January 26, 2012

EAC is hearing rumors that the Duma will be meeting in February to dicuss the possibility of ratifying the Bi-Lateral agreement. It is our understanding that once the agreement is implemented only Hague Accredited agencies will be able to work in Russia. This will end independent adoption from Russia.

July 13, 2011

Notice: Secretary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov Sign Adoption Agreement

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL EAC AT 866-586-5656

The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security announced today, July 13, 2011, that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signed a bilateral adoptions agreement that will strengthen procedural safeguards in adoptions between our countries.

This Agreement will provide additional safeguards to better protect the welfare and interests of children and all parties involved in intercountry adoptions. Under the Agreement, only adoption agencies authorized by the Russian government will be able to operate in Russia and provide services in adoptions covered by the Agreement, except in the case of an adoption of a child by his or her relatives. This will largely eliminate independent adoptions from Russia and create a better defined framework for intercountry adoptions between the United States and Russia. The Agreement also includes provisions designed to improve post-adoption reporting and monitoring and to ensure that prospective adoptive parents receive more complete information about adoptive children’s social and medical histories and anticipated needs.

The United States is committed to working with the Russian Federation on implementing the provisions laid forth in this Agreement as soon as it enters into force.

The Department of State will publish criteria, procedures, and clear guidance related to the Agreement on adoption.state.gov prior to the Agreement's entry into force.

To find out more: Please visit the Department of State's FAQs (click here) on the Agreement and the Department of Homeland Security's FAQs on procedural implications.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL EAC AT 866-586-5656

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December 15, 2010

U.S. - Russian Joint Statement on Intercounty Adoption - 6/24/10

Delegations from the United States and Russia met December 1-3, 2010 in Washington, D.C. for the fifth round of talks on a bilateral agreement regarding intercountry adoptions. The talks were fruitful, and further progress was made. Several key issues remain under discussion; however, both sides remain committed to reaching an agreement. A decision on scheduling future talks will be taken once both sides complete respective interagency reviews of the draft text.

July 27, 2010 

Friday, May 14, 2010 

A U.S. interagency team met with their Russian counterparts in Moscow May 12 – 14 to discuss an adoption agreement.  This most recent round of negotiations ended Friday, May 14, after three days of positive and productive talks.  Both sides are committed to the common goal of increasing safeguards for adoption between Russia and the United States.   “We listened to each other’s concerns and made significant progress toward an agreement that will improve the safeguards in the inter-country adoption process,” said the head of the U.S. delegation.  The meeting participants shared their views on how to improve existing processes to better protect the children and families involved in inter-country adoption.  The discussions were detailed and concerned specific issues, including the domestic laws and international obligations of both countries.

The negotiating teams are working on language of a draft agreement and plan to meet again in the coming weeks.  The next meeting will likely be in Washington in June.

It is our understanding that there has been no change in the status of on-going inter-country adoptions originating from Russia. Many thousands of Russian children, who were not adopted by Russian families, have found loving, safe and permanent homes in the United States through inter-country adoption.  We are pleased to be discussing with the Russian government a future approach to ensure inter-country adoptions continue.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Preliminary reports are being released by various news sources stating that a tentative agrement has been reached between the US and Russian governments. Click here to read the CNN World report. We applaud the efforts of both governments to come to this agreement, avoiding a stoppage of international adoption between our countries.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Click here for the latest update issued by The US State Department. Adoptions are continuing to be processed, although we have experienced minor delays in some regions. Please continue to refer to the State Department website for updates.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Click here for EAC's latest update. The US State Department issued a new announcement today. To summarize their statement: Adoptions are continuing to be completed, and there has not been a "freeze" implemented as of this date. Please continue to refer to the State Department website for updates.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Click here for the latest information regarding the incident in the update below.

Friday, April 9, 2010

EAC is aware of the unfortunate incident involving a young Russian adoptee. We continue to monitor the situation and will update our families as additional information becomes available. We appreciate your concern and patience during this time.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The Adoption Tax Credit (ATC), which was scheduled to expire in 2010, was extended for one-year (through December 31, 2011).   The highlights of the ATC are;

• The maximum credit was increased from $12,150 to $13,170,
• The ATC is now retroactive to January 1, 2009.  This represents a potential increase of $1,000 for adoptive families.
• The ATC was made refundable.  If a family has no tax liability, the IRS will refund the amount due.

The extension of the ATC through 2011, was passed as part of the health care reform bill which was signed into law by President Obama on Monday, March 22, 2010.   There was some concern that the ATC would be included in the reconciliation process, however JCICS has confirmed that it is not part of reconciliation.  This means that the ATC is law until December 31, 2011.

Monday, March 22, 2010

The first quarter of 2010 is off to a tremendous start! Our Russian program has brought home 37 children year to date. We hope to have an additional 5-7 children home by the end of this month! The referrals continue to come very quickly from most regions! Contact us today to find out how you can become part of this wonderful program, 1-866-566-5656.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 EAC/Russia Adoption Statistics
● Total Adoptions - 222
● 103 Girls and 119 Boys
● Average Age - 23 months old
● Average Wait Time - under 6 months!
___(File submission to referral)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Twenty-three families have completed their adoptions from Russia to date for the month of July! Call 800-533-0098 to get started today!!

Ten families are in Russia today! EAC staff is assisting the families as they maneuver through their Russia process. EAC needs more families! Babies and sibling groups are waiting for families. The wait times for boys is often only a few months!

In May, 21 children returned from Russia with their new families!!

We experienced many changes throughout Russia. Additional documents have been required in many regions. The good news is this has not caused any delays.

In many regions, paperwork and procedures required for issuing the child's documents may require longer stays or additional trips. On a positive note, EAC families are maneuvering the system fairly quickly.

12 Children came home from Russia this month. Currently, the wait time for boys has been very short in some regions. Referrals have been coming within a couple of months in most cases.

Several agencies have closed their doors in the past month leaving some families in an unfortunate circumstance. Many of these families have been contacting EAC to see how we can help. If you are in a similar situation, please feel free to call us at 866.586.5656 with questions or register online and let us know your agency has left your stranded.

EAC is proud to announce we have re-opened our Alex's Angels program. Alex's Angels is a reduced fee adoption program aimed at bringing home older children, older sibling groups, and children with special needs. Click Here or contact us for additional details and fees.

EAC is proud to announce that we have received confirmation from the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation that our accreditation will remain intact and valid. Our staff is honored to be allowed to assist in completing your forever family!

European Adoption Consultants, Inc. is proud to announce that we have received our non-expiring Russian Accreditation!!!

EAC's official Russian Accreditation

You can also view the letter sent to us from the Ministry of Education confirming our Accreditation with the english translation is located on the document's second page.

We would like to thank each and every adoptive parent who has been patient and understanding during this re-accreditation process. We look forward to complete your family as soon as possible.

Call 1-800-533-0098 or email us to get your adoption started!

European Adoption Consultants, Incorporated has received their NGO Registration Number (NGO#003)!!! As of 2006, the Russian Federation now requires two separate accreditations for all foreign non-governmental agencies (NGO) completing adoptions. We. are optimistic that we will be granted our accreditation from the Ministry of Education, the second governmental accrediting body.