| It had been three long years for both Karen and | | | | they would adopt, they assumed that their |
| David Richards. They had been waiting to bring home | | | | applications had met the conditions. |
| a young Romanian girl to adopt. They had kept a | | | | The agency based in Windham provides humanitarian |
| photograph of Larissa on the side of their refrigerator | | | | aid in Romania and helped the New Hampshire families |
| only to be told at the last minute by their | | | | find children to adopt. The Director said that people |
| International Adoption Agency that she had been | | | | familiar with Romanian politics did not take the ban |
| adopted and placed with a Romanian Family | | | | too seriously at the time. |
| The Richards's are one of three families in New | | | | "If the moratorium is absolutely in effect, then |
| Hampshire and more than 100 in the United States | | | | Romanian officials would not be assigning children, but |
| that have been stuck in the middle of a complex | | | | they did," they said. "In many years Romania had |
| political situation involving Romania, the European | | | | rules, laws and regulations, but the sad thing is that in |
| Union and the United States. | | | | a country that's recovering from Communism, |
| During the course of the families' wait, Romania has | | | | everyone put their own interpretation into what was |
| continually tightened its policies on international | | | | law." |
| adoptions in an effort to get into the European Union. | | | | Once families had seen a face and heard a name, it |
| It now looks as if more families may end up with | | | | became harder for them to consider that the |
| news like the Richards’s | | | | adoptions might not go through. |
| "Sometimes even with the help of the right | | | | In January 2003, Romania enacted a permanent ban |
| International Adoption Agency, Overseas Adoptions | | | | on international adoptions, after the EU indicated that |
| don't always end as well as some people hope" | | | | such a law would be a requirement for the country's |
| For another family, the Cohn’s of Milford, the | | | | ascension. |
| situation was just as bad. "For the first year and a | | | | The Romanian Prime Minister said that all of the |
| half, we were very anxious," said Julie Ann Cohn, | | | | pipeline cases would be placed with Romanian families, |
| who filled out her application in 2002 and was | | | | according to the U.S. State Department and |
| matched with a Romanian girl named Katherina in | | | | Romanian press accounts. But last week, the |
| early 2003. "And now for us, it's more like it's sad. I | | | | European Union passed a resolution with an |
| feel like we've been in limbo for more than three | | | | amendment recommending that the country place |
| years just hoping and praying, but we just don't | | | | the pipeline cases with foreign adoptive families. |
| really know what's going to happen. We're waiting for | | | | The outcome isn't clear. Edgar Vasquez, a spokesman |
| a positive outcome." | | | | for the U.S. State Department, said it's difficult to |
| The situation in Romania was exacerbated by the fall | | | | predict what will happen to the adoptive families. |
| of Romania's Communist government in 1989, | | | | "Of course we hope," he said. "We're deeply |
| international attention was focused on the country's | | | | concerned." |
| thousands of orphans, many of whom lived in | | | | Julie Ann Cohn said that the recent news from |
| understaffed, state-run orphanages. Romania began | | | | Romania may mean the end of her wait. |
| offering abandoned children for international adoption | | | | "Once we know for sure that it's a no, absolutely set |
| in 1990, and many U.S. parents adopted them. But | | | | in stone, then we'll likely proceed to a different |
| reports of corruption over the years led to a series | | | | country," she said. "When I think my heart is ready |
| of temporary bans. Such a moratorium was in place | | | | for it." |
| when a family such as the Richards’s applied to | | | | Kathleen Richard said that she was relieved to hear |
| adopt. | | | | that Larissa had found a loving family, even if it |
| The International Adoption Agency that took the | | | | wasn't her own. |
| families' money and submitted their applications knew | | | | "I'm thankful that she finally has a family, because if |
| that there was a chance the applications wouldn't go | | | | she can't be with us, I wanted her to have a family," |
| through. But when all of the families received case | | | | she said. "That's what I was praying for. For me, it |
| numbers, names and photographs of the children | | | | was just like a Christmas gift for her. |