Stahlke Adoption

Changes at the SDAPRC

Yesterday we got information from our agency about changes in leadership at the central adoption authority of Ukraine (SDAPRC) in Kiev. Today I checked the US Embassy web site in Ukraine and found out the following information at kiev.usembassy.gov/amcit_adoptions_notice_0405_eng.html

The SDAPRC is the Ukrainian government entity that handles both domestic and foreign adoptions for the entire country. In the last year and a half, this office (formerly the National Adoption Center or NAC) was moved from one ministry of the government to another, and a new set of administrators was appointed (different than the ones we worked with in 2005). The NAC has reopened this spring under a new name--the State Department for Adoption and Protection of Rights of the Child, or SDAPRC. As of March 20, however, three top administrators resigned (the director, deputy director, and head of the international adoption unit). As of April 5, no new leadership had been appointed. Dossiers already in the pipeline are still being processed, although at a slower rate. No new dossiers are being accepted, although the temporary suspension was supposed to end yesterday (April 16).

Jonathan and I are anxiously waiting to hear the status of our dossier. In addition, we would like to know why the leadership of the SDAPRC resigned, and what it all means for Kola's adoption. As many of you know from the news, Ukraine is dealing with its largest political crisis since the Orange Revolution. The president has dissolved the parliament and is calling for new elections, and demonstrators are once again in the Maidan, or central square, of Kiev. When we were in Kiev, we spent a good deal of time in the Maidan, which was full of tourists, street musicians, vendors, theatrical groups, and young people. We took the children there on their last night in Ukraine, as a farewell to their country. They had a wonderful time, eating hot dogs, listening to accordion players, watching street theater, looking at children's books for sale, and just being kids. The Maidan feels like the center of Ukraine, and we'll be carefully listening and watching for news of events there in the next weeks.

posted by Stahlkes @ 10:39 AM