Conference Call with Ambassador Taubman 11/29/05

The new US Ambassador to Romania, Ambassador Taubman, held a conference call 11/29/05 to address the pending adoption cases with Romania. Sadly, the entire effort to bring these children to a loving home has stalled. This analysis of the call is from a respected adoption agency director that deals with international adoption.

Dear Families - I listened into the conversation with Ambassador Taubman yesterday. The conversation last about one hour. The Ambassador had just been sworn in hours earlier. A number of families from across the U.S. were part of the conference call. These are the points made by the new Ambassador and the Undersecretary as I remember them:

1. Of the 101 cases that the Romanian Adoption Commission reviewed, 94 of the cases were refused or closed. This means that the RAC has made a final determination about the fate of these children. They will not be placed with U.S. families. It is not exactly known what the fate of each child is. They suspect that some form of re-integration has taken place.

2. Of the 7 remained cases that were reviewed and left open, 5 of the children could be finally placed with Americans living in Romania currently who will possibly meet the new domicile requirements of five years. The other 2 children are being adopted by Romanian grandparents in accordance with the new adoption laws that went into effect in January.

3. The other cases have not been reviewed by the RAC or if they have, the RAC is not revealing that information to the Dept. of State.

4. A letter should be forthcoming from the Dept. of State to the other waiting families in the next few weeks. It will be a letter rather than a phone call.

5. European families have been treated in the same manner as U.S. families regarding adoption. There has been no favoritism shown not withstanding a charge that the Italian government presented about 100 dossiers in December 2004 with success.

6. The Ambassador says it will be a top priority of his 3.5 year term to raise the issue of at "every level and at every opportunity...I will not give up on this issue."

7. The Ambassador stated that there is a complete lack of transparency in this whole review process. It is almost impossible to determine who is actually the agent of the government to refuse these cases. Even the President of Romania is culpable in denying families, especially after making overtures to the State Dept. that he would be sure to make sure the process was transparent.

8. Ambassador Taubman and Michael Guest before him have not been able to determine what the qualifications and metrics were in the RAC decision process. All Romanians involved just point to the new law without any concern for the emotional turmoil and hardship it has caused American or European families.

9. The Ambassador says that he will "press" the Romanian government for a basis for how they reached their decision. Right now he admitted that the Romanian government has no "credibility" with the U.S. government on this issue.

10. The Ambassador is attempting to understand whether the pressure is coming from Brussels regarding adoption or if it focused in Bucharest. Many families voiced their opinion that it was coming from Bucharest.

11. Families listening into the conversation requested that the new ambassador create a liaison with families in Bucharest. He says that if he can't get credible information from the Romanian government, his surrogates certainly won't be able to access this information.

12. The Ambassador stated that he has a "few arrows left in his quiver," but he will have to live in Bucharest for awhile before he can determine whether or not they will be effective. He says that he didn't won't to give anyone false hopes because "I don't see things changing this month or next month."

13. Waiting families who wish to contact the Department of State can email the Office of Children's Issues at askci@state.gov.