Vanessa Kachadurian- Adoption irregularities

For years it has been known that there are adoption irregularities in Armenia. There is sadly many people who are waiting for healthy babies rather than taking on the more challenging tasks of a special needs older child. Armenian officials are especially troubled by the arrogance of American Armenians who have no prior interest in the Republic of Armenia but set out to adopt a healthy infant.

Prior to the current Hague Convention laws, independent adoptions were allowed in Armenia where couples circumvented the adoption authority and dealt directly with physicians in Armenia. One of the Physicians was arrested in Armenia who would arrange the adoptions with the birth mother. This is why another layer of safeguard has been added to the adoption procedures, it is an investigative arm headed by Argam Stepanyan.

The current law provides that the children be registered on the national registry. The person in charge of this is Karine (a very old friend of mine). Each relinquishment case must be investigated by Argam's office, verify that no relinquishment was coerced or bought as in the past. The orphanage directors are apprehensive about putting the children on the registry BEFORE there is an expressed sincere interest in adopting that child. They are aware of the advertising frenzy such as the attached online auction that will occur. The orphanage directors who control the adoptions are not happy with this attitude of entitlement and have been slow to registry the children. Understandable they prefer that the interested parent(s) meet the child in Armenia, instead of falling in love with a photo and becoming emotionally and financially attached by the adoption facilitators.

Argam was recently in the USA, a trip paid for by the US State Department. Argam brought his family as well for a working vacation. He met with several adoptive families and the children previously adopted under the old non-direct independent procedures. None of these parents should be cocky or feel they have any influence on Argam loosening up the adoption protocols for their adoption agency. It doesn't work that way. Because someone pays a "hospitality visit" and shares a meal doesn't mean they can or will make special favors for a particular agency that has been on the radar for many years in Armenia.

This was confirmed by a phone call to Tom DiFilipo of the JCICS, who met with Argam. Tom understands that the only children available in Armenia are the sickly and is dedicated to working with Armenia to help facilitate protocals. Tom understands the challenges of adoption agencies and how many work in obscure niche countries because there is a percieved "flexibility". Tom also mentioned that in 2004 there were 600 adoption agencies in the USA conducting International Adoptions. Today there are 200 adoption agencies in the USA, he further explained that the old way of conducting adoptions will not work in the current Hague adapted countries.

The first goal of Armenia is to adopt out the special needs children, in 2009 on 20 adoptions visas were allowed to the USA from Armenia (slightly higher to the preferred Italy) approximately 80% were special needs ranging from correctable to severe. Currently as of August 1, 2010 there have been 7 visas granted to the USA, 100% have been special needs ranging from limb differentation to down syndrome. One American woman who has 14 children in the USA just left Armenia 3 weeks ago with 2 adorable Down Syndrome children. I am told that the 2010 total Orphan Visas to the USA will be 10-12 which will close it's fiscal calculations September 30th.

There is an active foster care program in Armenia as there is in the Republic of Georgia. However, a my source in Georgia informed me that a mean-spirited Adoption Agency was recently stiring up trouble in the country. Making absurd claims that there are adoption agencies working with fake Hague acreditation. Shortly afterwards, the police in Georgia conducted a raid on the foster families who were arrested. It seems it is not in the best interest$$ of a particular Adoption agency to have a foster family in country care for children that could be auctioned off and adopted to unsuspecting parents 4,300 miles away.

These same people in the Republic of Georgia shared with us stories about an American Adoption Facilitator that had a "close" relationship with the son of one of their orphanage directors. They also gave the name of the man this Adoption facilitator is "close" to in Armenia. They are asking "Does the American Husband know?"

Sadly Georgia has had their share of arrests and adoption scandals, they are leaning the same way Armenia is. To adopt out the special needs children and adopt the healthier children to locals and Europeans. The Europeans have a great program, adoptions are subsidized by their government because of a zero population growth. It takes longer as there is a short list of government social workers assigned to cases but the end result is it is the government of Italy, France dealing DIRECT with the government of Armenia. Not some too bit adoption facilitator in the country that claims to be an attorney and drives a higher end Mercedes (a rarity for the economically strapped country of Armenia)

Our friends in the Republic of Georgia informed our Armenian friends that recently they had 2 adoptions after a 3 year hold on adoptions. We were saddened to learn that the one child died shortly after his adoption never reaching his forever home in America. There is an investigation on this child's medical history and what information was withheld.