| Kyrgyzstan, once a major participant of the | | | | apprehensive about the future of this adoption |
| international adoption field, is now mentioned with | | | | program and their ability to continually offer this |
| nothing but contempt and spurn. The story of the 65 | | | | program now and in the future. However, neither |
| children awaiting their families has made it to the | | | | were prepared for the upcoming developments. |
| front pages of adoption blogs, became a heated | | | | Without officially instating a moratorium on |
| topic of discussion within many chatrooms, reached | | | | international adoption, Kyrgyzstan initiated a |
| several written publications, and is now a major | | | | comprehensive review of its adoption laws, provisions |
| concern for the US Department of State, Office of | | | | and regulations. While the final goal is to provide |
| Children's Issues. There is, however, a great hope | | | | better services to its citizens, and to foreign nationals |
| that the current situation will be resolved speedily and | | | | alike, it turned out to be a lengthier process than was |
| efficiently, and that these, and many other children, | | | | originally anticipated. There were several |
| will soon be with their forever families. | | | | governmental meetings held over the course of the |
| Going back to the moment when China released its | | | | past few months, some solely for the |
| new adoption regulations and provisions, effectively | | | | representatives of the authoritative bodies of the |
| making their adoption process cumbersome and | | | | Republic of Kyrgyzstan, and some involving |
| unreliable at best, Kyrgyzstan, along with other Asian | | | | representatives of foreign organizations, including |
| countries, stepped up to fill the void created by | | | | UNICEF, directed both at finalizing and accepting |
| China's decision. A neighboring country, Kyrgyzstan, | | | | proposed changes to the adoption regulations and |
| both geographically and ethnically closer to China than | | | | getting the process back on track. Kyrgyzstan |
| Russia, another major partaker in the field of | | | | officials expressed their support for the intercountry |
| international adoption, appealed to the american | | | | adoption process, however insist, that everything |
| parents with its transparent and straight forward | | | | must follow international conventions and the process |
| process, reasonable associated fees, and a general | | | | must be in the best interest of children. In a meeting |
| reliability of the program. For some time Kyrgyzstan | | | | with several members of Kyrgyz Parliament UNICEF |
| was a viable alternative, and soon became a primary | | | | representatives urged everyone to consider Hague |
| program that parents asked about and considered, | | | | Convention on Intercountry Adoptions when |
| many naming Kyrgyzstan as the only option | | | | implementing new regulations, and United States, |
| considered. Things, however, rapidly declined at the | | | | having recently ratified the Convention, has |
| end of 2008. | | | | expressed its understanding of certain aspects that |
| Kyrgyzstan met 2009 with several changes to their | | | | Kyrgyzstan is facing to become compliant with the |
| regulatory bodies, initiating some worries and raising | | | | convention requirements. |
| concerns with both prospective adoptive parents and | | | | Situation in Kyrgyzstan is continually monitored by the |
| international adoption service providers alike. | | | | Department of State and adoption service providers' |
| Prospective adoptive parents needed to know that | | | | representatives. The upcoming meeting of the |
| their adoption process would not be interrupted, that | | | | Kyrgyz officials should be the next stepping stone on |
| their children will be coming home in time, that their | | | | the road to bring these children home to their |
| families will be once and forever united and can finally | | | | families, and to reopen this, once a very dependable |
| be home together. Adoption service providers shared | | | | program, for the future prospective adoptive families. |
| these concerns with their families, but were also | | | | |