BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/02/2006

Belarus Officials Interview Local Parents

By Rebecca Wu

(KSDK) The St. Louis area has the greatest number of adopted children from Belarus, a former Soviet Union Republic. But in October 2004, the country suspended all international adoptions.

Sunday, Belarus officials were in St. Louis to determine whether or not to reopen the process. St. Louis was one of 6 cities in the country where Belarus officials were interviewing adoptive families.

Julie Kennedy and dozens of other local families showed up at Small World Adoption Foundation of Missouri to show Belarus officials why adoptions should be reopened.

Julie's daughter, Lexi was 10 months old when she was adopted from Belarus. Julie said, "She's smart. Very social. She's the light of my life." That's why Julie went back to adopt a second child. But the day the papers were to be finalized, Belarus suspended all international adoptions. She said, "It was the worst day of my life making the trip home and coming back without a baby."

So far, the Consul in charge of adoptions for Belarus liked what he saw. First Secretary Andrei Kozhan said, "Frankly speaking, I had only positive impressions."

Belarus officials want to see two things happen. One, they want a federal agency to oversee international adoptions. Two, they want the U.S. to ratify the Hague Convention which has guidelines for international adoptions.

The Cavanaughs feel blessed. They adopted Joe just days before the suspension. Jeff Cavanaugh said, "Within days we heard about Julie and her story and realized how close we were to losing him."

Joe spent nearly one year at the orphanage. Jeff said, "He was part of a group of 16 other boys who lived in 2 rooms in the orphanage. We think about those 14 who are still there all the time."

Joe's oldest sister Margaret recalled the day her parents brought him home. Margaret said, "I was really happy. Before we got him, I was scared. I was nervous."

All the interviews collected by the Embassy will be forwarded to the President of Belarus.

Source:

http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=92060