An American organisation offering to arrange Russian adoptions for Irish couples at costs as high as $20,000-plus has been criticised by Irish adoption groups.
The Frank Adoption Centre, based in North Carolina, held presentations in Cork and Dublin at the weekend at which costs and other details were provided. The Natural Parents' Network of Ireland criticised the holding of the meetings because the Frank Adoption Centre is not registered with the Adoption Board.
When the Hague Convention on inter-country adoption becomes law in Ireland, "organisations like the Frank Adoption Centre will then find their activities severely curtailed when state to state adoption becomes the norm," it said.
The Adopted People's Association urged the Government to press ahead with the implementation of the Hague Convention.
The Frank Adoption Centre says it works with Frank Foundation/Child Assistance International which provides social services to underprivileged children in the former Soviet Union and has arranged more than 2,500 adoptions since 1991.
The list of costs given to parents at the Irish meetings includes, for children aged six-12 months, an application/agency fee of $2,300, "foreign costs" of $4,500, "support costs" of $9,000 (this goes to the Frank Foundation), $70 for a "parent(s') letter of invitation to enter Russia", up to $4,300 for travel, accommodation and other fees within Russia, $185 for passports and visas plus airfare to Russia. The total is about $20,000 plus airfares.
There is a $1,000 per child reduction for people adopting twins. For a baby and toddler there is a reduction of $3,000 per child and for two "pre-schoolers" the reduction is $6,500 per child.