Well they sure showed those Americans by not letting them give these kids a better life. Disgusting politics..

"The anger hit the boiling point in 2010 when an American woman sent back a 7-year-old Russian boy she had adopted, saying he had behavioral problems and she didn't want him anymore."

To hell with politics and a plague on any parent who neglects a child.

Regardless of nationality, there's no such thing as an illegitimate child; only illegitimate parents.

They would be better off staying with russian families than Amerikanski. In Amerika they like to absuse russian children. At least in Russia they are still christian and beleive in God where Amerikansi are secular and dont seem to have many values any more.

Good...Then maybe Americans will adopt American kids. Bunch of losers adopting people from other countries and leaving American kids in parentless.

I guess Americans think that foreign kids are more valuable than American kids these days.

There are plenty of children in the U.S that Americans can adopt. Let Russia deal with their own problems. Whats wrong with people? The kids over here aren't pure white enough for them to be adoptable?

Paws - there are many reasons people adopt from outside the country. The process in the US can be extremely long and expensive. The red tape can be overwhelming. There are big hurdles in adopting a child of a race other than your own - there are pressures against permitting this. Special needs children require adoptive parents that have the additional resources that will be required to raise them. So, saying that people are losers for adopting from other countries shows you do not have an understanding of the process. Many of these people have tried to adopt in the US, only to be put on waiting lists for years. Adopting children is not like adopting/getting a puppy. You cannot just go to an orphanage and say, "oh, I'll take that one".

Then maybe we should lower the barriers here in the United States. Paws comment still has merit.

SeewhatImean, you have no idea what you are talking about. There are not plenty of American children waiting to be adopted. There is a waiting list, you have to be selected by a birth mother and sometimes that birthmother changes her mind at the last minute, causing terrible heartbreak for an adoptive family. Even kids in foster care are not always open to be adopted, as the goal is to return them to their parents or a biological family member. The US kids who are normally abandoned by their families have severe physical handicaps and most middle class families are not able to care for special needs children financially. So unless you yourself have adopted domestically and have first hand knowledge of how challenging it is to adopt, please stop talking or you may make yourself look stupid.

Here is an idea we have enough children in AMERICA that need homes are are being supported by taxpayers. And before you jump on me for saying taxpayers are supporting these children instead of keeping them in orphanages and foster homes why not adopt them and give them forever homes. Why do AMERICAN children not deserve a home? Take care of your own back yard before worrying about someone elses!!!!

Here is an idea we have enough children in AMERICA that need homes are are being supported by taxpayers. And before you jump on me for saying taxpayers are supporting these children instead of keeping them in orphanages and foster homes why not adopt them and give them forever homes. Why do AMERICAN children not deserve a home? Take care of your own back yard before worrying about someone elses!!!! OK first it would not post then it posted twice oh well it is not bad for people to be told twice to take care of their own backyards before someone elses.

Here is an idea we have enough children in AMERICA that need homes are are being supported by taxpayers. And before you jump on me for saying taxpayers are supporting these children instead of keeping them in orphanages and foster homes why not adopt them and give them forever homes. Why do AMERICAN children not deserve a home? Take care of your own back yard before worrying about someone elses!!!!

I think all the pro-lifers should sign up to adopt all those unwanted children they're encouraging. Then American kids would be plentiful because the pro-lifers tend to be 'do as I say, not as I do' types.

Al718

Well they sure showed those Americans by not letting them give these kids a better life. Disgusting politics.

A "better life" where they may become a victim of a psychopath murdering them at school?

A "better life" where a Sandusky/Gacy pedophile wants to shower-with-them, then rape them?

A "better life" where being a male means government sanctioned discrimination?

No Thanks! - They'll do better in their native-countries where sane people/law-makers still exist.

There should be a federal law requiring the objective consideration of American-born children for adoption before any foreign-adoption is allowed.

There are plenty of children in America that need adopted.

Umm, as the mom of 2 transracially adopted kids, I know lots of pro-lifers who have adopted children. Some of them have biological children as well, some do not. There are challenges to adopting domestically and challenges to adopting internationally. Some people's hearts are moved to adopt domestically, some people's hearts are moved to adopt internationally. The bottom line is that being a parent is a gift, not a right.

Suspended-and you get your information from where? That is a crock of sh!t. The picture shows 5, 6 and 7 year olds. These aren't new-borns. We have older kids here too.

Lorrielle - excuses excuses...I know a couple who adopted overseas...red tape nightmare, expensive, and took over a year. The wife of this couple is a green card foriegner and she adopted from her home country.

Why is the govt in the way then to the point that it drives people over seas to adopt. When it comes to jobs, taxes, and now adopting kids, the govt always seems to be in the way driving people over seas.

Maybe someone should fix our government.

Awww, Russian children are adorable.

say what you want about Russians cutting their noses off to spite their faces in regards to not allowing children to be adopted...but for real.. this piece of the article is nonsense...

'The anger hit the boiling point in 2010 when an American woman sent back a 7-year-old Russian boy she had adopted, saying he had behavioral problems and she didn't want him anymore'

Russian or not..children aren't pets... you can't just give them back cause you 'didn't like it' .... i hope that lady was taken off the approved list...

Adopting a child domestically is not as easy as it sounds. Potential parents are waiting, sometimes for years. Background checks have to be done on adoptive parents, recommendation letters from employers, relatives, people who know the parent and are willing to vouch for their character, and even after all of that many times the parents are not approved. Added to that, almost all adoptions in the US now are 'open', meaning that the biological parent can show up years later and still have a right to see their child. In this country you can be a mass murderer or a child molester and still have a right to see your child.

I heard one story about a couple who adopted a little girl, and ten years later the drug addict mother who'd been in jail for armed robbery leading to involuntary manslaughter (someone died while the woman and her boyfriend were carrying out that robbery) the birth mother showed up with a court order allowing her to visit her twelve year old child--then took the child for a visit and didn't bring her back. She sent the adoptive parents a note asking for money or they would never see their adopted daughter again. And it wasn't considered 'kidnapping' because the child was the woman's biological daughter.

My adoption story:

I was internationally adopted myself, (though I didn't know this until I was an adult, Dad and Mom never told me, Immigration did) and looking over the huge pile of documents they had in my file gave me some insight into the process.

I was what the UN terms 'stateless'--an abandoned infant left on the doorstep of an international orphanage with no birth certificate/documentation. Because the country in which that orphanage was is not one that had signed the UN Resolution on the Reduction of Statelessness back in the 60's, I wasn't granted citizenship in that country--I legally had no home country, no name, no birth parents, and therefore no rights anywhere because I officially didn't exist. Added to that, I was female in a country which deems girls as 'worthless'. Stateless infants, particularly girls, usually wind up in slave-labor type situations or bought and sold as child sex slaves.

Dad and Mom picked me out of the orphanage. Because I was a 'worthless female' the red tape was surprisingly easy to get through--they paid the orphanage to pick a name and an arbitrary birthdate for me and then paid the government of the country money to issue me a passport, then applied with INS for permission to bring me into the country to adopt. After a lot of back and forth, about a year and a half, permission was finally granted and Dad and Mom were allowed to adopt me.

There was virtually no chance that a birth parent would be able to track me down and pop into Dad and Mom's life. Dad and Mom could start life over with a clean slate, no ties to the past, just a future ahead provided this sickly little baby girl survived. I think that was probably one of things that factored into their decision to adopt internationally--that, and the fact that they were not approved to adopt in the US, though I never found out why. Dad was a Vietnam and Korean war vet turned missile-guidance-system-private-contractor, Mom was a war bride, I can't imagine why they weren't allowed to adopt.

But the decision to adopt is a very personal one, because you're making a huge financial, emotional, mental, and physical commitment to raising this child you don't know. The only one who can make that decision is you and whoever will be helping you raise that child, and the choice of child should be up to you to decide--not to a government entity who will never meet you, the child you're trying to adopt, and knows nothing about your reasons for wanting this one specific child out of every other child in the world.

There aren't many people that I would wish a Russian orphanage on but a few of them have shown up on this thread. The article stated the Russians don't adopt as a general rule and they have 3/4 of a million children waiting for adoption. The adoption process in the U.S. borders on the ridiculous and draconian.

Yes some adopted children meet with bad ends in America but very few. Lunatics are waiting to shoot our own children along with the adopted. There is no shortage of abused children in the U.S. either and that is a shame and a crime but most of them are not adopted. They are the biological children of people who's only qualification to be a parent is the ability to procreate. If you asked the children in the Russian orphanages if they wanted to take that risk I'm pretty sure you'd get a large majority to agree to it.

How many kids did you adopt deweydan?

I agree. Screw Russia. They can keep their kids and let others adopt them, as harsh as that sounds. Im sure Americans do not go to Russia to adopt children from there to bring them home solely for the purpose of abuse. Anyway, I always wondered why people think to adopt elsewhere when there are more than enough kids in the states to adopt. I mean people think America has a silver spoon in its mouth, but Im sure the kids in foster homes all over the country do not feel the same way. They would be more then happy being adopted by an American family.

Whats wrong with you? Someone adopted a kid from Africa while you grew up in 20 different foster homes? Get over yourself, no-one cares about what you have to say. If you aren't part of the solution then you are part of the problem.

Actually there are people that come to the U.S. to adopt - primarily from Canada and Europe.

The title starts 'american'.if you don't like it read a story that doesn't start with 'american'

Well, this is NBC News, not Pravda. The point is, RUSSIAN officials murdered Sergei Magnitsky and thus are not welcome to participate in our banking system, due to a law being passed, so RUSSIA restricts adoptions by Americans after using an AMERICAN lobbying group (led by Kenneth Duberstein).

So, how about: "Russia Punishes Russian Children After Killing Russian Adults and employing American Public Relations Firm." There.

You are so ignorant. I was adopted from Russia in 1993. I thank God for Him giving me a chance at a better life in this country. So many kids without anyone caring about their welfare, are left to rot in orphanages, with the government and society simply turning their noses up to them. Please educate yourself before you spew nonsensical garbage on here.

YankeeFanatic

I was adopted from Russia in 1993. I thank God for Him giving me a chance at a better life in this country.

That is one of the reasons Americans choose to adopt foreign children. The are grateful.

YankeeFanatic, I said, "I prefer", not "demand". Why is it that an opinion, if not to your pleasing is ignorant?

So many kids without anyone caring about their welfare, are left to rot in orphanages US foster homes , with the government and society simply turning their noses up to them. Please educate yourself before you spew nonsensical garbage on here.

Right back at you.

So a 3 year old in a foster home in the US is not grateful to be adopted???

Russians think they are better than us anyway. Be proud of who you are and where you come from, and stay there,we have enough people here anyway.

There are no such things as American orphanages you idiot. Kids go to foster care. The goal of foster care is to reunite biological families, so most kids are not open for adoption. If the biological parents can't parent, they try to reunite children with another family member. Next time try to have a little knowledge about a topic before commenting on it.

Russians do not think they're better than everyone else.. In fact, it seems it's the other way around. Keep your ignorant mouth shut.

I will agree with Russian-American Girl Russian's do not think they're better than anyone else...I was born in America and was raised in the mid-west...I am of Scandinavian and British/Irish decent, my aunt and cousin are 100% Russian, they were born and raised there, and came to America 10+ years ago. I still have a cousin who lives over in Russia with his fiance and child, because it is very very difficult to immigrate to the United States. It took three+ years for my aunt and cousin to immigrate, where as it took my my brother-in-law a year to get the paper-work and everything in order to immigrate from England. My aunt and cousin who live here now are more grateful to be here than any "natural-born" American I have ever met, myself included. We take for granted the liberties and freedoms that we are born into which causes many Americans to think that they are better than those coming from foreign countries, especially Russia. Russians are treated so poorly when they are the kindest, most loving people I have ever met, and I've spent many months travelling and visiting other countries outside of North America. I don't think people realize how poor the quality of life can be over there, so why not allow loving people (Americans) to adopt foreign children. I would do it in a heartbeat if I could afford to have a family and adopt a child from a different country.

NO, you shut YOUR mouth!

So Denverbill, what your saying is that many American families adopt foreign children because they are grateful? Idiotic!! What do you not think, American children wouldn't be grateful as well? I think any child ANYWHERE in an orphanage would be grateful to be adopted. What an ignorant thing to say.

To all people who say we should adopt American children first, you have no idea what you are talking about. Do you know how many orphans are in the US? I don't but I can tell you it's not as many as in Russia. Have you been to a Russian orphange? Adopting in the US is extremely hard. Most judges do not want to break up homes so foster parents can not adopt children most of the time. As a parent of two adopted Russian children, I think I would know what I'm talking about. In order to adopt from Russia, I had to go through several background checks. I had to have a letter from the sheriff of my county. I had to have consulors come to my home to make sure it's safe. I had to file countless papers to the Russian consulate. I had to pay to get them translated first. I spent $30,000 to adopt my daughter from Russia and I would do it again to get her. $15,000 went to the country of Russia alone. Americans aren't they only ones to adopt from Russia either. Some Russian parents lose their kids due to alcoholism. In the US, that would never happen. What I'm trying to say is that unless you have been in my shoes, you have no idea what you are talking about!

Fanatic:

Little156's statement is accurate and intelligent; yours is ignorant and arrogant...not a very wise way to express that gratitude you claim to have.

Exactly..

A lot of foreign countries teach their children multiple languages. My cousins from Russia speak Russian, French, German and English and were taught all of this before coming to the United States.

Guess you've never encountered on of those Russian adoptees that have RAD, have you?...

Or a child with FASD, with challenges ranging from mild learning dissabilities to severe coupled with HUGE behavioral challenges.

Guess you have never encountered mine. Perfectly healthy and smart. Their files were evaluated by an American doctor before they were adopted. There are no guarantees with any child. Look at the Connecticut killer. Do you think his mother ever envisioned when she was pregnant or when he was a baby that her son would end up with a host of problems and end up killing her and others? Having a child no matter where born comes with a certain amount of risk that there will be good and bad, and that the challenges might be very heavy.

it is not out of bais or hatred but the simple fact of the murder of 20 children in Conn and the killing and abuse of mutliple Russian children at the hands of wonderful Amerkanski that adopted them and promised Mother Russia to take care of them and love them. If the Amerikanski women were not so flat chested, or barren then maybe they could have their own.

Greed, corrruption, drugs, violencve on tv and videos and being secualr. Oh yea Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cher, and LBTG. That in anutshell is what amerika has become

The thing this article fails to mention is how the Magnitsky Act really came about. Sergey Magnitsky was a lawyer for a US company representing a investment firm. Russian government officials embezzeled $230 million dollars from this company which Sergey Magnitsky reported. He was thrown in jail, beaten and died there. And his case was handled by the same people he accused of the theft. So the Magnitsky Act bans those officials involved in the theft and Magnitsky's death from entering the US (or holding any assets there).

In retaliation (although one questions why retaliation is even necessary), the Russian congress wants to stop Americans from adopting Russian orphans. Homeless children has been a problem Russian has long been unable to resolve. Now it wants to make it worse to retaliate ?

This is nothing more than sheer primitive greed and stupidity. Russia is securing its place as the world's cess-pool of crime and order.

Greed, corrruption, drugs, violencve on tv and videos and being secualr. Oh yea Michael Jackson, Madonna, Cher, and LBTG. That in anutshell is what amerika has become

Yes, it's so much better in Russia. You should move there.

Larry, I guess John Q. prefers the Russian approach where they lock up their rock singers and ban gays. You're right, he should move there, especially since he has such a problem with American women (and, given his attitude, I'm sure they have an even bigger problem with him).

Shut up, John.. "Flat chested" and "barren".. Pff, not everyone that adopts is "barren", most actually have children of their own and want to give another child a chance at a better life. (My uncle adopted a girl from Chile) As for your "Flat chested" comment, everyone is different - I myself am very curvy, and I have friends who are sticks - who're you to judge? Sickening..

R-A Girl,

I am convinced that JohnQPublic has an IQ slightly above or below retarded and hates himself. I'm not even sure if he is worthy of engaging in any intelligent conversation. He seems more bent on hatred for western freedom and insulting women he doesn't even know than generating any useful debating points....which runs full circle back to an extremely low IQ. At any rate, you will not be receiving anything in the form of an intelligent response. It's best to ignore people like this.

Just remember that the ones that protest the loudest are usually the most guilty.

What the heck does being flat chested have to do with anything? I need to backtrack here!!! I think the bottomline is all children need homes. No matter where they are.

Russians are genuinely concerned about the well being of kids adopted by American Families. The article on the front page of the major Russia newspaper today read : American woman got 99 years behind bars for gluing her child’s hands to the wall. American adoptive parents of Russian children walk away with probation or 5-10 year sentences for murder of their adopted kids.” There were quite a few cases in recent years where kids adopted from Russia ages 2 and up were killed by their adoptive American parents who got away with ridiculous prison sentences or even probation. Russia media keeps a close eye on that type of news and they always surface in Russian newspapers. So would you blame Russians for voicing their concern. At the same time, I know so many wonderful families who adopted Russian kids and gave them a second chance at life. I doubt Russia will place ban on American adoptions but I am glad that they got America’s attention to the problem.

I was born and raised in Russia and moved to USA 15 years ago. It is so interesting for me to watch these dynamics in relationships between the two countries. Each side is certain that the other one thinks of itself as superior. It is so untrue. People in Russia are fascinated by Americans. I see the exact same fascination here, in USA. The two countries are very similar in more ways than they realize. Merry Christmas and peace to all!

So John, you think it's better for Russian women to have their own children and then be unable to take care of them? Why are there Russian orphans? Where do your orphans come from? "Flat-chested, barren" American women are not making them!

John Q:

That's a very bad imitation of a Russian writing English. Go back under the bridge, troll.

God bless you. I know my children who are adopted from Russia are equally as grateful to be in the U.S.

Yank,

I guess it makes more sense to let innocent children rot in parentless orphanage just to spite a nation. How logic is woven into that mentality I will never know.

I vote we trade JohnQPublic to Russia for 100 parentless children.....nah, a 1 parentless child is worth more than that freedom hating pond scum so we'd have to at least get that....100 would be better...anyone put JQP.....if he hates it so much, leaving is always an option. I hear Afganistan enjoys a similar ethos...go away John...that's what people do in a free nation when they don't like their current situation...go find others of like mind and form your own damn nation.

JQP protests a bit too much about western decadence...and it's always the ones who protest so vehemently that drink the most koolaid....lol.

If a child has even half a chance of a better life with people who actually want them seems to me it matters not where they come from or where they go as long as they are loved and cared for. Americans adopt children from all over the world, not just Russia.

Russian birth parents have to sign away their rights and they are notified that their children may be adopted internationally. In addition, Americans have to go through a Russian court and be evaluated and convince a panel of people that they will be good parents. Russians love their children, and agreed to foreign adoption to begin with because they knew they don't have the resources to take care of them. It is out of love that they allowed foreign adoption. It is sad to see politics get in the way at the expense of the children.

I wonder how I would feel about Russians adopting American kids?

Ask yourself. Only you know.

flgrl, sounds like you had a good experience, however I wonder how many good experiences will overcome one bad one. The cost of lifetime mental support which many of these kids need will cost all of us much more than the few which turn out to be good citizens. Adopting overseas is a very selfish thing to do with so many in need here.

I had a fabulous experience. Twice. I have a huge network of friends who had fabulous experiences. Wanting children at all is selfigh. And that is ok. Having a biological child is a selfish thing when they are so many children in need - so what. I have those too. And they are wonderful. The people who I have seen who have gotten themselves in trouble (from online boards not personally - so grain of salt) have gone into adoption with the idea that love or god can cure all. It can't. Just as you would practice prenatal care if you are pregnant, you have to examine what these children have been exposed to both in utero and in the baby homes and how much you can handle. God and Love won't fix RAD or Fetal Alcohol Syndrome or a myriad of other issues. How many children here do you personally helped?

NOT True. My kids adopted from Russia have never received any special monthly payment or social services provided by tax payer funds. My biological children which who were preemies benefited tremendously from tax payer funded early intervention services. Don't make up stuff to promote your personal agenda.

Jasonhad, are you an idiot. I have two kids from Russia and our government never gave my one cent. What the hell are you talking about!

this is a boldfaced lie. we never got a dime from the government.

Have you ever tried to adopt an american child? I have. You wait for years. You never get selected. Or you get selected and you spend months and months planning for this wonderful new child for your family and the birthmom changes her mind (obviously her right) and then you are just wrecked emotionally and financially.

so true!!

It don't have to be a baby now does it? Like I said there are plenty of AMERICAN children that would love a home.

we wanted caucasian healthy babies. There are none in the U.S. So we went to Russia. It took us 3 months from start of application to coming back with our kids. Tell me where you can do that in America. And other people saw our healthy babies and they went to adopt healthy babies in Russia. They were tired of waiting in the U.S. White women in the U.S. generally keep their babies and raise them in poverty. Now that is selfish.

Selfish? Millions of American kids needing a family and you said no because you didn't find a white kid?!

yes wanted a caucasian