Be My Voice

In February of 2009, former Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic, Igor Chudinov, placed a moratorium on all intercountry adoptions, citing fraud and abuses of the system by government officials, orphanages and adoption service providers. This official moratorium came nearly one year after Kyrgyz orphans had been matched with US and Canadian families who were awaiting court dates to complete the adoptions; court dates which should have been scheduled six to eight weeks from the time the families and children were matched.

During the moratorium, the government tasked itself with the investigation of all adoption cases and development of new laws and regulations for future adoptions. Sixteen months since the official moratorium was called, and more than two years since many of the children and families began to wait for court dates to complete the adoptions:

- Two of the matched children have died and one has suffered profound brain damage due to inadequate medical care;
- The investigations regarding fraud and abuse continue, despite the fact that all matched children have been vetted and declared legal orphans;
- The new laws and regulations, which were drafted shortly before the overthrow of former President Bakiev’s government in April, remain unsigned;
- Approximately 65 Kyrgyz children who have been matched with families abroad remain in Kyrgyz orphanages. Most of these children have medical and emotional issues that need urgent attention;
- Approximately 65 US and Canadian families remain committed to providing safe, loving, permanent families for these children.

The future of these children remains uncertain as Kyrgyzstan’s provisional government, in an effort to restore human rights and democracy in their country, focuses on the important work of restoring order, drafting a new constitution, and holding elections in the coming months.