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RUSSIA - IMPORTANT NOTICE ON ADOPTIONS


May 24, 2005

This notice replaces the notice of March 22, 2005.  The U.S. Embassy in Moscow informed the Department that on May 17, the Ministry of Education reaccredited 23 U.S. adoption agencies and is actively reviewing the remaining applications for reaccreditation.  The Ministry of Education has also stated that, while compliance with the post-adoption reporting requirement is only one of several criteria considered in the reaccreditation process, even one missing post-placement report may result in a negative determination regarding reaccreditation.  We will continue to urge balance in Ministry of Education decision-making regarding accreditation, but urge adoptive parents to provide post-adoption reports when they have agreed with Russian and other national adoption organizations to do so.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow continues to monitor the status of agency reaccreditations and the release of data bank letters.  To date, the embassy has seen a 95% return to the earlier volume of approved adoption cases.

For an updated list of the U.S. accredited agencies, please visit the U.S. Embassy Moscow’s website at: http://moscow.usembassy.gov/consular/wwwhci5.html.