News
National Council For International Adoption Responds Duma
The National Council For Adoption (NCFA) has learned that opponents of adoption in Russia are attempting to exploit an American news story to advance their agenda to shut down international adoptions. The story concerns a group of 11 children who are either adopted or under the foster care of Michael and Sharen Gravelle in Ohio. The children, ranging from one to 14 years of age, were reportedly removed from their adoptive parents' home under allegations of neglect. At this point, few other details have been reported.
Within two hours of its release, this story was widely broadcast by the Russian TV media. The news reports implied that these children were adopted from Russia. By Wednesday morning, anti-adoption advocates in the Russian Duma were once again calling for a vote on a moratorium on American adoptions.
An unofficial inquiry by the NCFA revealed that none of the 11 children were adopted from Russia. This information has been independently verified by local police in Huron County, Ohio, as well as by the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
"We do not condone or defend any activities that could possibly endanger children, but this particular incident has absolutely nothing to do with Russian adopted children," Thomas Atwood, NCFA president and CEO says. "It is truly unfortunate that certain Duma members continue attempts to exploit developing situations for their partisan purposes. It is even more outrageous when they do so without first checking the facts."
There is reportedly no evidence at this time that these children were either malnourished or abused. No arrests made, and no charges have been filed against the parents. Reports suggest that all 11 children suffer from various degrees of mental and/or physical disabilities and the sleeping arrangements were based on a doctor's recommendation.
On Friday, Sept. 9, the Russian Duma voted against imposing a moratorium on adoption by American families. Leading up to that vote, an NCFA delegation was in Moscow appealing directly to leaders at the highest levels of the Russian child welfare system. In the course of the discussions, Russian and American adoption leaders agreed on many areas of reform, discussed positive alternatives to a shutdown of adoptions, and expressed a bilateral commitment to serving the needs of the estimated 700,000 Russian orphans.
Atwood continued, "Russian anti-adoption advocates are destroying their own credibility and potentially disrupting the crucial progress made during recent meetings between Russian child welfare officials and the NCFA."
September 15, 2005 http://www.usnewswire.com
