Russia renews U.S. adoption agencies' licenses

USA TODAY,  July, 2007  by Wendy Koch

Russia has reopened its doors to Americans who want to adopt children, re-accrediting seven adoption agencies based in the USA.

Licenses granted by Russia in the past two weeks will enable the agencies to resume help-ing Americans adopt from among the 700,000 Russian children in orphanages, says Lee Allen, spokesman for the private National Council For Adoption.

As many as 44 American agencies had been working in Russia, he says.

"This is the first positive movement we've seen in a long time," Allen says. "We're very encouraged by it."

Russia has been a top destination for Americans seeking to adopt foreign children, ranking third behind China and Guatemala in 2006, according to the State Department.

Last year, 3,706 Russian adoptees came to the USA, a decline from a peak of 5,865 in 2004.

The number of adoptions began slowing last year as the ...