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Striving to be the BEST International Adoption Network
for Parents & Children
Comparing adoption agencies and providing contacts
Adopting country information, orphanages, photolistings and resources
Helping int'l adoptive parents navigate their mission of intercountry adoption
Providing up-to-date adoptive parenting solutions for post-institutionalized children
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International Adoption: From a Broken Bond to an Instant Bond
THE WASHINGONT TIMES
AdoptionHarmonyReview says this is one of the best articles ever written on int'l adoptions ever!
Scott Simon -- the sonorous voice of NPR's "Weekend Edition" -- has written a short, tender book about the two most important people in the world. At least to him. " Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other" recounts the arrival of his two daughters, Elise and Lina, from China, while telling the stories of other families changed by adoption.
Simon describes himself as skeptical of transcendence but as taking part in a miracle. "My wife and I," he says, "knew that Elise and Lina were our babies from the moment we received their postage-stamp portraits. Logically, I know that's not possible. But I also know that's how my heart, mind and body .... . . reacted to their pictures. . ..... . I would take the photo out of my wallet in the weeks before we left to get each of our girls and hold it against my lips to whisper, 'We're coming, baby.' "
It is an unexpected form of human affection -- meeting an unrelated stranger and, within moments, being willing to care for her, even to die for her. The relationship results from a broken bond but creates ties as strong as genetics, stronger than race or tribe. It is a particularly generous kind of parental love that embraces a life one did not give. FINISH ARTICLE.
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"Mission Possible!"
The mission of Adoption Harmony is to help you be prepared and aware of your options while fulfilling your deepest desires to adopt a child internationally. By providing the most current and up-to-date international adopton information, we hope to aid you in navigating the process of adoption and the issues of post-institutionalized children of all countries. The purpose of this website is to provide information to adoptive parents by adoptive parents and experts in the field to show you services, products and resources pertaining to international adoption all on a ONE-site network.
Adoption Harmony.com was established for adoptive parents by an adoptive parent. We are not an adoption agency nor affiliated, sponsored or endorsed by any agency.
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It Takes a lot of Clothespins to Pull Together an Attachment Disordered Kid!
Author: Jon Goodman, AdvocateForTherapy@blogspot.com
September 5, 2010
HEADLINE on GOOGLE: A.C.T, also known as Advocates for Children in Therapy, a for-profit organization, has recently made a rather large public statement saying they can prove that Attachment Therapy, Holding Therapy and Therapeutic restraints always hurt kids and always are lethal. Nothing could be further from the truth! I disagree with this statement on many levels, and find it incredulous that ACT is willing to make this statement and yet gives NO acceptable alternatives for adoptive parents and adoptees that has the power to replace the aspect of touch therapies and properly applied attachment therapies for severely affected victims of childhood abuse and neglect. In addition, ACT has no creditials for making such an assertion and has made a smear campaign against professionals who are aiding adoptive families in working with their severly unattachment children on bonding issues that are life-threatening if left untreated. Whomever authorized such statements within the ACT community has not done their homework and must have a personal vendetta against an individual in the attachment community. But why put out such statements that may prevent many victimized children a chance at a cure? I believe more attention needs to be paid to the false blanket statements of such organizations as ACT that proclaim to be reaching for an audience of adoptive parents who have children with attachment disordered children.
For children with severe reactive attachment disorder due to post traumatic stress disorder, the power of touch is the only modality of therapy that can reach these children’s psych where abuse and neglect is often stored in the preverbal mind, which is the deepest and hardest to reach place later on in life. Does ACT not know that Traditional talk-therapy does not begin to address in a 3-5 year old the level of hurt that the child has experienced? Does ACT propose that parents do nothing? or use therapies that are known NOT to be effective? ACT seems to be putting adoptive parents in a catch-22. And after reading the ACT website, I am serioulsy wondering if any of the author’s have ever actually seen attachment therapy in action or if any authors have even stopped to consider their actions on the children that will be denied help or treatment due to their negative and unthinkable words of ignorance. Finish the Article
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/26/AR2010082605232.html)
Blazing Photography in the Land of the Extremes. Orphanges being Evacuated!!
Why Love Isn’t Enough! Part One – Pre-Natal Drug and/or Alcohol Exposure
This is the first in this series of posts on related challenging topics. There is an Introduction to the series.
Seven topics are to follow (Part Two). There is a schedule at the end of this post.
You may want to print this post or others in the series. Study them, returning to them over time. Review the resources that are embedded within the articles. Keep them handy! They will make valuable references post-adoption. As you educate yourself, ask, “What does this information mean for me as the parent?” “What will this mean for the children I already parent?” “What does this mean for the child I am adopting?” READ MORE (http://perspectivespress.com/blog/2010/08/17/why-love-isnt-enough-part-one-pre-natal-drug-andor-alcohol-exposure/)
Will the New Adoption Bill Pass in the House?
Aims to Improve Adoption Process & Services
August 14, 2010 U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Sam Brownback (R-KS), and Tim Johnson (D-SD) have introduced legislation to strengthen pre- and post-adoption support services for American adoptive families.
The Supporting Adoptive Families Act would develop and expand training and resources for families adopting domestically or internationally, ensuring that both parents and children have the assistance and care they need to remain together. The bill would address the current shortage of adoption services available to families prior to and following adoptions, and it was inspired in part by the recent case of an American mother who returned her adoptive son to Russia because she felt unable to care for him. Read More...
My First Lesson in Motherhood...
Life, Love and Learning, byJean Fitzsimmons
I saw the scar the first time I changed Natalie's diaper, just an hour after the orphanage director handed her to me in a hotel banquet room in Nanchung, a provincial capital in Southeastern China. Read More...
MOROCCO: This small small African country is making waves amongst adoption professionals as an "up and coming" international adoption program.
But, would you convert to Islam to bring your child home?
 Are Independent Adoptions Legal ?
The Russian Ukrainian Private Adoption Project is Forging Ahead
U.S. SUSPENDS ALL ADOPTIONS FROM NEPAL
KATHMANDU, Aug 6, 2010: The US has suspended inter-country adoption from Nepal from Friday, questioning the authenticity of the system that has been marred by fraudulence and irregularities.
 Nepalise Children are often taken out of brothels to be adopted by Americians 
"In order to protect the rights and interests of certain Nepali children and their families, and of US prospective adoptive parents, the Department of State and US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) have jointly decided to suspend adjudication of new adoption petitions and related visa issuance for children who are described as having been abandoned in Nepal," the Department of State said in a statement on Friday. Read More
OPTIMISTIC NEWS FROM GUATEMALA
August 04, 2010
Guatemala Minister Counselor Fernando de la Cerda is returning to Washington, DC today after an intense 10 day trip to Guatemala which included 2 meetings with Guatemala President Alvaro Colom. Fernando is reporting significant progress in finding solutions for moving the adoption cases of the Guatemala900 forwards towards resolution. Fernando's efforts in Guatemala also included individual meetings with the PGN, CNA, Court of Appeals, MP, and with his own Department of Foreign Ministry.
 Foreign Adoptions are Back-Along with the Doubts UPDATES
 The THAW on Suspension of Russian Adoptions
UPDATES
How Did the Freeze Begin in First Place?
Russia calls for an early signing of an adoption agreement with the United States in the wake of the recent reports about the abuse of Russian children from their adoptive American parents, Edelvina and Steven Leshinski. The Russian Foreign Ministry and Prosecutor-General are taking measures to probe into the incident and keep the situation under control. Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko comments:
"Russia’s Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over reports from the United States about the maltreatment of Russian kids adopted by an American couple. The incident testifies to the pressing need for a bilateral adoption agreement which would guarantee professional monitoring of adopted children on a permanent basis. Russia insists that an adoption agreement be signed within the next few months."
Even though adoption agencies overseas are required to report on the circumstances of adopted Russian kids to Russian welfare services annually, Russian children living with American families are deprived of any rights and are absolutely helpless in the absence of a comprehensive bilateral agreement. Russia’s ombudsman Pavel Astakhov says monitoring through adoption agencies does not work:
"Russian kids adopted by American families retain Russian citizenship until they turn 18, he says. But the Russian side is unable to keep track of their well-being and protect their rights. The US social care agencies fail to report in due time. We have more than 400 cases of long overdue reports and there is nothing we can do about it. A bilateral adoption treaty would enable us to render the much-needed support for kids in crisis who suffer from abusive treatment from their adoptive parents."
The three sisters – Anna, Oxana and Alexandra – adopted by the Leshiunki family in 2005 were repeatedly exposed to abuse and maltreatment. But the US social services turned a blind eye and it was not before one of the girls appeared with bruises on her face at school that the matter was finally put in the hands of the police.
The first court hearing of the case of the Leshinski couple, who were arrested in March, will take place on September 7th. The sisters, who are currently staying with a foster family, are likely to be sent back home.
The possibility of children’s return in such cases is foreseen by the US-Russian draft agreement on adoption, planned to be signed by the end of this year, Pavel Astakhov stressed.
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Aug 29, 2010 Voice Of Russia
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The DETAILS: Another Abuse Case with Russian Adoptees!
Another U.S. couple, Edelwina Leschinsky, 46, and Steven Leschinsky, 43, who are Colorado residents, are accused of abusing three adopted sisters from Russia. The Leschinskys were arrested in March but their case was made public only recently, 9news TV channel reports citing sources in the police.
The couple adopted three biological sisters from Russia a few years ago. Investigators discovered that the girls were made do hundreds of pushups while a board with nails sat just below their thighs, and this was just one of various forms of ‘punishment’ administered by the Leschinskys. The couple is due back in court on September 7 for a status conference.
As of today, 16 children adopted by U.S. couples from Russia have died under different circumstances as a result of abuse. In April Russia imposed a ban on the U.S. adoption from Russia until the countries sign a new agreement regulating child adoptions.
Kazakhstan Suspends Adoptions to Ratify the Hague
Adoption Alert
Cooling Climate for Foreign Adoptions Leaves
Haverford Couple in Limbo
Thursday, July 29th, 2010, The Philladelphia Inquirer By Kathy Boccell
The photos are poignant, sometimes goofy: little Noah with a purple plastic ring on his head, tearing up at his first haircut or splashing in a baby pool. Then there is the video of a father twirling his son through the air, both giggling uproariously.
The website is called "Becky & Jeremy's Exciting Adoption Adventure," created by a Haverford couple to capture a once-in-a-lifetime odyssey to bring home a son from Kazakhstan as well as the joys of raising a first child.
But what has happened so far to Becky Compton, Jeremy Meyer, and the 16-month-old they call Noah Aldanysh Compton-Meyer in the mountain-ringed city of Taraz has been anything but routine.
It is there, about 6,350 miles from home, that Meyer, 40, and Compton, 39, have spent most of the last 7 1/2 months as Noah learned to walk, ate his first banana - and became a pawn in a battle with Kazakh officials who have blocked what the couple expected to be a routine adoption.
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