the light of all the facts and circumstances particular to that

case …[38]

The fallout from the Stolen Generations should not now still be influencing decisions by policy-makers and social workers, who believe that a child’s cultural identity should be maintained at all costs. We all know that a cycle of poverty, neglect and abuse of Indigenous children started with the Stolen Generations. We all know that there is a high proportion of Indigenous children in out of home care. What we don’t know is why the past continues to influence decisions on International and Domestic adoptions into Australia’s future.

 

 

 

Hiding Behind History- Australia and the Stolen Generations.

Posted on July 28, 2015 by adelerickerby

Australia’s restrictive  adoption policies are still informed by the fallout from the ‘‘Stolen Generations”. Between the 1890’s and 1970’s, Aboriginal babies and children were forcefully removed from their parents. Few records were kept, but it is estimated that between 20,000-25,000 children were stolen. These children are referred to in Australia as ‘’ The Stolen Generations’’. By doing so, white people hoped to put an end to the so-called Aboriginal problem and put an end to Aboriginal culture within a short time frame. The Stolen Generations were taken by Governments, churches and welfare organizations. Because few records were kept of who their parents were and where they had been stolen from, many never saw their parents, relatives, or siblings again. The children were raised on missions or with foster parents. The girls were raised to be domestic servants, the boys to be stockmen. Many were physically, emotionally and sexually abused and neglected. Leaving a legacy of trauma and loss. A cycle of generational abuse and neglect has been born out of a history of racial wounds.

Forcible removal of black children from their families was part of the ideology of assimilation. Assimilation was founded on the notion of black inferiority and white supremacy, which proposed that black people should be allowed to ”die out” through a process of natural elimination. The Stolen Generations were taught to reject their culture, their names were changed and they were forbidden to speak their native language.

Healing Old Wounds.

Acknowledging the wrongs of the past as a means to healing old wounds and reconciliation.

The first National Sorry Day was held on 26th. May, 1998.

Culture versus Christianity.

Once, I met a pastor and his wife, devout Christians. They wanted to adopt sisters, siblings, from India. The social worker processing their adoption application told them that they had to incorporate Indian culture into their family life. When the pastor said that, as a Christian, their children would be brought up first and foremost as Christians and that the girls culture was secondary to that, their file was put to the bottom of the pile. A lengthy battle with the Department of Family Services ensued. The pastor and his wife eventually won and were able to adopt siblings, sisters, from India.

The Stolen Generations/Australians Together

http://www.australianstogether.org.au/stories/detail/the-stolen-generations

Australian Law Reform Commission | ALRC

http://www.alrc.gov.au/‎

16. Aboriginal Customary Laws: Aboriginal Child Custody, Fostering and Adoption

An Aboriginal Child Placement Principle?

349. The Child’s Welfare as ‘Paramount Consideration’.

In general, decisions on the custody or placement of children are based on a

single undifferentiated rule, directing attention to the ‘best interests of the

child’ as the paramount consideration. The ‘paramount consideration’ applied in

all cases of child custody can be illustrated by a clause common to State and

Territory adoption legislation. The Adoption of Children Ordinance 1965 (ACT) s

15 states that: ‘For all purposes of this Part, the welfare and interests of

the child concerned shall be regarded as the paramount consideration’.[35]

This principle (commonly referred to as the ‘welfare principle’) is also

applied under the Family Law Act 1975.[36]

and in cases in State courts involving custody disputes over children. It is

also relevant to decisions on fostering and placement of children in

institutional care under State child welfare legislation (although it is not

always spelt out expressly in the legislation).

350. An Undifferentiated Criterion. There can

be little dispute that the overriding consideration in all cases of child

custody should be the welfare of the child. The problem is that the relevant

legislation usually fails to define or specify the matters to be considered in

determining this.[37]

In practice it rests with the authority involved — whether judge, magistrate,

welfare officer or public servant — to decide what constitutes the welfare of

the child. Just as the forums for considering child placements vary from State

to State, so too, we may expect, do the values and standards of the persons

applying this principle in custody decisions. The Full Family Court of

Australia has pointed out the open-ended nature of the principle:

In determining a custody application the court must regard

the welfare of the child as the paramount consideration … Each case must be

considered in the light of all the facts and circumstances particular to that

case …[38]

 

 

 

 

Agape Adoptions – Romania

http://www.rainbowkids.com/international-adoption/country-programs/romania    Romania Adoption Program

Agape Adoptions is honored to advocate for children in Romania who are in need of permanent loving families. The Romania program is a small one, open only to those who hold US and Romanian citizenship. Agape Adoptions has received accreditation from the Romanian Office for Adoptions (ROA), now the newly formed adoption authority of National Authority for Protection of Children’s Rights and Adoption (ANPDCA)

Eligibility Requirements

•     Opposite sex married couples, legally residing in the United States, where at least one parent is a Romanian citizen. Please note that Romania will not permit same-sex couples to adopt.

•     Single applicants who hold US and Romanian citizenship

•     Parents must be a minimum of 18 years older than the child they desire to adopt.

•     Families must be financially stable.

•     There are no restrictions on number of other children in the home.

About the Children

Children ages 3 and older are waiting for adoption.

Adopting from Romania

•     Complete adoption application for preliminary approval by Agape Adoptions.

•     Begin adoption home study report (generally about 3-4 months to complete).

•     Assemble, notarize, and submit dossier documents to Agape Adoptions.

•     Submit and file immigration documents with the USCIS office.

•     Upon completion, Agape Adoptions will submit the dossier to the adoption authority for registration. The adoption authority will provide a referral for your family.

Travel Requirements

Romania has a residency travel requirement for all international adoptions. Both parents (in two-parent families) must travel and effectively reside in Romania for a minimum of 30 days to interact and bond with the child they intend to adopt. One to three trips may be required to complete your adoption. All adoptions are finalized in Romania.

Post Adoption

After returning home, six post-placement visits are required, every four months, for the first 24 months. Agape Adoptions can assist you with the processing of these reports for the adoption authority.

Costs

The estimated cost for an adoption from Romania is $13,000 to $15,000, excluding travel and in-country processing costs. This fee includes home study and immigration fees. Please contact us for more specific information on fees associated with adopting a child from Romania.

Agape Adoptions

1410 Main Street, Sumner, WA 98390

tel: 253-987-5804

fax: 253-987-7657

email: agape@agapeadoptions.org

All Contents © 2014 Agape Adoptions. All Rights Reserved. Web Design by A Prickly Fish Design

PROGRAMSomania.

Agape Adoptions -Romania

http://www.rainbowkids.com/international-adoption/country-programs/romania    Romania Adoption Program

Agape Adoptions is honored to advocate for children in Romania who are in need of permanent loving families. The Romania program is a small one, open only to those who hold US and Romanian citizenship. Agape Adoptions has received accreditation from the Romanian Office for Adoptions (ROA), now the newly formed adoption authority of National Authority for Protection of Children’s Rights and Adoption (ANPDCA)

Eligibility Requirements

•     Opposite sex married couples, legally residing in the United States, where at least one parent is a Romanian citizen. Please note that Romania will not permit same-sex couples to adopt.

•     Single applicants who hold US and Romanian citizenship

•     Parents must be a minimum of 18 years older than the child they desire to adopt.

•     Families must be financially stable.

•     There are no restrictions on number of other children in the home.

About the Children

Children ages 3 and older are waiting for adoption.

Adopting from Romania

•     Complete adoption application for preliminary approval by Agape Adoptions.

•     Begin adoption home study report (generally about 3-4 months to complete).

•     Assemble, notarize, and submit dossier documents to Agape Adoptions.

•     Submit and file immigration documents with the USCIS office.

•     Upon completion, Agape Adoptions will submit the dossier to the adoption authority for registration. The adoption authority will provide a referral for your family.

Travel Requirements

Romania has a residency travel requirement for all international adoptions. Both parents (in two-parent families) must travel and effectively reside in Romania for a minimum of 30 days to interact and bond with the child they intend to adopt. One to three trips may be required to complete your adoption. All adoptions are finalized in Romania.

Post Adoption

After returning home, six post-placement visits are required, every four months, for the first 24 months. Agape Adoptions can assist you with the processing of these reports for the adoption authority.

Costs

The estimated cost for an adoption from Romania is $13,000 to $15,000, excluding travel and in-country processing costs. This fee includes home study and immigration fees. Please contact us for more specific information on fees associated with adopting a child from Romania.

Agape Adoptions

1410 Main Street, Sumner, WA 98390

tel: 253-987-5804

fax: 253-987-7657

email: agape@agapeadoptions.org

All Contents © 2014 Agape Adoptions. All Rights Reserved. Web Design by A Prickly Fish Design

PROGRAMSomania.

Romania- New Adoption Law in Effect.

Thursday, September 17, 2015- I.A.G. -International Adoption Guide.

The Government approved in its Wednesday’s sitting a draft law to make domestic and international adoptions faster and more flexible, a release of the Executive informs.

An adoption currently takes 14 to 15 months on the average; the intention is to shorten as much as possible the waiting for children and adopting parents, National Authority for Children’s Rights Protection and Adoption president Gabriela Coman explained in a briefing at the Government. She mentioned that 480 children have been adopted last year.

The draft law regulates situations when biological parents refuse to attend two court terms; this is considered as an abusive refusal of consent to adoption, and the child will be pronounced adoptable. Adoption is also possible when parents or identified relatives declare they refuse to take care of a child, but later refuse to sign the declarations of consent to adoption; also, if parents or relatives up to 4th degree are not found.

The 2-year term for the validity of the adoptable child status will be eliminated; the child can be adopted any time before the age of 14, after a court rules adoption is possible.

The new legislation provides for a paid accommodation leave up to 90 days for any of the spouses in the adopting family, with a monthly allowance of 3,300 lei. Also, adopters get up to 40 hours per year without wage penalties for evaluations necessary for issuing the adoption certificate and for practical matching.

The law will enter into force after the publication in the Official Journal of Romania sometime in 2016.

The new law allows for intercountry adoptions of Romanian children only by:

1. Relatives of the fourth degree of kinship,

2. The spouse of the child’s natural parent,

3. Romanian citizens who are habitually resident abroad.

This means that Romanian citizens legally residing in the UK  will now be able to adopt from Romania.

. Agape Adoptions has received accreditation from the Romanian Office for Adoptions (ROA), now the newly formed adoption authority of National Authority for Protection of Children’s Rights and Adoption (ANPDCA)

Love Light Romania

http://www.lovelightromania.com   http://www.romania-insider.com/a-british-couple-tries-to-break-the-cycle-of-poverty-for-romanias-forgotten-people/163763/

During the winter, Love Light Romania distributed vegetables to the Roma community so that the children wouldn’t starve or have to beg. This is just one of the many projects that Love Light Romania’s founder, Jo Jowett has established. Fifteen years ago, they rescued some children from a notorious orphanage. Now young adults, and, like the Roma children Jo helps, are given opportunities to go to school and learn new skills to break the cycle of poverty and poor cultural self-image inflicted on them.

Jo and her husband, Ron have a guest house where you can stay and volunteer to help in the various projects and or tour the beautiful countryside.