Foreigners adopt far more disabled children than Russians – deputy minister

(Interfax – March 22, 2013)

According to data from the Russian Education and Science Ministry, over the last few years foreign citizens have adopted several times more disabled children than Russians have, privately-owned Interfax news agency reported on 22 March.

“If we look at the number of disabled children adopted, we see that for Russian citizens this is 40 in 2010, 38 in 2011 and 29 in 2012. Respectively, 148, 176 and 171 were adopted by foreign citizens. That is, there are individual cases when it is indeed necessary to be guided by the child’s interests, when high-tech medical assistance is needed, which, let’s assume, it is difficult to provide in our country,” Deputy Education Minister Igor Remorenko said at a session of the State Duma on adoption issues.

Remorenko also noted that foreign adoptions only took place where adopters were not found for children in Russia within eight months.

“This period could probably be increased, considered, but in individual cases, in our view, it seems justified. First of all, when it is a matter of preserving children’s lives, of seeking medical help which cannot be provided in our country,” he said.