March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb and, this year, will end without the re-accreditation of adoption agencies working in Russia.

As many of you already know, last Thursday, March 22, Russia's Ministry of Education, which oversees the adoption process for both foreign and domestic adoptions, asked all foreign adoption agencies for additional paperwork. I've spent the last week trying to get some clarity on what happened, and I'm now ready to pass it on.

Many, many of us had hoped that March 30 would be the day on which the 55 agencies that have already been approved as non-governmental organizations would also get their new accreditations to handle adoptions in Russia.

But no. The MoE last week said it wants proof that adopted children will receive citizenship and have the same rights as biological children. And yes, it makes me want to scream.

A lot of people have voiced their opinions as to why this is happening. So here are my two cents: This move is not directed at Americans and it is not an attempt to block adoptions by Americans.

Russia's new adoption process, which requires agencies to have NGO status and accreditation, is mandatory for all agencies worldwide. And while American families have adopted the most children from Russia every year since Russia was opened to international adoption, many other nationalities also seek adoptions there. The rights of citizenship and legal status may not be clear in every country. The MoE has to set up universal guidelines, however, which means everyone must produce the paperwork.

Here's what happens now. Many U.S. agencies have begun to gather the necessary new documents; some have already sent them. This is an easier job in some states than in others because some, like New Jersey, are very explicit in guaranteeing the legal rights of adopted children. The MoE will look the new paperwork over, but it must then submit it to the four other Russian ministries involved in the new adoption rules. Once everybody has had their look and say, the accreditation will be issued. The bad news--I've been told the law allows the four ministries to take up to two months to review the new documentation. It may not take that long, but we have to be prepared. The good news--The accreditations, once issued, will be permanent or as permanent as anything gets in Russia.

While Russia's new adoption rules were very much needed to correct abuses of the past, progress toward the revised system has been slow. In early March, I wrote about the National Council for Adoption's effort to encourage Russia to streamline the process and pick up the pace.

These changes have also caused prospective parents much stress and heartache. I'm going to sign off today by asking you all to spare a kind thought for the Goeppners. They got a call early this week that the children they have worked so hard to bring home are now being adopted by Russia families.