> Russell H. Sirman &
>
> Mami Nishimune
>
> 9 Ridgewood Road
>
> West Hartford, CT. 06107

# October 18. 2003 

> The Honorable Colin Powell Secretary of State
>
> United States Department of State Washington, D.C.
>
> Dear Secretary Powell
>
> As recent adoptive parents, we are writing to express our grave
> reservations regarding the Hague Convention on International
> Adoptions. Simply stated, we urge the U.S. Department of State to
> reconsider support for the Hague agreement as it is currently
> constituted. Our opposition centers on the fact that this agreement
> will mean the death knell for hundreds of small, independent adoption
> agencies such as Thursday\'s Child Inc, We worked with Thursday\'s
> Child to adopt our son Joshua, and we can personally attest to the
> caring and dedication that small agencies bring to their clients.
>
> Although the Hague Convention admirably seeks to ameliorate many of
> the abuses and uncertainties inherent in international adoptions, it
> does so at too high a cost for America\'s small adoption agencies.
> Three points, in particular, are especially damaging.
>
> First, under the current provisions, only a few private organizations
> would be appointed for accrediting international adoption agencies.
> These organizations, such as the Council on Accreditation, charge
> outrageously exorbitant fees ranging up to \$50,000. No small agency
> currently in operation can afford this. Thursday\'s Child would simply
> have to shut down. Thirty years of providing caring, personal service
> to clients would be lost.
>
> Second, in a related vein, the Hague regulations would require large
> amounts of insurance coverage that small to medium, size adoption
> agencies cannot hope to pay for. Even large agencies would be hard
> pressed to carry the new premiums, and all agencies would be forced to
> pass this cost on to clients. Exceptionally wealthy clients might be
> able to handle the higher costs. However, tens of thousands of
> middle-income people who want to adopt would be forced to abandon
> their dream of children. At a time when HIV/AIDS is creating tens of
> millions of new orphans and the overall demand for placements is
> rising internationally, why would the United States support an
> agreement that will significantly shrink the prospective pool of
> adoptive parents?
>
> Third, the new licensing regulations in the Hague agreement are not
> only too expensive they are also unnecessarily stringent. The
> standards would require that all agency workers have a Master\'s
> degree in social work. This would force many dedicated professionals
> with degrees in other related fields such as counseling and education
> to leave the adoption field. Iris Arrington-Fuller, the Director of
> Thursday\'s Child, is perhaps more knowledgeable about international
> adoption and working with adoptive families than nearly any individual
> in the United States. Yet under the current Hague provisions, she
> would have to stop running her agency she could find the time to get
> an M.A. in social work.
>
> Adoption is a long, difficult and often heart-wrenching process, but
> the rewards are immeasurable. Small agencies like Thursday\'s Child
> provide clients with caring, individual service that is simply not
> available anywhere else. The honesty, integrity and effectiveness of
> such small agencies are well documented. Unfortunately, The Hague
> agreement does nothing to help ensure that thousands of small agencies
> can survive. The intentions are well meaning, and as we can personally
> attest, changes in international adoption procedures are needed.
> However, such changes must not be allowed to destroy our nation\'s
> incredible network of small adoption agencies. The Hague agreement
> must be changed to meet the minimum survival requirement of small
> adoption agencies or else millions of children will ultimately pay the
> price for our haste.
>
> Very truly yours,
>
> Russell H. Sirman, Ph.D.
>
> Mami Nishimune