Orphaned or Stolen? The U.S. State Department investigates adoption from Nepal, 2006-2008 (The Huffington Post)

by EJ Graff
Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University

Posted: February 18, 2011
Updated: February 23, 2011

Exclusive State Department internal cables
from Freedom of Information Act requests

Children abducted from their families for international adoption, so that middlemen could profit from Westerners' cash. Families that left their babies temporarily with a child welfare center during times of illness or financial distress--only to discover on returning that, to their horror, their children had been sent away forever to Spain, Italy, or the U.S. A "demand and supply" effect: when international adoptions were suspended, reported "abandonments" drop. Fees that suddenly increase without rhyme or reason--unless orphanages needed more cash for bribes or just out of greed.

That's what the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu was seeing between 2006 and 2008 when it checked into how children had become available for U.S. citizens to adopt, as documented in official internal cables received by the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism in response to Freedom of Information Act requests.

read more....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/schuster-institute-for-investigative-journalism/orphaned-o

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~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
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Govt. mulling to amend in adoption provision again (Review Nepal)

Govt. mulling to amend in adoption provision again

Review Nepal

21st Feb:

Kathmandu, Nepal –

The government of Nepal is mulling to amend again in the adoption-related provisions, which were amended on last December, stating that recent provision failed to impress the western countries.

The Ministry of Woman, Children and social welfare has said that it will prepare a draft proposal to amen on the exiting provision. The government was under pressure to amend the provision not only from the domestic institution but also from the international adoption group, a loose alliance of Western countries whose citizens adopt Nepali children.

A loose group, who adopts Naples children largely, from the countries like USA, UK, Norway Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Switzerland other western countries have been insisting that they can not adopt Nepalese children unless the government amend in the existing adoption-related provisions.

It has been mandatory provisioned that any organization working on the sector of facilitating inter-country adoption should submit details about each orphan child to a Probe and Recommendation Committee (PRC) within seven days and to a Family Selection Committee (FSC) under MWCSW within 14 days. Likewise, concerned district administration office (DAO) also needs to verify the child about his or her status.

Some domestic organizations have been pressing the government as it has been provisioned that the government deserves right to de-list any organizations eligible for inter-country adoption if it found involved in fraudulent practices. Those de-listed organizations will be barred from facilitating inter-country adoptions for the next five years.

Likewise, the government had also provisioned that any children's organization or orphanage home should have engaged for a minimum of six years in the field of child welfare to be eligible for facilitating inter-country adoptions. However, International communities have been objecting the existing provision stating that it lacks of integrity in the system.

Following the widespread condemnation that some institutions in home are trading Nepalese children with fake documents, the government had amended on the provision. However, the amended provision failed to impress the western countries.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs, who was in Nepal visit recently, has also conveyed her country's concern that existing provision is not sufficient to resume the adoption. During the visit with officials she had mentioned that the recent amendment in the adoption process is not sufficient.

http://www.reviewnepal.com/detail_news.php?id=1873

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West not impressed by changes in adoption process (Republica)

West not impressed by changes in adoption process

Republica

KIRAN CHAPAGAIN

KATHMANDU, Feb 19: Recent government efforts aimed at reforming its widely questioned inter-country adoption practices have failed to impress the United States, one of the main Western countries to stop adoptions from Nepal on grounds of lack of integrity in the system.

The US said the amendment in the adoption process introduced last December is not sufficient to answer questions surrounding inter-country adoptions from Nepal.

Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs conveyed Washington´s stance on the reform initiatives during her meetings with officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) on Thursday.

“Assistant Secretary Jacobs noted that recent changes to the adoption process in Nepal are inadequate to address concerns about the origin of the children being matched for inter-country adoption,” said Heather Steil, spokesperson at the US embassy, when asked about the US stance on the recent reform measures.

Last December, the government, in the wake up of widespread questions over the adoption system, amended adoption-related provisions, making it mandatory for any children´s home, orphanage or children´s organization facilitating inter-country adoption to submit details about each orphan child to a Probe and Recommendation Committee (PRC) within seven days and to a Family Selection Committee (FSC) under MWCSW within 14 days after the concerned district administration office (DAO) verifies that the child in question is an ´orphan´ or a ´destitute´ seeking foster parents.

In addition, MWCSW has also made it necessary for the children´s home, orphanage or children´s organization to have been engaged for a minimum of six years in the field of child welfare to be eligible for facilitating inter-country adoptions.

The amendment has also provisioned to ´delist´ from its roaster of organizations eligible for inter-country adoption any children´s organization found involved in fraudulent practices. Once ´delisted´, such organizations will be barred from facilitating inter-country adoptions for the next five years.

Jacobs, who arrived here on Wednesday to discuss adoption issues, also conveyed the US government´s concern at lack of integrity and transparency in the adoption system.

Western countries have suspended adoptions from Nepal as investigations by The Hague Conference on Private International Law, an inter-governmental organization based in Holland, last February found the adoption system marred by widespread abuses.

Diplomatic sources told Republica that other countries are also not impressed by the recent steps taken by the government to improve the adoption system. A meeting of the adoption group - a loose alliance of Western countries whose citizens adopt Nepali children - held on January 13, had also concluded that the efforts were not sufficient. In addition, they were also against reopening adoption from Nepal. Besides the US, representatives from the embassies of Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the UK, Norway and Switzerland were present at the meeting called to discuss the reforms introduced in the adoption system in December.

“The U.S. suspension on new adoption cases involving abandoned children will remain in place until substantive progress is made on the issues raised by a February 2010 Hague Convention report,” the US embassy spokesperson further said in a statement to Republica.

The report had called on the government to overhaul the adoption system and even enact legislation so that children are better protected.

Jacobs, during her meeting with government officials here, encouraged the government to work with the international community, including The Hague Permanent Bureau, implement the Hague Convention and reform its adoption process to protect children and families.


Republica 2011-02-19

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=28409

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
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US bar on Nepali kids' adoption to stay (Kantipur)

US bar on Nepali kids' adoption to stay

Kantipur

BABURAM KHAREL

KATHMANDU, FEB 18 - Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affair Janice Jacob has said that the ban on inter-country adoption from Nepal would remain despite some changes to the adoption process in Nepal.

“The US suspension of inter-country adoption will remain in place until substantive progress is made on the issues raised by a February 2010 Hague Convention report,” said Heather Steil, Spokesperson for the American Embassy in Kathmandu. Assistant Secretary Jacob feels that recent changes to the adoption process in Nepal are "inadequate" to address concerns about the origin of the children being matched for inter-country adoption.

The US decision continues to affect over 80 prospective American parents who have already gone through meticulous paperwork for adoption of Nepali children. Though it is not clear how many American parents have adopted Nepali children so far, according to the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW), over 2400 children have been adopted since 2000 by parents in western countries.

The US government in August last year suspended the inter-country adoption involving abandoned children from Nepal questioning the authenticity of the system that has been marred by “fraud and irregularities.”

Jacob—who met officials in the Foreign Ministry, MoWCSW and Prime Minister's Office—encouraged the Nepali officials to work with the international community, including The Hague Permanent Bureau, to implement The Hague Convention and reform its adoption process to protect children and families.

The US government's decision to suspend adoption from Nepal follows a report last February by Hague Conference on Private International Law, an intergovernmental organisation. The report, based on investigation by a group of lawyers, had alleged systemic failure in Nepal's adoption system with widespread abuse and had called for suspension of adoption from Nepal until the system was reformed. Since then, ten other countries—Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Britain—have officially and unofficially suspended adoption from Nepal.

Last year as well, a team from the Department of State had visited Nepal to interact with government officials. The team investigated numerous abandonment cases, including field visits to orphanages and police departments. Its investigation found that documents presented to describe and "prove" abandonment of children in Nepal were unreliable. The US then said in a statement that civil documents such as children's birth certificates often included data that had been changed or fabricated.

Tilak Ram Sharma, acting Secretary of MoWCSW, met Jacob and said that addressing US concerns would take time. He said inter-country adoption was not a priority of the government. "Our primary focus will be to strengthen the domestic adoption in place of inter-country adoption," Sharma said.

http://www.ekantipur.com/2011/02/18/top-story/us-bar-on-nepali-kids-adoption-to-stay/329806.html

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~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
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US Asst Secy Arrives Nepal To Discuss Inter-country Adoption (Republica)

US Asst Secy Arrives Nepal To Discuss Inter-country Adoption

KATHMANDU, Feb 16: United States Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Janice Jacobs arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday for a two-day visit.

Jacob´s visit comes a day after the US Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero, who arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday, wrapped her visit to Nepal.

According to a press statement issued by US Embassy in Kathmandu, the visit will primarily focus on the issue of inter-country adoption from Nepal.

Assistant Secretary Jacobs is scheduled to hold meetings with officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and the Ministry for Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) to discuss the US government´s concerns on the inter-country adoption process.

The visit of a senior US official to Kathmandu comes in the wake of concerns being raised by international community that inter-country adoption from Nepal is subject to widespread abuses.

In an apparent bid to address the concerns, the MoWCSW last month amended the conditions and procedures relating to inter-country adoption.


Republica:

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=28319

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
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Nepal: Corruption and Fraudulent Documents Set Hurdles for Adoption (The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting)

Nepal: Corruption and Fraudulent Documents Set Hurdles for Adoption:

http://pulitzercenter.org/articles/nepal-corruption-fraudulent-documents-adoption

Photo -- Rajan Kumar Nepali sits with his daughter in his house in Ranibari, Kathmandu. He said his daughter was wrongfully placed for adoption with an American family who were getting ready to take her to the United States. Image by Anup Kaphle. Nepal, 2011.

ANUP KAPHLE, FOR THE PULITZER CENTER, NEPAL

Published on February 10, 2011

When Rajan Kumar Nepali handed over his two children to a local orphanage in Kathmandu, he never imagined that they would be put up for adoption.

Rajan was a drug-addict. After being unable to cope with his addiction, Maya, his wife, left him and their two children at their ramshackle rented home about a mile west of the bustling city of Kathmandu. In desperation, Rajan decided to send his children to an orphanage, which he said promised to take care of them while he was in a drug rehabilitation center.

“I thought there were women caretakers at the orphanage who would be able to better care for them,” said Rajan. “I didn’t send my children away so that they could be adopted and taken abroad.”

But his three-year-old daughter was put up for adoption by the orphanage and placed with an American couple, a trend that has developed into lucrative business in Nepal because of the adoption fees that come with it. Last year alone, the Nepali government approved the adoptions of 195 children by international parents, 52 of them going to homes in the United States. But following cases like Rajan, where children were wrongfully put up for adoption, the United States government last August suspended adoptions from Nepal, citing rampant corruption in the system.

The abuse of adoption system is not new to Nepal. Following accusations of falsified documents and unregulated orphanages, the Nepali government shut down its international adoption program three years ago. New legislation later in 2008 banned the adoption of street children, required better verification that a child is an orphan, and established an oversight body to regulate existing orphanages. Under its new program, Nepal now allows two kinds of inter-country adoption: orphans and children voluntarily surrendered by their parents.

The U.S. State Department said cases like Rajan’s have exposed flaws in Nepal’s inter-country adoption system. Consequently, the State Department has cancelled its participation in the program and says it will not renew it until Nepal assures all adoptions are legal and ethical.

“We tried for very long time to work with the Nepalese government but they showed no inclination to work with us on this issue,” said Susan Jacobs, special advisor for international children’s issues at the State Department.

Nepali officials mostly defend their new system, but admit that they have problems at the local level, which is where the documents originate. “We have to depend on the local government for the process -- police, municipality office and district magistrate officers,” said Sher Jung Karki, under-secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare.

Another reason the number of adoption scandals has risen is the steep fee that foreigners must pay to orphanages. In an interview with a local orphanage, I learned orphanages can make up to $5,000 per child. Some other orphanages say foreign parents are willing to pay as much as $10,000. This opportunity for easy money led to an increase in the number of orphanages in Nepal, and with limited government oversight, children from the streets and others who had not been volunteered for adoption were put on the adoption market.

With the adoption system currently in limbo, the ones who are suffering are the parents who have already paid the money, have been given the child, but are not allowed to bring the child into the United States until they can prove that child is, in fact, an orphan or legally put up for adoption by the birth parents. In recent weeks, some American parents have been able to bring a Nepali child home, but many children remain stuck in Nepal, awaiting a green light from the U.S. government.

Meanwhile, Rajan and his wife have reunited with both of their children. Rajan said that although the American parents who wanted to adopt his daughter couldn’t do so, they still keep in touch through a pastor at a local church, and occasionally send money to pay for his daughter’s education.

Rajan said he is not against westerners adopting Nepali children. He just wasn’t expecting that those put up for adoption would be his own.

“There are many orphans in Nepal, so maybe it’s good that they get adopted by foreign families, especially those who can’t have children,” he said.

The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting:

http://pulitzercenter.org/articles/nepal-corruption-fraudulent-documents-adoption

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
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Nobody’s child (The Himalayan Times)

Nobody’s child (The Himalayan Times)

Prakriti Pathak

January 30, 2011

The international adoption trade is a booming multibillion-dollar industry, as families in the west increasingly adopt more babies from developing countries. Nepal, it seems does not want to miss out on this global opportunity.

In 2007, Nepal adoption alter it faced pressure and severe criticism from national and international media over allegations of corruption and children being sold. In addition, the report, Adopting the Rights of a Child prepared by the UNICEF and the Swiss-based child relief agency foundation Terre des hommes revealed instances of children and babies being put up for adoption without the parents’ consent. As a result, the United States and a number of European countries like the United Kingdom, Denmark, France, Norway, Spain, Canada, Italy, Switzerland and Germany banned adoption from Nepal.

In 2008, Nepal promptly reopened inter-country adoption and in 2009, signed the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect to inter-country adoption. With an objective of ratifying the Hague Convention, the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) formed a high level committee on May 14, 2010. Later in December 2010, new policies were introduced to facilitate the inter-country adoption process. “To discuss inter-country adoption, a team is heading to Italy in the first week of March, where all the European countries are expected to meet and most probably European countries will agree on adopting children from Nepal,” says Sher Jung Karki, under secretary at MoWCSW.

The optimism and speed to get things back on track is surprising. If only such promptness and dedication was displayed by our government in tackling much bigger issues that have almost brought Nepal to a standstill. What’s odd is the fact that while the government is going the whole hog to encourage international adoption, it has done precious little to even facilitate domestic adoption within Nepal and the vagueness of laws and provisions are often seen as a deterrent.

“The government is more focused on inter-country adoption, introducing new rules and regulations repeatedly and has completely neglected domestic adoption. Many factors are responsible for pushing the inter-country adoption but ’capital ’ is the main factor as lo reign countries have to pay hefty amount to adopt Nepali children and even with the new policies, there may still be space for irregularities,” says a source at the same ministry.

Interestingly, there is no data or any information on domestic adoption at the ministry. When a country neglects domestic adoption and focuses solely on inter-country adoption, it raises many questions. The answers themselves are not very hard to figure out. “We welcome recent improvements announced by the ministry but they are focused solely on inter-country adoption. Local solutions should be developed as a priority in line with international commitment”, says Joseph Aguettant, country representative of Terre des hommes in Nepal. He further added that local solutions include kinship, foster care and domestic adoption. Recently, Terre des hommes has been involved in promoting domestic adoption in mid-western regions in collaboration with Social Welfare Council, the local administration and NGOs. Besides creating a new mindset, the task involves deciphering the existing laws which are vague and need simplification.

“Nepal lacks adoption law and domestic adoption has not been fully practiced in Nepal yet. Though it is mentioned in Muluki Ain (Country Code), the process is vague and lengthy,” says Lochan Regmi of Central child Welfare Council. According to the Code, domestic adoption can be done by adoption can be done by relatives. But through various amendments, now any Nepali can adopt a child. “Though the horizon for domestic adoption has expanded, it is impractical and unscientific. There is no mention of the process for domestic adoption as the concerned body is busy regularly updating the policies of inter-country adoption,” says Rudra Kandangwa, advocate and chairman of Children Home Federation.

According to advocates and people involved in children’s homes to encourage domestic adoption, the government has to simplify the rules and laws. In the absence of proper and clear laws for domestic adoption, children’s homes are making their own. Aasha Shrestha, in charge of planning and sponsorship section of Bal Mandir says, Nepalis wanting to adopt a child legally from Bal Mandir have to fulfil a list of requirements.

Couples have to submit citizenship certificates, medical certificates to prove their infertility approved from Nepal Medical Board, marriage certificates, character certificates, details of economic status including land papers and bank balances, letters of consent from their family members, letter from authorized doctor proving the couple free from diseases like HIV; Hepatitis and mental illness. In addition to these, the age difference between the to-be adopted child and prospective parents should be not less than 35 and not more than 55 years. After completing all the required documents, they have to register the adoption case at the Land Revenue Office. According to her, Nepali children can gel genuine homes in Nepal rather than in other countries. But that is only possible if the government places the rights of orphans above all other issues.

To facilitate families and homes for orphans should be the priority. Whether in Nepal or abroad is secondary. Shrestha says the ministry’s priorities are misplaced; the concerned body should encourage domestic adoption rather than just aiming to maximize revenues from adopting parents from foreign countries. Till date, there is not a single child home in Nepal with the sole objective of promoting domestic adoption in Nepal.

The irony is that the ministry has all the data related to inter-country adoption but nothing on domestic adoption. Domestic adoption is supposed to be handled by the Land Revenue Office. However, many officers at the office itself were unaware about this fact. According to Beni Madhav Bhattarai, under secretary at the Ministry of Land Reform and Management, there is zero record maintained of domestic adoption and he argues that MoWCSW is the concerned body for both inter-country and domestic adoption.

When domestic adoption is not promoted serious questions arise. What kind of ‘New Nepal’ are we building in which our orphans have no place and no rights in their own country? For a country emerging from civil war and on the path to reconciliation, is our society not open to adoption and reaching out to orphans? Are Nepal’s orphans only worth the foreign exchange they bring in? What exactly is the government’s commitment and arrangements for orphans in this country?

Presently commitment is not visible. Orphans are housed in private children’s homes till they are exported to western families. These homes receive no financial assistance and hence little monitoring from the government. Over 198 of these children’s homes are far below the minimum standards. “The children’s homes that are not running in accordance with the government’s minimum standards should be shut down to ensure rights and the best interest of children,” says Gauri Pradhan, member of National Human Rights Commission of Nepal.

When contacted, even the minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare, Sarwadev Prasad Ojha admitted that “domestic adoption is unsystematic and major steps have to be taken to promote it”. Then he hands us the age-old diplomatic line. ’’A team will be set up to make the new guidelines for domestic adoption."

From:

http://www.tdh.ch/en/news/nepal-perspectives-nobodys-child

PDF copy of original article:

http://www.brandeis.edu/investigate/gender/adoption/docs/NobodysChild_HimalayanTimes30Jan11_Pathak.pdf

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
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DOS: Changes that Require an Amended Home Study Report

Changes that Require an Amended Home Study Report

February 3, 2011

We know that many of you have been waiting for months to reach resolution in your adoption cases. We want to remind you of a critical component to establishing eligibility for an immigrant visa on behalf of an adopted child. While expiration of the Form I-600A approval will have no impact on issuance of an immigrant visa, provided that you filed a Form I-600 petition with the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu before the Form I-600A expiration date, the underlying information in your home study must still be accurate and reflect your current situation.

During the immigrant visa interview, the consular officer must ensure that the most recent home study on file is accurate and up-to-date. If significant changes have occurred, the officer must place the immigrant visa application on hold and refer the case to USCIS. The U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu has no authority over the adjudication of a significant change or amended Form I-600A approval.

Please confirm that all of the information in your current home study is accurate. If you need to pursue an update, we strongly urge you to do so as soon as possible.

Below is information on the policy and procedures regarding the home study requirement. This information has been taken directly from www.USCIS.gov.

Please e-mail adoptionsnepal@state.gov if you have questions. If you need to submit, or think that you need to submit, an amended home study, please contact USCIS directly at NBC.Adoptions@dhs.gov.

Orphan Home Study Guidelines

The following information is from the following USCIS webpage:

• Once a home study is submitted, it will not have to be updated unless there is a significant change (including but not limited to) residence, marital status, criminal history, financial resources, and/or the addition of one or more children, other dependents, or adult family members to the family prior to the orphan’s immigration into the United States.

Living Accommodations

The home study must include:

• A detailed description of the current living accommodations and if moving, the intended accommodations (if known).
• If the prospective parent(s) reside abroad, a description of the living accommodations where the child will reside in the United States (if known).
• An assessment of the suitability of accommodations.
• A determination of whether or not the space meets the applicable state requirements (if any).

Specific Approval of the Prospective Adoptive Parent(s) for Adoption

The home study must include:

• The home study preparer’s specific approval.
• A discussion of the reasons for approval.
• The number of orphans that may be adopted.
• If there are any specific restrictions such as nationality, age, or gender of the orphan.
• If the prospective adoptive parent(s) are approved for a handicapped or a special needs adoption.
• The original signature of the preparer/agency completing the recommendation.

Amendments

If at any time there have been any significant changes prior to the child’s arrival, additional information will be requested that includes but is not limited to the following:

• The prospective adoptive parent(s) current residence.
• The prospective adoptive parent(s) marital status.
• Any criminal history or abuse regarding the prospective adoptive parent(s).
• The prospective adoptive parent(s) current financial resources.
• Any Information regarding the addition of one or more children or other dependents.

Significant Changes

The following information is from the USCIS webpage

See also the USCIS Questions and Answers: Information for Pending Pipeline Adoption Cases in Nepal.

If a significant change occurs in your household, you must submit an amended home study that reflects the significant change to the USCIS National Benefits Center (NBC).

Significant changes include, but are not limited to, changes in the following:

• Residence of prospective adoptive parent(s)
• Marital status
• Criminal history, abuse history, or other derogatory information
• Financial resources
• Additional children, dependents, or adults residing in the household
• Characteristics of the child requested

Before approval of your Form I-600A, Application for Advance Processing of an Orphan Petition, or Form I-600, Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative:

If the significant change occurs while your Form I-600A is pending (or your Form I-600, if you did not file a separate Form I-600A), you should submit your amended home study to the NBC. Include a cover letter indicating that the amended home study is being submitted to address the change.

Remember to sign your cover letter and be sure your home study preparer signs your amended home study.

After approval of your Form I-600A or Form I-600:

If the significant change (other than a change in marital status) occurs after approval of your Form I-600A, submit the amended home study to the NBC. Include a written request for an updated approval notice. If USCIS concludes that approval of the Form I-600A remains appropriate, you will receive an updated Form I-171H or Form I-797 approval notice that reflects any changes.

If you did not submit a separate Form I-600A, submit the amended home study and written request to the NBC. Remember to sign your cover letter and be sure your home study preparer signs your amended home study.

If the significant change that occurs after approval of the Form I-600A or Form I-600 is a change in marital status, you cannot submit a request for an updated approval notice. You must instead submit a new Form I-600A, with a new filing fee, along with the amended home study. If you are married, your spouse must also sign the new Form I-600A.

Amended Home Study

When submitting an amended home study it must include:

• A copy of the previously submitted home study
• A new fully completed home study addressing the change(s)

*Addendums are not acceptable.

http://adoption.state.gov/news/nepal_changes_homestudy_reporting.html#

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

New regulatory panel in place (The Himalayan Times)

New regulatory panel in place

The Himalayan Times

2011-02-01

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MoWCSW) formed a nine-member inter-country adoption committee with the objective of regulating adoptions by foreigners.

Sher Jung Karki, under secretary at the ministry said the committee’s job was to make the adoption process transparent and to handle it through an autonomous semi-government body. Prior to this, there was a recommendation committee comprising only stakeholders from government offices.

The present four-member committee has a president, counsellor and activists.

Karki said the committee would work to amend the existing adoption law to make it compatible with the present time. He said the committee would help control irregularities and maintain transparency in documents.

The committee was formed after countries regularly adopting orphans from Nepal, halted inter-country child adoption indefinitely citing irregularities, especially use of falsified documents.

Germany and Canada had banned adoption of Nepali children citing cases of abuse and use of fake documents and false statements about children’s origin and other related information. European nations, particularly Italy, France, Spain and the US are major recipients of adopted children from Nepal.

Despite the accusations, these countries have still not been able to produce a single proof of fake documents related to inter-country adoption from Nepal, said Karki.

He further added that the new committee also has the authority to probe whether documents are authentic and recommend the family matching process.

A fund has also been established within the committee to promote and protect orphanage homes and orphans from the money that the government collects as revenue from prospective parents, informed Karki.

Children homes reportedly collect US$ 5,000 for each child on completion of the adoption process, whereas prospective parents have to pay US$ 3,000 as revenue to the government.

The Himalayan Times:

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=New+regulatory+panel+in+place&NewsID=274783

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Foreign agencies licensed for adoption (MOWCSW)

Foreign agencies licensed for adoption (MOWCSW):

	A	B	C	D
1	Foreign Organizations / Agencies enlisted for the year 2009 and 2010
2	SN	Adoption Agency	Address	Country
3	1	Faith International Adoptions	535 East Dock Street, Suite 103, Tacoma, WA, 98402, USA	USA
4	2	Holt International Children's Services	1195 City View Eugene, OR 97402(541) 687-2202	USA
5	3	FAMILIES THRU INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION, Inc. (FTIA)	400 Bentee West Court Evansville, Indiana 47715	USA
6	4	Decolores Adoptions International	2615 Paul White Rd. Lake Charles Louisiana 70611	USA
7	5	Network Aauito Assistenza Accoglienza-NAAA ONLUS	Via San Maurizio N. 6 10073 CIRIE, Torino	Italy
8	6	Associazione Ariete Onlus	Via. G. Porzio No. 4, 1s-GI 80143 Nepoli	Italy
9	7	The Gladney Centre for Adoption	6300 John Ryan Drive Fort Worth Texas 76132	USA
10	8	MAPS	277 Congress Street, Portland, Maine 04101	USA
11	9	Associazione Nazionale Pubbliche Assistenze (ANPAS)	Via F. Baracca, 209 int. 50127 Firenze FI	Italy
12	10	The World Child â International Corporation	9300 Columbia Boulevard, Silver Spring Maryland, 20910	USA
13	11	Futures and Families Society of British Columbia CHOICES Adoption and Counselling	Suite 100-850 Blanshard Street Victoria, BC V8W2H2	Canada
14	12	All God's Children International	3308 NE Peerless Place Portland Oregon 97232	USA
15	13	NewBeginnings International Children's and Family Services, Inc.	2164 Southridge Drive, Tupelo, Mississippi 38801	USA
16	14	Enfants de 1'Espoir	13 rue de Montigny ler e'tage 6000 CHARLEROI	Belgium
17	15	Children's Home Society and Family Services (CHSFS)	1605 Eustis St. Paul MN 55108	USA
18	16	Adoption Ark Inc.	830 S Buffalo Grove Rd. Suite 103 Buffalo Grove IL, 60089	USA
19	17	Adoption Associates, Inc	1338 Baldwin Jenison MI 49428	USA
20	18	Charity for adoption Oeuvre Del' Adoption	12 rue Bel Air 13006 Marseille	France
21	19	Associazione Amici Trentini	Sede di Via Esterle 26 - Trento-Italia	Italy
22	20	Florida Home Studies and Adoption, Inc.	5930 Palmer Blvd Sarasota, FL34232	USA
23	21	ECAI Balbalika	C/Inric Borras No 30 Baixos Baldalona 08912 -Barcelona	Spain
24	22	INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION TARCENTO-Association for the Family	Via Nazionale 41/2 33011-Artegna (UD)	Italy
25	23	A.I.P.A. erga pueros onlus,	via francesco duodo n 10 00136 Roma,	Italy
26	24	Children Without Frontiers (Ass. Ninos sin Fronteras)	C/Marques De Urquijo n. 9 1"A, 28. 008 Madrid	Spain
27	25	The JOY-SOWERS	De Vreugdezaaiers Tortelduifstraat 73 9000 GENT	Belgium
28	26	INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION NET	2305 E. Arapahoe Road # 248 Centennial,Colorado 80122	USA
29	27	Illien Adoptions International, Inc.	1250 Piedmont Avenue, NE, Atlanta, GA 30309	USA
30	28	PARENTS-Child-Bridge	Bonhoeffer Str.17 69123 Heidelberg	Germany
31	29	Adoptions Forever	509 Strathmore Road, Havertown, Pennsylvania	USA
32	30	Adoption STAR Inc,	47 Plaza Drive Williamsville, NY 14221,	USA
33	31	International Family Services	700 S Friendswood Drive, Suite A Friendswood, Texas	USA
34	32	Children Above All-Adoptions	Energigatan 11 S-43437 Kungsbacka	Sweden
35	33	Wide Horizons For Children Inc.	38 Edge Hill Road Waltham Massachusetts 02451	USA
36	34	Namaste, Associacion Aragonesa Para La Promocion De la Infancia	C/Coso 79,2 D 50001, Zaragoza	Spain
37	35	ANDENI (Asociacion Andaluza en Defensa Del Nino	Avda, Kansas city 28-Local 5-41007 Sevilla	Spain
38	36	Agence Francaise del' Adoption	19 boulevard Henri IV 75004 Paris	France
39	37	Ai.Bi. Associazione Amici di Bambini	Via G. Frassi 19 20077 Melegnano (MI)	Italy
40	38	Adopsjonsforum	Mailbox 2364 Solli 0256 Oslo	Norway
41	39	Kentucky Adoption Services, Inc.	3808 S Griffith Ave. Owensboro, Kentucky 42301	USA
42	40	La Vida International	150 s. Warner Road, Suite 144 King of Prussia PA USA 19406	USA
43	41	Children's Bridge	1400 Clyde Avenue Ottawa ON K2 G 3J2	Canada
44	42	Adoption Alliance	2121 S. Oneida St., Ste. 420, Denver, Colorado 80224	USA
45	43	DanAdopt, Danish Society for International Child Care	Hovegaden 24, 3460 Birkerod	Denmark
46	44	International Families, Inc.	5 Thomas Circle NW Washington DC 2005	USA
47	45	Adoptions Centrum	Post Box 30073, 105 25 Stockholm	Sweden
48	46	Pearl S. Buck International (PSBI)	520 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA, 18944-3000	USA
49	47	Journeys of the Heart	1005 NE Cornell Road Hillsboro Oregon	USA
50	48	The Barker Foundation	7979 Old Georgetown Road First Floor Bethesda Maryland 20814	USA
51	49	L' AIRONE onlus	Viale Martiri 2 17031 Albenga (SV)	Italy
52	50	Hope's Promise	309 Jerry Street, Suite 202 Castle Rock, CO 80104	USA
53	51	Societe d'Adoption Parents Sans Frontieres	3, rue des Goelettes Varennes Quebec, Canada	Canada
54	52	Adoption International Inc.	10935 Estate Lane, Suite 271 Dallas, Texas 75238	USA
55	53	ECAI Mami Wata	Glorieta de la Tres Culturas, Estacion de Autobuses oficina 9, CP: 14011 Cordoba	Spain
56	54	Crossroads Adoption Services	4600 W. 77th Street Suite 200 Minneapolis, Minnesota	USA
57	55	Carolina Adoption Services	301 N. Elm Street, Suite 500 Greensboro NC, 27401	USA
58	56	AC International Child Support (Formerly Adoption Centre)	Elkjærvej 31 DK-8230 Aabyhoj	Denmark
59	57	Adoption-A Gift of Love	35 Rolling Hills Circle Denton, Texas 76205-8560	USA
60	58	Life's Vision International	4580 Klahaine Drive SE # 114 Issaquah WA 98029	USA
61	59	ASAEN( Association Suisse Des amis de L'enfance Neplaise	6 Ch. Du Funiculaire CH-1006 Lausanne, Switzerland	Switzerland
62	60	HELP a child e.V. Kinder Finden Eltern	D-56220 Kaltenengers (Koblenz) Germany	Germany
63	61	The Icelandic Adoption Society	Armuli 36, 108 Reykjavik P.O.Box 8334, 128 Reykjavik	Iceland
64	62	Adopt International & Domestic Services	1000 Brannon Street, Suite 301 San Francisco, CA 94103 , USA	USA
65	63	Interpedia RY		Finland
66	For the Year 2010 and 2011
67	1	Great Wall China Adoption	248 Addie Roy Road A102 Austin, TX 78746	USA
68	2	Across the World Adoptions	395 Taylor Boulevard Suite 116 Pleasant Hill, California 94523	USA
69	3	Adoptions Homestudy Agency of Colorado	4685 West Prince to Avenue Denver, Colorado, 80236-3213	USA
70	4	Humanikat - Association for International Adoption	Israel	Israel
71	5	World View Adoption Association	130 Westmore Drive, Suites Toronto, Ontario, Canada, MGV5E2	Canada
72	6	Americans For International Aid and Adoption	2151 Livernois Ste 200, Troy, ML 48083, 248-362-1207	USA
73	7	European Adoption Consultants (EAC)	12608, Alameda Drive, Strongs Ville, OH 44149	USA
74	8	Children of the World Inc	7751 Carondelet Avenue Suite 702 Clayton, MO 63105	USA
75	9	Centro Adozioni La Maloca	Seda Legalee e operative in Via Borsari 23-43100 Parma	Italy
76	10	With Love and Hope Adoption Agency, Inc	53 Margaret Drive, Somerset NJ 08873	USA
77	11	Dillon International	3227 East 31st Street, Suite 200 Tulsa, OK 74105	USA
78	12	Ciel 133 Ecai	Calle Hermosilla 133 Bajo -E 280009 Madrid	Spain
79	13	Heart to Heart Adoption	10720 Santa Laguna Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33428	USA
80	14	Lifeline Children's Service	2908 Pump House Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35243	USA
81	15	Family Association for Inter country adoption, FFIA	Se 40241 Goteborg	Sweden
82	16	American Nepalese Congolese Children's Foundation	3573 Summit Road, Ravenna, OH 44266	USA
83	17	Diakonisches Werk	69117 Heidelberg, friedrich Ebert Anlage 9	Germany
84

http://www.mowcsw.gov.np/uploads/supp_docs/14/list%20of%20foreign%20agencies.xls

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/