PEAR Surveys underway

PEAR invites all adoptive parents to take the PEAR Observational Survey of Adoptive Parents on Success, Satisfaction and Types of Post-Adoption Services (POSitive Study).

This survey is for those who have completed a domestic or international/inter-country adoption from any country. Whether your child has had virtually no issues or interventions or many, we would like your input!

This anonymous survey is in English. One survey would need to be taken per child. It will take between 20 and 40 minutes to complete depending on the amount of services you have used. The survey includes questions about adoption professional follow-up; financial and life insurance; International Adoption Clinic and medical doctor follow-up; early intervention services(US only); mental health/attachment services; faith-based services; school-based services; testing, therapies and at-home interventions.

We seek to address gaps in post-adoptive support and provide free information to adoptive parents. Starting in 2009, we will be sharing explanations of interventions and practical tips.

Our goal is to bring health care sectors together to solve the gaps brought to light in the survey. Ultimately, we want to recommend a healing roadmap that will have an interactive flowchart to assist parents in determining timing and types of interventions.

You can access our survey at the following link or go to our website at http://www.pear-now.org/ to access it there.

You will also find on our website a free, comprehensive listing of 128 international adoption doctors and other issues we are currently addressing. Click on the Files Pear

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Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform's next post-adoption initiative will be creating and providing two new directories to the public in the fourth quarter of 2009. One will be a National Mental Health Provider Directory that will include licensed child/family therapists, camps, respite care facilities and therapeutic day and residential schools and programs that are known to work with adoptive families or have knowledge about adoption, institutionalization, and/or prenatal substance use issues.

The second one will be a National Therapist Directory which will include licensed therapists (such as occupational therapists, speech therapists, craniosacral therapists or others) that are known to work with adoptive families or have knowledge about adoption, institutionalization, and/or prenatal substance use issues.

Both will be updated quarterly.

We are inviting the public to suggest providers for which they have had experience. The following links each have 8 open ended questions to add basic contact information.

Mental Health Provider data collection link

Therapist data collection link

Or you can connect through our website at http://www.pear-now.org/

RESOURCE: Adoption Buddy Program

International Adoption Resources, a Yahoo Group for prospective and adoptive families, offers an Adoption Buddy Program for those going through the international adoption experience. The Adoption Buddy Program matches prospective adoptive parents with experienced adoptive parents who can provide information, resources, and support through the adoption process. Prospective parents may chose to be matched with mentors who share the same country program, age range of children, family background, and/or faith experiences. The Adoption Buddy Program has been active for over three years and offers a positive, informative, and supportive adoption experience for prospective parents. Adoption Mentors receive educational materials and support from the program coordinators. Applicants for the IAR Adoption Buddy Program are thoroughly screened. Prospective and adoptive parents who wish to participate in the program must join the International Adoption Resources Yahoo Group at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/international_adoption_resources/

Disclosure note: International Adoption Resources Group is not affiliated with PEAR, however, the groups is owned and moderated by current PEAR board members Gina Pollock, Karen Holt and Pam Veazie. The Adoption Buddy Program is coordinated by Pam Veazie and Gina Pollock.

Invitation to our Readership

PEAR would like to invite all those interested in Nepal adoptions to participate in making this blog successful. Do you have a question or comment about adoptions from Nepal? Do you need to find information and resources? Do you need to find the truth to a rumor? Please let us help.

We invite those of you who wish to participate to send your questions, comments and concerns to us at nepalblog@pear-now.org.

Media: A long wait for adoptive parents Bureaucratic delays a hurdle in adoption of orphans

A long wait for adoptive parents Bureaucratic delays a hurdle in adoption of orphans

Kantipur Report KATHMANDU, July 3

Article addressing current delays in intercountry adoption from Nepal. Due to copyright issues, the full text cannot be reproduced here, please use the link below:

http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=202285

MOWCSW Notice May 17, 2009

The Ministry would like to draw attention of all concerned Embassies, Diplomatic Mission Adoption agencies, and Representatives relating to Inter Country Adoption on the followings:

1. Information regarding the referral of Children will be only provided through those Embassy, Diplomatic Mission or Adoption Agency which have forwarded adoption dossiers to this Ministry.
2. Information regarding those adoption dossiers - which are under process - will not be provided as per the decision of Government of Nepal.
3. Telephone enquiry on the status of matching will not be entertained until and unless final decision on the child to be adopted will be made.
4. Upon the submission of adoption dossier, the Ministry will verify the documents as per the "Terms and Conditions". Respective Embassy, Diplomatic Mission, adoption agency and local Representative will be notified for any incomplete / faltering documents.
5. This Ministry assures that timely information will be provided to respective Embassy, Diplomatic Mission, Adoption agency, and local representative once the final authorization will be made on the child to be granted for inter country adoption.

http://www.mowcsw.gov.np/opensection.php?secid=463

DOS Adoption Notice

Adoption Notice


U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children’s Issues
______________________________________________________

June 05, 2009

On January 1, 2009, the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) announced procedures for processing adoptions pursuant to the Government of Nepal’s (GON) new Terms and Conditions for adoptions. The initial announcement stated that only 10 applications will be processed from each Embassy, Mission, or enlisted Agency in 2009. Requirements have been provided to all approved agencies. According to Nepali officials, the new requirements will apply to all intercountry adoptions. There is NO provision to permit adoptive families who may have already begun an adoption to continue (be “grandfathered”) under the previous regulations.

On May 17, 2009, MWCSW stated that they will not provide any information on adoption cases in process until a final decision on the matching of a child is made. Information regarding referrals will only be provided to the Diplomatic Mission or the Adoption Agency that forwarded the dossier to the Ministry. For further details about this policy, please consult the MWCSW website.

Although Nepal announced the signing of the Hague Adoption Convention on April 30, 2009, Nepal has not ratified the Convention and it is not in effect at this time. Prospective adoptive parents should be aware that Nepal suspended intercountry adoptions in 2007 because of serious irregularities as well as credible claims of fraud and possible child-buying. It is not clear that the new adoption procedures will provide sufficient safeguards to ensure that intercountry adoption procedures will be transparent and will adequately protect the rights of children, birth parents, and adoptive parents. Although the government has announced that the MWCSW is prepared to begin processing intercountry adoptions, adoptive parents considering an intercountry adoption from Nepal should be aware that the current transition period likely will pose considerable delays and challenges as the Government of Nepal seeks to implement its new policies and regulations. The Embassy continues to seek clarification regarding these procedures and will post additional details as they are available.

http://www.adoption.state.gov/country/nepal.html