WHAT'S NEW IN THE

FRUA PRESS ROOM

2.21.13...FRUA message to waiting families...THE U.S. State Dept. urgently needs more nformation from you:

State Dept. Information request

1.10.13...Stakeholder update on Russian adoption ban:

Stakeholder update

1.3.13...US Dept. of State issues update on state of bi-lateral agreement on intercountry adoption with Russia:

US Intercountry adoption update on Russian ban

12.28.12...FRUA issues statement on

Russian ban on adoption by Americans:

FRUA press room. statement on Russian ban

12.27.12...US Dept. of State Office of Children's Issues adds new email address for waiting families.

This afternoon in a conference call with stakeholders which include FRUA Acting National Chair, Jan Wondra, the State Dept announced that in addition to its in-process family registration area (Adoption.state.gov - Russian Adoptions) it has added a direct email for waiting familes to communicate: russiaadopt@state.gov.

In Russia, the Us Embassy is remaining open thorugh the weekend trying to complete processing of INS, visas and exit interviews for all adoptions which have been completed. Russian government offices will be open tomorrow, then close for the extended Russian holiday. State dept. is urging all familys in-country to attmept to clear and leave Russia by Janaury 1st, 2013.

Our State Dept. still has not received official word that adoption by Americans will cease, and there is no word on how the Russian government plans to imlement the bill. State is taking the stance that all adoptions in-process should be allowed to be finalized on the basis of humanitarian grounds.

As we learn more FRUA will post the information here.FRUA will begin to put up a media page with press stories involved FRUA familiies, as a sub page of our press room:

This Radio Free Europe story broke just as President Putin signed the bill: http://www.rferl.org/content/us-

families-hope-as-russia-moves-to-ban-adoptions/24810848.html

12.27.12 Breaking news....Putin Signs bill banning adoption of Russian Orphans by Americans. FRUA will issue a statement later today. This is the first news link on the subject and more will follow:

http://www.rferl.org/content/us-families-hope-as-russia-moves-to-ban-adoptions/24810848.html

12.26.12...Update from U.S. Dept. of State's Office of Children's Issues (OCI):

FRUA has received a direct request from the OCI.... there is no official list of pre-adoptive families who are in-process in Russia because the United States has no laws in place to track this....IF YOU ARE A PRE-ADOPTIVE FAMILY IN PROCESS IN RUSSIA, PLEASE REGISTER YOUR INFORMATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT YOUR ARE ON THE FACTUAL LIST OF WAITING FAMILIES; THE OCI NEEDS TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE....go to the link below to register and please pass this information along to any who you belive need to know:

Adoption.state.gov - Russian Adoptions

12.26.12...RUSSIAN PARLIMENT VOTES TO BAN ADOPTION OF RUSSIAN ORPHANS BY US CITIZENS.

FULL STORY HERE

US-RUSSIAN ADOPTION AGREEMENT ENTERS INTO FORCE NOV. 1, 2012.

FULL STORY HERE

Recent and noteworthy stories:

June 2, 2010: FRUA National Chair Sue Gainor was one of the guests on the Dr. Phil Show on international adoption.  While FRUA is concerned that the show's tone was overly negative, we are heartened by the opportunity for more long term opportunity to present FRUA's overall message of hope, help and community.  Read our chair's contribution to the show blog here:

http://community.drphil.com/profile.blog/suegainor/

April 21, 2010: FRUA National Chair Sue Gainor and Advisory Board member, Nadya Molina were interviewed on a one-hour internet radio show on CreatingaFamily.com, hosted by Dawn Davenport. Topic was the current crisis regarding Russian adoptions in the wake of the Torry Hansen case.

http://www.creatingafamily.org/radioshow.html

FRUA teen, Alex Griffith, adopted from Russia at six – gives back to his orphanage...read more

2009 FRUA Press Releases:

FRUA Completes Orphanage Support projects in Republic of Georgia...read more

FRUA awards first FRUA Teen Scholarship to...read more

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