This is a very nice way to end the month of January: Seven more adoption agencies have been accredited by the Russian government. The decrees, all dated January 28, cover three agencies from the United States, and one each from France, Italy, Spain and Sweden.

Here's who they are and a little bit about what they do:

The agencies accredited from the U.S. are ABC Adoption Services of Roanoke, Virginia, Beacon House Adoption Services of Pensacola, Florida, and... more

Who cares about finding a Wii for Christmas when there are this many accreditations popping?

Yesterday, I told you that I had confirmed the re-accreditation of six agencies. I've got six more definites today, plus two that have been signed but are not yet on the Ministry of Education's list of decrees and one that has cleared all of the necessary Russian government agencies and is back at the MoE for signature. Yes, that only adds up to 15, and as I noted yesterday, Marshall Williams, the vice president of international adoptions and family services at Gladney... more

Folks,

A quick post to say YES, the rumor you are hearing is true. A new batch of adoption agencies will be getting their accreditation from the Ministry of Education on Friday, December 21.

There is nothing on the MoE's database yet, but I have confirmed this news with six American agencies so far today. I have calls out to two dozen more, and another dozen or so more calls to make.

How many more agencies could be involved? Maybe another 10, but according to one agency representative I spoke with today, they may not all be from the United... more

Apologies. A host of reasons--personal, professional and most of all technical--kept me from getting this news to you as fast as I should have: There has been a new round of accreditations issued in Russia. The accreditations apparently were signed on November 22 or 23, but word of them did not get out until last week.

The list includes nine agencies, four of which are American, and the rest from Belgium, Canada, Israel and Italy. That was somewhat disappointing news to those of us who have been waiting for a large group of American agency re-accreditations. But given... more

It's nice to see some good finally coming of the mess that was Yunona USA.

If you've been in the world of adoptions from Russia for a long time, the last two words of that first sentence probably have you spitting fire by now. Of all the scammers that have decided to try their hand at adoptions, Napa, Calif,-based Yunona was undoubtedly the worst. California prosecutors last year determined that it ripped off over $1.1 million from more than 100 couples and families across the United States trying to adopt from Russia before it was shut down in 2005. The new accreditation... more

Two employees at Children's Hope International have been found to have forged documents in connection with adoptions in Russia.

The story was first reported by Missouri television station KSDK on Tuesday evening. Children's Hope, which handles adoptions in almost every state in the U.S. through its 16 regional offices, posted this statement from its executive director, Dwyatt Gantt, about the forgeries... more

There might not be a picture frame big enough for the Russian Ministry of Education's decree No. 253: That piece of paper, dated September 12 and posted to the ministry's Web site today, makes Small World Adoption Foundation of Missouri the 13th U.S. adoption agency to be re-accredited to operate in Russia.

Brenda Henn, Small World's director of operations, sounded ecstatic when I got her on the phone a few minutes ago. "I might be headed out to buy champagne this... more

What a great way to end the week: Five more U.S. adoption agencies have been accredited by the Russian government. The July 19 round of accreditations also included one agency each in Israel, Spain and France.

The American agencies are Pittsburgh-based Adopt-A-Child, Adoption Associates in Jennison, Mich., European Adoption Consultants of Strongsville, Ohio, Rhode Island-based Gift... more

Recently, somebody I know asked me if I would talk to somebody they knew about adopting an older child from Russia, a child this person had found on an adoption photolisting site.

I hesitated.

Not because I don't like talking about adoption. I love talking about adoption from Russia and I will talk with anyone about it anytime. Heck, I write the equivalent of a book about it every month on this Web site.

Not because the person was considering an older child. The younger of my two sons was nearly five when he came home from... more

I wrote last week that eight American agencies had been accredited by the Russian government to handle adoptions. I was wrong--and right.

Let me explain.

As you can now see at the top of the Web site for the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, seven agencies were accredited. They are Catholic Social Services of the Diocese of Charlotte, Children's Home Society & Family Services, ... more