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Sheena, I'd urge you to get in touch with Reece's Rainbow for answers to your questions (please note that it's "Reece", with a "c", not an "s"). I think costs depend on the country in which you are interested, as well as the costs of home studies, various documents which must be obtained in your state prior to adoption, plane tickets, etc., all of which can vary.
There is an additional American non-profit educational and advocacy organization which often assists with fundraising for adoptions of childrren who are HIV-positive: Operation Hopeful - sorry, I don't have a link. Many of the children with HIV who are listed on RR have adoption accounts in place to help offset costs. I believe there are likely to be other organizations which can assist with matching funds. As you saw, there are many beautiful, bright, otherwise healthy children with HIV listed with RR. Many have lost parents to AIDS and are orphans in every sense.
Yes, it's sad that few people realize that children with HIV can be treated with a very simple regimen of oral meds - usually pills - twice a day, and can live healthy, normal lives and expect a normal lifespan. So much progress has been made in recent years treating this illness, and research continues.
I am sure you already know this, but for other readers, Reece's Rainbow is not an adoption agency, but advocates for adoption of orphaned children with special needs who live in orphanages and institutions in more than 25 countries in the developing world, and who almost never are reunited with their biological families or find adoptive families in their own countries. Please see www.reecesrainbow.com for more information.
It is not the death sentence it once was. Take a look at Magic Johnson - living with HIV for 20 years!
Kaykee, not attempting to answer for Sheena here, but it is common in much of eastern Europe to encounter many instances of parents who place their children in orphanages, but visit only once or twice a year, yet make no other efforts to bring the children back to home to their biological families. Therefore, these children cannot be adopted, have little meaningful contact with their parents, and remain in the orphanage system until they age out around age sixteen. After that, it's rare for parents to offer any real assistance or "parenting" to their children, resulting in continuing patterns of family dysfunction.
There are thousands of young teens living on the streets and in the sewers of the cities of eastern Europe. It's estimated that 50% of the young girls who "graduate" from the orphanages turn to prostitution, and over 60% of the boys turn to crime. Drug addiction and alcoholism are rampant, as children turn to substance abuse to stop the pain of daily living. Many are imprisoned within a few years and many die young. Many of the girls become pregnant and in turn, give their babies over to the orphanages. It is a terrible human tragedy.
In much of eastern Europe, this pattern is common, with very high rates of alcoholism, lack of education, unemployment, poverty, crime, violence, AIDs and drug abuse contributing to generations of orphanage-raised children leaving, only to produce more "orphans". In addition, many individuals (both children and adults) caught in this pattern have FAS or FAE, which can affect ability to learn, emotional control, memory, and much more.
This pattern is all too common Craig.
The state of morbidity, mortality and criminal activity for graduates of orphanages are staggering.
There is also discrimination against people who grew up in detsky doms.
Instead of fighting about all of this, go on a mission trip and see for yourselves. vDo a google search with key words outcomes orphans, Ukraine, suicide incarceration.
It is not the death sentence it once was. Take a look at Magic Johnson - living with HIV for 20 years!
I also have a friend who has been HIV positive since the late 80s.
Interestingly, I remember reading one of our local free gay newspapers back in the late 90s where one journalist said that he had quite a lot of friends with HIV/AIDS and ALL the ones that had been treated with AZT died and most of the others were still alive - he felt that the AZT did more harm than good. However, today's HIV treatment is more like a triple level type treatment and thus seems more efffective.
It is not the death sentence it once was. Take a look at Magic Johnson - living with HIV for 20 years!
They also think they are close to a cure for it, I believe. There was a recent story in the news (didn't look into it, though) about two people who were supposedly cured of HIV from some new drug in research stages.
Craig I notice that Reeses Rainbow also has HIV positive children for adoption.
After I complete this adoptions of sibs, we are thinking about this. What do the adoption costs of children with HIV run through Reeses Rainbow?
The program I work with charges very little for such adoptions. Their chances of being adopted with HIV are almost nil/ People in the US are still afraid of HIV, which as you knoow, is not the same as Aids.
Interferon and other medications are almost impossible to come by there. I am blessed to have good health insurance that would cover this.
In Ukraine? The cost estimate is 25K. However, if you decide on a child with HIV, you can get set up to fund raise "through" Reece's Rainbow.
If others in addition to Sheena are considering internationally adopting a child who is HIV-positive, both Reece's Rainbow and Project Hopeful can help in a variety of ways.
As noted, costs can vary, depending upon the country, the number of trips required, time spend in-country, independently made choices such as food, housing, souvenirs, etc., tourism, etc. while in-country, the number of children adopted, and inevitable unexpected expenses. I've outlined the typical process for adoption from Ukraine elsewhere, but most families find it takes around five to seven weeks, once travel has begun. If travel coincides with national holidays or the annual winter shut-down of the adoption ministry (for Christmas and New Year's), it can take longer, and of course, unexpected complications can occur: a child may be hospitalized, records may be incomplete or inaccurate, or families can end up adopting a completely different child or children from the child first considered, again for a variety of reasons.
At present, it does appear that average Ukrainian adoption costs run around $25,000 for an individual child. Costs to adopt a second child such as an unexpectedly encountered sibling or another child from the same orphanage will raise costs for an additional flight home, in-country care, obtaining of legal documents for the child, but the additional costs are far less than another $25,000 - more like $5,000-$10,000 extra.
The total $25,000 average expense includes things like home studies, getting copies of many, many documents for the adopting family members (birth and marriage certificates, health certificates, police clearances for all states in which the family has resided, medical check-ups for all family members, vaccination certificates for all pets, passports, obtaining clothing for the child, preparing the house for the child (new bed and bedding, carseat, playpen, swing, toys, etc.), and so on.
If others in addition to Sheena are considering internationally adopting a child who is HIV-positive, both Reece's Rainbow and Project Hopeful can help in a variety of ways.
As noted, costs can vary, depending upon the country, the number of trips required, time spend in-country, independently made choices such as food, housing, souvenirs, etc., tourism, etc. while in-country, the number of children adopted, and inevitable unexpected expenses. I've outlined the typical process for adoption from Ukraine elsewhere, but most families find it takes around five to seven weeks, once travel has begun. If travel coincides with national holidays or the annual winter shut-down of the adoption ministry (for Christmas and New Year's), it can take longer, and of course, unexpected complications can occur: a child may be hospitalized, records may be incomplete or inaccurate, or families can end up adopting a completely different child or children from the child first considered, again for a variety of reasons.
At present, it does appear that average Ukrainian adoption costs run around $25,000 for an individual child. Costs to adopt a second child such as an unexpectedly encountered sibling or another child from the same orphanage will raise costs for an additional flight home, in-country care, obtaining of legal documents for the child, but the additional costs are far less than another $25,000 - more like $5,000-$10,000 extra.
The total $25,000 average expense includes things like home studies, getting copies of many, many documents for the adopting family members (birth and marriage certificates, health certificates, police clearances for all states in which the family has resided, medical check-ups for all family members, vaccination certificates for all pets, passports, obtaining clothing for the child, preparing the house for the child (new bed and bedding, carseat, playpen, swing, toys, etc.), and so on.
Craig what agencies actually handle these adoptions? The adoptions I am in the middle of write now are 12 to 15 thousand per child! That sounds high. But then, I'm NOT using an agency.
Kaykee, not attempting to answer for Sheena here, but it is common in much of eastern Europe to encounter many instances of parents who place their children in orphanages, but visit only once or twice a year, yet make no other efforts to bring the children back to home to their biological families. Therefore, these children cannot be adopted, have little meaningful contact with their parents, and remain in the orphanage system until they age out around age sixteen. After that, it's rare for parents to offer any real assistance or "parenting" to their children, resulting in continuing patterns of family dysfunction.
There are thousands of young teens living on the streets and in the sewers of the cities of eastern Europe. It's estimated that 50% of the young girls who "graduate" from the orphanages turn to prostitution, and over 60% of the boys turn to crime. Drug addiction and alcoholism are rampant, as children turn to substance abuse to stop the pain of daily living. Many are imprisoned within a few years and many die young. Many of the girls become pregnant and in turn, give their babies over to the orphanages. It is a terrible human tragedy.
In much of eastern Europe, this pattern is common, with very high rates of alcoholism, lack of education, unemployment, poverty, crime, violence, AIDs and drug abuse contributing to generations of orphanage-raised children leaving, only to produce more "orphans". In addition, many individuals (both children and adults) caught in this pattern have FAS or FAE, which can affect ability to learn, emotional control, memory, and much more.
Thank you for this explanation.
I only know a few refugee-immigrants from Moscow, and do not know about thesse orphanages. It is a very sad situation. I wonder why there is not more being done to make contact with these parents to see if there could be some kind of reunification/family strengthening program done?
About 15 years ago, I heard of a program to help social workers from USA to network with orphanages in Russia. As I was newly divorced then and didn't have enough money to go, I don't know what happened. It seems that the family systems broke down as well as economic systems, so children fall through the cracks.
It's getting late and I am getting tired, so I am replying to both Sheena and Kaykee in this post.
Sheena, it seems that several families who found children through Reece's Rainbow have used "About a Child" - I do not know anymore than that, so this is not an endorsement - but AAC has served many families adopting children with special needs from Ukraine. You also might see if FRUA (Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption) has a group in your area and ask them what others have done. Or check the various blogs linked to RR, especially those of families in process.
Make sure your home study social worker is licensed to do home studies for international adoptions - requirements differ somewhat for international vs. domestic. Adoption agencies cannot operate in Ukraine proper, but you can work with them in this country to fulfill the US requirements, and can sometimes locate in-country facilitators through them.
Or you can ask around, get the name of a facilitator whom other families recommend, contact that person and take it from there. I think there are online sites which outline the requirements for adoption from Ukraine far better than I can - also, check with the various US governmental agencies which deal with adoption, as requirements can change slightly from time to time. Since you are hosting, perhaps your hosting organization can answer some of your questions or refer you elsewhere for that info.
Kaykee, you're absolutely right about the need for family strengthening and children falling through the cracks. The government of Ukraine DOES provide some funding to people in need, but the needs are overwhelming, and Ukraine has only been independent for nine or ten years. Much of Ukraine's infrastructure - both physical and governmental organization - dates back to the Soviet era.
The legacy of the former USSR is a heavy one. In many eastern European countries, the percentage of the population which could be considered middle class is quite small, with many, many more living in poverty, but also with a growing number of the extremely wealthy - nouveau riche, in many cases, whose wealth has been acquired by questionable means. Meanwhile, the problems I listed in my above post lead to so much pain and sadness and loss...especially for the children of such generational dysfunction.
It's hard to persuade "unplanned" parents who are dealing with homelessness, poverty, substance abuse, joblessness, ill health, and lack of opportunity that their newborn won't be better off in an orphanage, where at least they will have a bed and a roof over their heads and will be fed. Other children remain with such parents initially, only to be placed in orphanages a few years later due to parental neglect and abuse, illness or death from AIDS or tuberculosis or Hepatitis-3, criminal behavior resulting in imprisonment, extreme alcoholism and/or drug addiction, violence, or mental illness, the lack of any extended family in a position to care for them, and so on. Other parents truly love their children and do their best, but misfortune - usually economic, sometimes the serious illness or death or desertion of the family's main wage earner - may lead loving parents to voluntarily place their children in orphanages. These are the parents who can benefit from "family strengthening" - but it's not just the family ties but the economy and all those other factors which can come into play which need addressing.
And this doesn't even touch on the plight of children with special needs, whose parents are almost always counseled to give them up at birth or at diagnosis, and are told "they'll receive better care - just go on and forget you ever had them".
In addition, another legacy of the old Soviet system in much of eastern Europe is extreme red tape. Getting anything done that involves legal documents can be very convoluted, and that includes getting registered for financial assistance. One of the young teenage mothers currently being assisted by Bible Orphan Ministry in Ukraine had an extremely difficult time getting the paperwork she needed in order to receive government assistance for her newborn. She and her young husband having left the orphanage not that long ago, the government evidently had no record that she exists.
I believe the government did pay for the birth of the baby and the young mother and child's subsequent hospitalization, despite her lack of documentation. I could be mistaken about this, however. Since then, the BOM staff has assisted in locating the missing paperwork and making sure she is properly registered, so that whatever government assistance is available can reach her. Prior to this, without such registration, she was not able to legally stay at any kind of shelter or hostel, much less rent an apartment (and of course, she had no money to speak of). The young man was registered and does have a job now, but the pay is minimal and 2/3 of it goes for bus fare to and from work.
BOM's help took a lot of effort and time, and meanwhile, the young couple and their tiny baby were on the street at times this past summer, until recently. Their situation is much more stable now, and BOM should get much of the credit, for these young parents are completely inexperienced and uneducated in most of the everyday activities of self-care as adults: they had to learn how to care for the baby, how to wash clothes, how to cook, how to clean - thankfully, they were attentive and appreciative learners. The young man has learned some basic carpentry, and was able to install some kitchen cabinets in their new-found apartment as a result. I do not know if he is using this skill in his work at present, or what his job may be.
But this is just one instance, and thousands of sixteen-year-olds leave the orphanages each year. This young girl did have some relatives, but they refused to help her and told her they wanted nothing to do with her.
There are a number of additional NGOs which make small but rewarding differences of this kind - I've named a few of them in other posts. There is also an organization of physical therapists based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which visits special needs orphanages and institutions in Ukraine and also in Guatemala regularly, and also sends needed health supplies and equipment of various kinds. They not only work with children in need, but also instruct those who care for them. I will have to check on the name of this very effective organization, as it's eluding me atm.
I think I mentioned elsewhere that Reece's Rainbow has worked with Ukrainian families who make the rare choice to keep their children with Down syndrome. As a result, there is now a support group for such parents, based in Kiev, but these parents are very much in the minority. There was an educational-advocacy conference in Kiev about Down syndrome a couple of years ago - several American parents of both biological and adopted chidren with DS attended, along with Ukrainians and others from various walks of life with connections to DS.
Hope this answers or clarifies some of the things about which you asked...
It's getting late and I am getting tired, so I am replying to both Sheena and Kaykee in this post.
Sheena, it seems that several families who found children through Reece's Rainbow have used "About a Child" - I do not know anymore than that, so this is not an endorsement - but AAC has served many families adopting children with special needs from Ukraine. You also might see if FRUA (Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption) has a group in your area and ask them what others have done. Or check the various blogs linked to RR, especially those of families in process.
Make sure your home study social worker is licensed to do home studies for international adoptions - requirements differ somewhat for international vs. domestic. Adoption agencies cannot operate in Ukraine proper, but you can work with them in this country to fulfill the US requirements, and can sometimes locate in-country facilitators through them.
Or you can ask around, get the name of a facilitator whom other families recommend, contact that person and take it from there. I think there are online sites which outline the requirements for adoption from Ukraine far better than I can - also, check with the various US governmental agencies which deal with adoption, as requirements can change slightly from time to time. Since you are hosting, perhaps your hosting organization can answer some of your questions or refer you elsewhere for that info.
Kaykee, you're absolutely right about the need for family strengthening and children falling through the cracks. The government of Ukraine DOES provide some funding to people in need, but the needs are overwhelming, and Ukraine has only been independent for nine or ten years. Much of Ukraine's infrastructure - both physical and governmental organization - dates back to the Soviet era.
The legacy of the former USSR is a heavy one. In many eastern European countries, the percentage of the population which could be considered middle class is quite small, with many, many more living in poverty, but also with a growing number of the extremely wealthy - nouveau riche, in many cases, whose wealth has been acquired by questionable means. Meanwhile, the problems I listed in my above post lead to so much pain and sadness and loss...especially for the children of such generational dysfunction.
It's hard to persuade "unplanned" parents who are dealing with homelessness, poverty, substance abuse, joblessness, ill health, and lack of opportunity that their newborn won't be better off in an orphanage, where at least they will have a bed and a roof over their heads and will be fed. Other children remain with such parents initially, only to be placed in orphanages a few years later due to parental neglect and abuse, illness or death from AIDS or tuberculosis or Hepatitis-3, criminal behavior resulting in imprisonment, extreme alcoholism and/or drug addiction, violence, or mental illness, the lack of any extended family in a position to care for them, and so on. Other parents truly love their children and do their best, but misfortune - usually economic, sometimes the serious illness or death or desertion of the family's main wage earner - may lead loving parents to voluntarily place their children in orphanages. These are the parents who can benefit from "family strengthening" - but it's not just the family ties but the economy and all those other factors which can come into play which need addressing.
And this doesn't even touch on the plight of children with special needs, whose parents are almost always counseled to give them up at birth or at diagnosis, and are told "they'll receive better care - just go on and forget you ever had them".
In addition, another legacy of the old Soviet system in much of eastern Europe is extreme red tape. Getting anything done that involves legal documents can be very convoluted, and that includes getting registered for financial assistance. One of the young teenage mothers currently being assisted by Bible Orphan Ministry in Ukraine had an extremely difficult time getting the paperwork she needed in order to receive government assistance for her newborn. She and her young husband having left the orphanage not that long ago, the government evidently had no record that she exists.
I believe the government did pay for the birth of the baby and the young mother and child's subsequent hospitalization, despite her lack of documentation. I could be mistaken about this, however. Since then, the BOM staff has assisted in locating the missing paperwork and making sure she is properly registered, so that whatever government assistance is available can reach her. Prior to this, without such registration, she was not able to legally stay at any kind of shelter or hostel, much less rent an apartment (and of course, she had no money to speak of). The young man was registered and does have a job now, but the pay is minimal and 2/3 of it goes for bus fare to and from work.
BOM's help took a lot of effort and time, and meanwhile, the young couple and their tiny baby were on the street at times this past summer, until recently. Their situation is much more stable now, and BOM should get much of the credit, for these young parents are completely inexperienced and uneducated in most of the everyday activities of self-care as adults: they had to learn how to care for the baby, how to wash clothes, how to cook, how to clean - thankfully, they were attentive and appreciative learners. The young man has learned some basic carpentry, and was able to install some kitchen cabinets in their new-found apartment as a result. I do not know if he is using this skill in his work at present, or what his job may be.
But this is just one instance, and thousands of sixteen-year-olds leave the orphanages each year. This young girl did have some relatives, but they refused to help her and told her they wanted nothing to do with her.
There are a number of additional NGOs which make small but rewarding differences of this kind - I've named a few of them in other posts. There is also an organization of physical therapists based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which visits special needs orphanages and institutions in Ukraine and also in Guatemala regularly, and also sends needed health supplies and equipment of various kinds. They not only work with children in need, but also instruct those who care for them. I will have to check on the name of this very effective organization, as it's eluding me atm.
I think I mentioned elsewhere that Reece's Rainbow has worked with Ukrainian families who make the rare choice to keep their children with Down syndrome. As a result, there is now a support group for such parents, based in Kiev, but these parents are very much in the minority. There was an educational-advocacy conference in Kiev about Down syndrome a couple of years ago - several American parents of both biological and adopted chidren with DS attended, along with Ukrainians and others from various walks of life with connections to DS.
Hope this answers or clarifies some of the things about which you asked...
It's really hard to speak about Eastern European Adoption in a vacuum, with out speaking to the social and cultural issues that plague the region and by most predictions, will continue to for at least the next 25-30 years.
The countries left are in a constant state of flux - economic, political, and social.
In terms of About a Child, I know of them Craig. I do not think that adoption would be affordable for us there.
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