Program Updates
CHINA (updated February 2008)
The China program continues to have healthy children joining happy families. The children average in age from 10 months up to 36 months. The referrals are coming from varied provinces. The medical and developmental information given to the adoptive parents at the time of the referral continues to be extensive and reliable. The trip to China is still about six weeks after the referral of the child. The families still fall in love with Gui Lan (New Beginnings’ representative in China) and don’t want to leave her after their two week trip. The most difficult part of the program is THE LONG WAIT. Our last families waited 27 months from the time their documents were logged in at the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) until their referrals arrived. When you add the time necessary to prepare their dossiers (about 5-6 months) and the time until the family travels (about 2 months) the process takes at least 36 months. There is no concrete estimate for how long the process will be taking at CCAA in the future.
GUATEMALA (Updated December 2007)
Two children have arrived home through this cooperative program with Adopolis. The children being matched with families are young, healthy infants. The legal process after the referral is accepted can take 8 -10 months. This places the children in the 10-12 months old range when they come home. It is unfortunate that this program has experienced difficult internal and inter-country instability. The program is in danger of no longer being available in the United States. New Beginnings is reasonably sure that the families already in the program with referrals will complete their adoptions successfully. New Beginnings is not accepting any other families into this program until there is more stability in the program.
Guatemala Adoption Information >>
COLOMBIA (updated December 2007)
The Colombia program is a new cooperative program that New Beginnings is doing with Adopolis Adoption Services in Washington, DC. The program seems to be a stable program with children from infants up to toddlers available. Preference will be given to families of Columbian descent. The difficulty for some families with this program is the 4-6 week stay in the country to complete the adoption. This program can take from 15 to 24 months to complete.
Colombia Adoption Information >>
VIETNAM (updated December 2007)
New Beginnings has had slow but steady activity in the last year. However, Vietnam adoptions in general have experienced some recent turbulence. Fortunately, none of the recent difficulties discussed in the media have directly involved New Beginnings families. As of the end of November, there are 23 cases in Vietnam where the US visa process is now in doubt. These are cases where there is a concern as to the orphan status or the legal eligibility of the child for adoption. When there is a concern, the US Embassy issues a Notice of Intent to Deny or NOID to the family submitting their visa application in Vietnam. Again, no New Beginnings families have been issued a NOID, but for other families who have gone so far in the adoption journey, to now be possibly denied would be a horrible tragedy. I am sure that I speak for all agencies that we have great sympathy for families that are enduring this anxiety and potential loss.
To address this problem, USCIS has begun the ‘Vietnam Initiative’. USCIS is now requiring the presentation of the I-600 and the child’s legal documents prior to the family traveling to Vietnam. This allows the US Embassy to investigate and resolve most concerns over the child’s eligibly for adoption before the family has even made their trip. New Beginnings supports this initiative as a way of reducing the risk that a family is denied the VISA because of the legal status of the child after they have traveled to Vietnam.
The Vietnam Initiative addresses one difficulty, but another hurdle is still present. The Memorandum of Understanding, or agreement to recognize adoptions between the two countries, will expire in September 2008. With such a large number of NOIDs, the entire Vietnam adoption process will be under more scrutiny. This raises the concern that if NOIDs continue to be issued by the US Embassy, the Memorandum of Understanding will not be renewed. The renewal of the MOU is dependent on factors beyond the number of NOIDs issued, but those factors involve specific ways of assuring the eligibility of the child for adoption, and thus the number of NOIDs is a good indicator of these other factors.
One of the first signals as to whether the MOU will be signed will come this spring. As a prelude to the MOU, the two governments must issue “Diplomatic Notes.” Once these are issued, the likelihood of the MOU greatly increases.
Even if the Diplomatic Note is not issued or an MOU is not reached, the adoption process could continue. The MOU is not a necessary condition for adoptions. However, the security of the Vietnam adoptions would be much greater with an MOU in place. New Beginnings believes that if the number of NOIDs continues to be high, thus leading to no MOU; this, in turn, will make the continuation of adoptions without an MOU less likely.
To better assure the continuation of Vietnam adoptions, New Beginnings, and all agencies licensed in Vietnam, must review and improve their practices, and those of their Vietnamese counterparts, to unquestionably establish the child’s eligibility for adoption. New Beginnings’ Vietnam program is excellent, but no agency should maintain or can afford to maintain the status quo. Simply assuring ourselves that we run our program right and that problems are caused by other agencies is a recipe for disaster.
On November 28, 2007, I attended the Vietnam Summit hosted by Joint Council on International Children’s Services. This was an excellent way for agencies to cooperate together in bringing about the changes in practice needed to assure Vietnamese adoptions until the need is no longer present. For current, reliable information on Vietnam and international adoptions, the Joint Council website is a must. It is www.jcics.org. You can also monitor the State Department’s site at www.travel.state.gov.
As a prospective adoptive parent in our program or considering New Beginnings Vietnam program, the status of Vietnamese adoptions will be unsure for the coming months. The first indication of possible difficulties will become evident this spring, and only upon the signing of an MOU in September 2008 will the program be considered stable. New Beginnings can do our best to assure our program is without problems, but the issues facing Vietnam adoptions will take the actions of all agencies to assure the same.
For families currently in the program, I am sorry that you have to go through this period of uncertainty. We will keep you informed of developments as they arise. If you are considering New Beginnings, the program is open and we are cautiously optimistic that New Beginnings Vietnam Program will continue to place children for the coming years.
October 2007 - The U.S. Embassy has notified all agencies working in Vietnam of changes in the process for filing the I600 Visa Application form in Vietnam. As of October 29, 2007, the I600 form should be filed in Vietnam by mail from the U.S. before traveling to Vietnam and completing the adoption.
The Department of State strongly urges families not to travel to Vietnam to complete their Giving and Receiving Ceremony before receiving approval of the I600 from the U.S. Embassy and USCIS in Vietnam. This new process has been instituted due to a number of cases that the U.S. Embassy and USCIS have questioned the legalities of and long investigations have been instituted. This has not happened to any NB families, but when an investigation has been done, the families have had to stay a longer period and, in some cases return without a child. Pre-approving the adoption will better prevent this catastrophy and the anxiety for all families in Vietnam. Once the I600 form and other required documents are mailed or couriered to the USCIS office in Ho Chi Minh City, it could take up to 60 days to review each case and do whatever investigations they feel necessary.
This will effect our families we believe in two ways: first, the length of time from the accepting the referral and travel will be longer. Previously, families were traveling in about 8 weeks, now it will be as long as sixteen weeks. NB will send the I600 and other legal docs to Ho Chi Minh City. After this approval, which could take as long as 60 days, we will then be able to finalize a Giving and Receiving date and you will be able to travel to complete your adoption. The second way this may effect families is that the stay in Vietnam should be shortened from 21-28 days to 14-17 days. Since the I600 process has been completed, the only process remaining after the Giving and Receiving Ceremony and receiving the child’s passport is to have the Visa Interview and have the Visa issued. This should only take about one week from the interview to the issuance, if not sooner. It will remain to be seen as how the new process is implemented.
As of this time, children are continuing to be referred in a timely manner and our families are traveling to Vietnam to complete their adoptions. If there are any other changes, we will post them.
Vietnam Adoption Information >>
THAILAND (updated December 2007)
The Thai adoption program is one of the longest running programs at New Beginnings. Families who are open to a toddler age child and realize that this program can take up to two years will be rewarded with a wonderful addition to their family. Families who apply for this program must meet restrictive age requirements set by Thailand.
Thailand Adoption Information >>
RUSSIA (updated December 2007)
New Beginnings continues to work in cooperation with Carolina Adoption Services to help families with a Russian adoption. We have also worked with a family using Wyoming Children’s Services for the adoption of their child. These cooperative placements have enabled New Beginnings to work with local couples as their families grow through adoption from Russia.
Russia Adoption Information >>
PERU (updated December 2007)
Peru has always been a quiet program offered through New Beginnings. The country does give preference to families with Peruvian descent, but it is not exclusive. The children are healthy and well cared for in Peru. The biggest drawback to this program is that the process can take from 15-24 months and the stay in the country ranges from 4-6 weeks to complete the adoption process.
KOREA (updated February 2008)
The Korean adoption program has been the longest established program for New Beginnings. The Republic of Korea has instituted many internal changes to promote domestic adoption within Korea. The incentives offered to Korean families in Korea have been successful and there are fewer children available for international adoption at this time. One of the new policies mandates that all children with an adoption plan must be available for an in country adoption to a Korean family for five months before the child may be considered for an international placement. This has directly affected the age of the children joining families from 5-7 months to 10-12 months. The children are still cared for by loving foster families while they are in Korea. The health of the children has continued to be good and medical records are comprehensive, but families should know that many of the children will have a history of birth mothers smoking and/or drinking during the pregnancy.
HONG KONG (updated November 2006)
Currently Hong Kong is not being permitted by the Chinese government to place children for adoption in the United States. We are waiting for updated information at this time and will publish it as soon as we hear anything.