Effective April 1st, 2014, Serbia will be party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Serbian adoptions started after April 1st must meet the requirements of the convention and U.S. law implementing the convention.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Serbia Continues to Move Forward
Since 2007 Serbia has been under a mandate to empty all the institutions in the country. Their priority, in this order, is to get kids 1) reunited with birth families 2) placed with domestic adoptive families 3) Placed with Serbian foster families 4) International adoptive families. International adoption is the exception to the rule in Serbia.
There are approximately 500-600 Serbian families waiting to adopt healthy infants. Because Serbia has a negative birth rate, healthy infants are not available for international adoption.
In Serbia, a child can be located in a facility on the other side of the country from where their Center is located, it is possible the Center has not had contact with a child for many years. Recently all the Centers for Social Care (which are like the U.S. county level) have been notified and directed to go through the records of all children they service. There are many children in the country who are eligible for adoption (either domestically or internationally) who have never actually been registered.
In June and July there were many children added to the registry, and in September and October more will be added. Those children already added include those with Down syndrome, older (healthy) children, Roma children, and children with developmental difficulties. For those who have asked, so far there are no children who hare HIV+, but this could change in the fall when the registry will be updated again.
There are approximately 500-600 Serbian families waiting to adopt healthy infants. Because Serbia has a negative birth rate, healthy infants are not available for international adoption.
In Serbia, a child can be located in a facility on the other side of the country from where their Center is located, it is possible the Center has not had contact with a child for many years. Recently all the Centers for Social Care (which are like the U.S. county level) have been notified and directed to go through the records of all children they service. There are many children in the country who are eligible for adoption (either domestically or internationally) who have never actually been registered.
In June and July there were many children added to the registry, and in September and October more will be added. Those children already added include those with Down syndrome, older (healthy) children, Roma children, and children with developmental difficulties. For those who have asked, so far there are no children who hare HIV+, but this could change in the fall when the registry will be updated again.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Adoption Ethics
Today Jen Hatmaker has Pt 2 of a series on ethics in adoption. She makes many valid points, some of which I would like to highlight here because they are *all* issues I ran into during my first adoption from Serbia, which are no longer an issue!!! Please take a trip over to Jen's blog and have yourself a read.
Can we see a copy of a recent audited financial statement? Annual report?
When you ask questions, do you feel shut down, disrespected, bullied, or discouraged? I asked my agency hard questions and got pages and pages of immediate, thorough responses. If you are discouraged from talking to other families, researching, asking difficult questions, or investigating, RUN.
Are other adoptive families with concerns are painted as lunatics or troublemakers?
Does correspondence lean too heavily on emotional propaganda and "rescue" rhetoric, as opposed to professionalism and an obvious commitment to best practices?
An agency that claims to have special connections or processes in country.
If you hear the word “expedited,” run for the hills. That is not a thing. That is corruption.
Payments without receipts (common in Eastern European adoptions).
When you ask questions, do you feel shut down, disrespected, bullied, or discouraged? I asked my agency hard questions and got pages and pages of immediate, thorough responses. If you are discouraged from talking to other families, researching, asking difficult questions, or investigating, RUN.
Are other adoptive families with concerns are painted as lunatics or troublemakers?
Does correspondence lean too heavily on emotional propaganda and "rescue" rhetoric, as opposed to professionalism and an obvious commitment to best practices?
An agency that claims to have special connections or processes in country.
If you hear the word “expedited,” run for the hills. That is not a thing. That is corruption.
Payments without receipts (common in Eastern European adoptions).
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Alert: Serbian Adoption
This was posted on March 29th on the Department of State website, confirming what I posted back in December
Alert: Serbia Adoption
U.S. Embassy Belgrade has received reports that one or more U.S. adoption agencies may be giving prospective adoptive parents misleading information about the process of adoption in Serbia.
Serbia places a priority on domestic adoption. The only children who are generally available for intercountry adoption are children with special needs. There are no adoption agencies authorized to offer adoption services in Serbia, and families should not seek to work with an intermediary. You are strongly encouraged to read the Serbia adoption country information, which outlines the only way to adopt children from Serbia.
There is no legal alternative to the Serbian adoption process outlined in this adoption country information page on Serbia. If you have received contradictory or misleading information from a U.S. accredited or approved adoption service provider, you can register a complaint with the Hague Complaint Registry (HCR), which is administered by the Council on Accreditation (COA).
To report such activity by a non-accredited or approved agency, you may contact the licensing authority of the state where the agency is located. You can also contact the Office of Children’s Issues via email toAdoptionUSCA@state.gov and have your complaint recorded
To report such activity by a non-accredited or approved agency, you may contact the licensing authority of the state where the agency is located. You can also contact the Office of Children’s Issues via email toAdoptionUSCA@state.gov and have your complaint recorded
Friday, March 29, 2013
Two more families
There are two more families headed to Serbia! One family leaves tomorrow (Saturday) and will meet their new child for the first time on Monday. I'm hoping after that point I'll be able to say their name so I can give them some bloggy love.
Then, if you don't read my other blogs, you may not know that we're headed back to Serbia too! We leave in just a couple weeks. You can follow our story here.
Then, if you don't read my other blogs, you may not know that we're headed back to Serbia too! We leave in just a couple weeks. You can follow our story here.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Ready to Travel!
Many of you have read the blogs of those of us who have already adopted from Serbia. (and if you would like your blog link posted please send it to me!) The Lakes family will be traveling soon to bring home their new son!
I am especially excited for this family, because their new son holds a special place in my heart. He is in the same foster family my son Axel was part of. I have been able to hold and play with him. The Lakes will be working with all the same social workers, etc. I know exactly what amazing people make up this team, and the Lakes couldn't be in better hands.
Please join me in wishing the Lakes family an amazing trip, safe travels, and health and safety for all their kids waiting anxiously at home. You can click here to visit their blog.
I am especially excited for this family, because their new son holds a special place in my heart. He is in the same foster family my son Axel was part of. I have been able to hold and play with him. The Lakes will be working with all the same social workers, etc. I know exactly what amazing people make up this team, and the Lakes couldn't be in better hands.
Please join me in wishing the Lakes family an amazing trip, safe travels, and health and safety for all their kids waiting anxiously at home. You can click here to visit their blog.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
45 Day Moratorium. NOT!!!
It has come to my attention that a couple adoption agencies in the US are claiming there is a 45 day moratorium on Serbian adoptions that is directly related to Russia's recent ban on adoptions into the US.
This is absolutely untrue! There is no 45 day moratorium on Serbian adoptions! If you are being told this by ANY agency in the U.S. you need to 1) Report them to the Department of State Adoption unit. 2) Contact the Serbian MLSP (government) Adoption unit directly. Be an advocate for yourself, your money, and the child you've been told you can adopt and contact the ministry yourself.
There is contact information for the Serbian ministry posted on the Department of State's website, however I have a different email address that goes directly to the English speaking desk and is checked daily. If you would like that email address please contact me and I'll send it to you.
The information listed on the website is:
Serbia's Adoption Authority
Address: Nemanjina 22-26 11000 Belgrade
Tel: +381 11 3631448
Email: socijalna_zastita@minrzs.gov.rs
Internet: minrzs.gov.rs/cms/en/home
You can also visit the Department of State website area for International Adoptions. On the bottom right you will find a drop-down box where you can choose a country. Pull up Serbia's information and you will see any alerts or notices related to Serbian adoptions. This information is current and kept up to date. If you're ever unsure you can contact
This is absolutely untrue! There is no 45 day moratorium on Serbian adoptions! If you are being told this by ANY agency in the U.S. you need to 1) Report them to the Department of State Adoption unit. 2) Contact the Serbian MLSP (government) Adoption unit directly. Be an advocate for yourself, your money, and the child you've been told you can adopt and contact the ministry yourself.
There is contact information for the Serbian ministry posted on the Department of State's website, however I have a different email address that goes directly to the English speaking desk and is checked daily. If you would like that email address please contact me and I'll send it to you.
The information listed on the website is:
Serbia's Adoption Authority
Address: Nemanjina 22-26 11000 Belgrade
Tel: +381 11 3631448
Email: socijalna_zastita@minrzs.gov.rs
Internet: minrzs.gov.rs/cms/en/home
You can also visit the Department of State website area for International Adoptions. On the bottom right you will find a drop-down box where you can choose a country. Pull up Serbia's information and you will see any alerts or notices related to Serbian adoptions. This information is current and kept up to date. If you're ever unsure you can contact
Office of Children's Issues
Mailing Address:United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children's Issues
SA-29
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Phone: 1-888-407-4747; 202-501-4444
E-mail: AskCI@state.gov
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Office of Children's Issues
SA-29
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20520
Phone: 1-888-407-4747; 202-501-4444
E-mail: AskCI@state.gov
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