ASK THE CONSUL: VICE CONSUL MICHAEL KATULA DISCUSSES U.S. ADOPTION POLICY

Hello. My name is Michael Katula and I am a consular officer at the United States' Consulate in Kyiv, Ukraine, and I am here to talk about adoption policy and to answer some of the more frequently asked questions that we receive on the subject.

The most common question that the Embassy gets on adoptions is "What is the United States' policy on intercountry adoptions?"

The United States believes that domestic adoption should always be the first option pursued. However, when domestic adoption is not possible - when parents for children cannot be found domestically - we believe that intercountry adoption is the next best possibility, so we support this. In all cases, the United States supports finding families for children, and not the other way around.

Another interesting note on this topic is that the United States will ratify the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption in December of 2007. Additionally, the United States supports Ukraine's efforts to approve legislation that would pave the way for Ukraine's own accession to this convention. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption increases transparency in the adoption process and helps to protect children being adopted.

One of the other commonly asked questions that we get here is, "How many Ukrainian children have been adopted by American parents over the last five years?"

American parents have adopted approximately 3,800 orphan children from Ukraine over the last five years. Despite the temporary suspension of adoptions in Ukraine due to the closure of the national adoption center in 2006, American parents continue to file dossiers to begin the adoption process in Ukraine, and this is ongoing.

One of the other questions we often are asked is, "what is the biggest issue between the United States and Ukraine right now in the area of intercountry adoption?"

When American parents adopt in Ukraine, they agree to periodically inform Ukrainian diplomats in the United States of the well being of the child or children they adopted. This is done through a post placement report, or PPR for short. The majority of American parents fulfill this responsibility. However, the United States Government cooperates with the Ukrainian Government, American adoption agencies and adoptive parents in a continuing effort to increase the number of reports filed.

Adopted children in the United States have the same rights and protections as any other child does. Everyone associated with the adopted child - doctors, teachers and other adults - have the responsibility to report any suspicions of abuse, whether physical or emotional. People who fail to do this can be held accountable.

If you're interested in learning more about United States' adoption policy, adoption in Ukraine, or any other visa related issue, please visit our website: http://kyiv.usembassy.gov.

Thanks very much for listening.