Russia on Adoption: All Orphans Should Get a Foster Family

Adoption Friends,

I believe you'll find the information in a 2/8/2007 article on the ITAR-TASS News Agency web site very interesting. It appears that the Russian Government is attempting to create incentives to transition Russian orphans from orphanages to foster care and to encourage adoption in Russia.

According to the article, the Russian Government is examining a program called "Russian Children" that is "aimed at creating favorable conditions for children's life and state support for children", and expects to spend 47.845 billion roubles (approximately $1.9 billion US, I believe) to implement the program from 2007-2010.

Some of the statistics in the article are very interesting. For example, according to the Russian Ministry of Health and Social Development, Russia has "765,000 children left without parents' attention". Orphans, I assume. You can really appreciate the magnitude of this number when you consider that only 3,706 Russian children were adopted by families in the US in 2006 (see our International Adoption Statistics Page). It further states that 260,000 roubles (approximately $9,900 US) are annually needed for the upkeep of one child in a family with an average income."

However, most importantly, it states, "the government sets the task that all orphans should get into a foster family. This will help to reorient orphanages. [...] The family gets from the state 250,000 roubles not only for the birth of its own child, but also for adoption of the second and subsequent children."

The article closes with the following quote, "All this inspires hope that there will be no orphans in our country, while living standards of children and parents will improve substantially." What a wonderful goal. I pray it succeeds. Until then, I thank God for all that have and will take a "leap of faith" and adopt one of these children, bringing joy into their own hearts and giving one more child a forever home.

You can read the artcile by clicking on the following link:
http://www.tass.ru/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11230685&PageNum=0

Robin Bartko

Visit ThinkingOfAdopting.com for independent information and inspiration for your international adoption journey.