Stahlke Adoption

Post-Adoption Reports

At the time of our childrens' adoptions, we promised to send Ukraine yearly reports about them. These documents are very important, because without them, the Ukrainian authorities sometimes assume the children are not doing well. The fact that many U.S. adoptive parents do not submit these reports is often cited as a primary reason that foreign adoptions have been closed in Ukraine off and on over the years. I also know that U.S. adoptive parents have been told similar things in Russia.

Jonathan wrote up reports this week for our four younger children. (Paul and Adam are over 17 years old, and have therefore aged out of the system.) Each report requires two pages of single-spaced information about the children's biography, medical condition, personality development, achievements, daily routine, likes/dislikes, interaction with immediate family, and acceptance by extended family. In addition, two photos from within the last year must be attached. (Until 2009, these reports required TEN recent photos of each child. That meant 60 photos for our family!)

Jonathan provided a little humor in his descriptions of the children. My favorites:

This child can be heard "laughing and shrieking at the top of his/her voice, enjoying some delicious piece of information."

Another kid "spends much of his free time taking things apart and trying to put them back together again."

One of the children is a "tactile learner, touching things constantly, much to the displeasure of his five other siblings."

And one of our teenagers "spends a great deal of time on personal grooming."

posted by Stahlkes @ 8:40 AM