What the U.S. Can Learn From Russia’s Children

In the Federation of Russia, every day a child is born that will wake up one day as an adolescent, in an orphanage, having no memory of a family Christmas, a mother’s loving gaze, a school classroom, or a green soccer field. This child may not understand why their family didn’t want them, or that they have a chance to do something great in life despite their physical or mental disability. All they know are the walls that surround them and the lonely cries from the other children at night calling out for someone to save them.

Fighting for the dignity and worth of these children as well as their social and economic equality is what the Russian government should be doing, but is it?

Country Profile: Russia

As of Feb 2019, the CIA reports Russia has a population of 142.1 million with about 74.4 percent of people living in urban areas. Many Russian orphanages are designated numbers, such as “baby house #1” and located outside of urban areas. The Moscow Times reports that Russia’s economy has improved since the dissolution of the Soviet Union; climbing from tenth to sixth on the list of the world’s wealthiest economies. Economic reforms in Russia have stalled in recent years, however, and Russia remains a predominantly statist economy with a high concentration of wealth in officials’ hands. According to a UNICEF Situation Analysis, the poverty risk for children at the end of 2006 was almost twice as high as for the general population (21.5 percent versus 12.8 percent).

Russia’s Institutionalization of Children

Children with disabilities. Among the 21.5% of children at high risk for poverty are those living in orphanages, many of whom have physical and/or mental developmental disabilities. The institutionalization of these children has led to a dire situation in which thousands of Russian children are growing up in orphanages without the stability of a nurturing family environment. Many of these children are ostracized; unwanted by their families and society at large. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that in 2018, more than 45 percent of the country’s total population of children with disabilities were institutionalized. In 2018 there were also reports of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse in state institutions for children. Children with disabilities continue to be the most vulnerable.

Entrance Into Orphanages. According to this international journalist, in 2012, 5,757 newborns were refused by their parents after birth, and in 2013 the number increased to 6,230. When a birth mother decides she doesn’t want her child, she is able to easily release custody to the state before her drive home from the hospital. The baby is then automatically taken to a “baby house” where it is put with other unwanted babies in an overcrowded nursery.

The deplorable conditions of these orphanages are no secret and have been widely publicized. How and why so many babies are abandoned by their mothers may come as a surprise to many, however. As it turns out, Russian doctors have been known to persuade mothers to sign over their babies to the state right after birth before there’s a chance for mother and baby to bond.

Often, many mothers are told right away that their child has a disability, but aren’t informed about the severity of it. During this short time after birth, mothers are in a fragile physical and emotional state. This is not a time where the brain is able to rationalize normally and make important life decisions. The news that one’s child might have some sort of developmental disability might come as a complete shock, and bring to mind pictures of deformed limbs and wheelchairs.

If mothers aren’t given information about the severity of the disability, they may assume the worst. Without seeing the baby after birth, there’s no way to know what “disability” could mean. By not allowing babies to stay with mothers, it’s much easier for mothers to make rash decisions about the future of their babies.

One Russian mother said, after her baby was born, that the first thing she heard was “look what you gave birth to,” from the doctor. It is unknown why doctors seem to be so eager to encourage mothers to abandon their babies, but data suggest the reason could be monetary.

The most recent UNICEF report states that the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) committee is seriously concerned about the “widespread practice of (Russian) children being forcibly separated from their parents….and the lack of support and assistance to reunite families.” Further, the Committee states that “mothers are often separated from their children immediately upon discharge from the hospital and the children are returned only for a large sum of money that most mothers cannot afford.”

What is the reason for this? In a documentary about Russian orphans, Galina Lobova shares that in 1989, when she was born, a lot of Russian doctors “made parents leave their children at orphanages, saying they couldn’t cope,” in reference to disabled babies.

Societal Ramifications. The North American Council on Adoptable Children has said that institutions frequently produce adverse psychological effects that negatively impact people throughout their lives, and not having a family, equal right to an education, health care or social well being doesn’t give a person any footing to establish a life for themselves. In addition, institutions are extremely expensive and create unnecessary financial burdens.

These children have the ability to one day work and contribute to society, but they are still viewed as a burden and not given a chance to prove themselves. Clearly, institutionalizing them does not benefit the child or society at large.

Even though the Russian government has taken steps to encourage families to foster, the number of Russian children with special needs placed in foster families remains low, according to the U.N Committee on the Rights of the Child, and children with disabilities continue to be stigmatized and vulnerable.

Social Enhancement Strategies

Adoptions

History. The adoption of Russian orphans into American families was seen as a viable solution to this problem beginning in 1992, when the Russian government started allowing adoptions to the United States. Children were being adopted rapidly into American families at increasing rates from 1992 to 2000, and then the rate slowly declined from 2000 to 2013, according to the Adoptive Families Network.

Approximately 60,000 children total were adopted from 1992 to 2013. Americans were paying up to $25,000 per orphan and additional money for traveling to Russia to meet the orphans. Business was booming for many private adoption agencies, many of which were legitimate. Therein a problem emerged. There were so many orphans leaving the country that both Russia and the United States couldn’t keep track of their whereabouts, their status, or their safety. Over time, cases of child abuse, neglect, and even death surfaced in the media. The Russian public was outraged, and in 2013 the Russian government finally put a ban on all U.S adoptions. The Prime Minister of Russia said on camera that he wasn’t going to lose more “Russian Blood” to America.

This ban left Russia in a position, however, where they would have to find another way to take care of their children without the help of America. Russia recognized that there were no effective mechanisms in place to protect Russian children from potential abuse and neglect or hold these families accountable.

Controversy. This ban shocked the world, and child's rights activist groups were enraged. Many adoption agencies and pro-adoption advocates have rallied to allow Russia to open adoptions again.

There are many public perceptions and opinions about this. On one hand, allowing adoptions means children from Russia are given another chance at a life with a loving family. On the other hand, these adopted children lose permanent access to their Russian cultural identity, heritage, and language. They do this unwillingly, being too young to decide what’s in their own best interest.

Article IIX of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child states that parties shall “ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except when competent authorities subject to judicial review determine, in accordance with applicable law and procedures, that such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child.”

Nineteen adopted Russian children had tragically died in the care of their adoptive families here in America, and each case was widely publicized in Russia. Given that these children were adopted into American families that allowed their neglect and ultimate death, separation from their orphanages in Russia was clearly not in their best interest.

The Russian people took these deaths to heart and didn’t understand why these families were not punished according to their own domestic laws. So despite the international outrage, the Russian parliament held the perception that Americans were endangering the lives of their children, and that it was best to keep them at home.

Reactionary Measures

Before the ban in 2013, the Russian Parliament passed a law in 2012 that would more closely track adopted children to ensure their safety and whereabouts. The new law required progress reports on children until the age of 18. This was because, according to a spokesperson for Russia’s Ministry of Education, the U.S State Department had ignored requests from Russia regarding adopted children. After the law was passed there was another media report of child abuse, which prompted action and ultimately was what put an end to all U.S adoptions. Russia’s 2013 ban, the Dima Yakovlev law, was named after an adopted Russian boy who died after his adoptive father accidentally left him in a car. Another sad case that gained media attention was when seven-year-old Artyom was put on a flight back to Russia with a note that read, “I no longer wish to parent this child.”

Additional measures

The ban on U.S adoptions was not the first step Russia took to protect Russian children from harm. Russian legislation already required families who adopted Russian children to register with a Russian consulate and keep Russian diplomats informed about their current address as well as submit post-placement reports for three years after adoption. These reports are detailed documents about how well the child is adjusting to their new life in America. The Russian government didn’t begin tightening restrictions for adoption agencies, adopting parents, and children eligible for adoption until the cases of child abuse in America started surfacing. Even though the restrictions were tightened, Russia still couldn’t keep track of all the children leaving the country.

Successes

The efforts to promote domestic adoptions in Russia have been relatively successful, however. The Adoptive Families Network reports that in 2008, more children were adopted by Russian citizens than by families in other countries. The Russian government board of social work trustees also reports that the number of Russian children living in state care now has fallen from 127,000 to 55,6000 since 2012, according to the Moscow Times. These children are apparently being moved from orphanages into “family based care.” It is unclear what the term “family-based care” entails, but it could range from foster families to group homes. There are also non-government agencies, charities, activists, and a network of support systems in Russia who are making efforts to help children in Russian orphanages.

In the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, article IIV states that parties involved should “respect the right of the child to preserve his or her identity, including nationality, name and family relations as recognized by law without unlawful interference.” For the most part, Russia has attempted to honor this article by attempting by all means necessary to keep its children at home.

International Partnerships

Social Work. In 2016, social workers and political leaders met at a summit in Vladivostok to mark the 25th anniversary of social work in Russia. The main topic of these discussions was education and training of social workers, safety of social workers at their workplaces, social responsibilities, and social control. Additionally, the top three international social work agencies convened for a conference in Moscow in 2017 to promote the global agenda of social development, social welfare and social justice. The social protection floor initiative was the major contributor to the combined global agenda, as well as a call to action for social workers on environmental justice.

UNICEF. Since UNICEF began its mission sixty years ago, the Russian Federation has made a significant contribution to the protection of child rights globally. UNICEF’s CRC is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history. It affirms the rights of all children to survival and recognises the growing need to create an environment that protects children from exploitation, abuse, and violence. Being held accountable by such a credible authority in the global community is an indication that Russia is trying to improve conditions for its orphaned children.

Legislation. After UNICEF makes recommendations regarding certain child welfare issues needing improvement, Russia makes annual reports to UNICEF explaining what actions it took regarding the recommendations. In its most recent report, UNICEF acknowledged that Russia made changes to its legislation in the areas involving children. In this report, Russia showed it had introduced into legislation a system of financial incentives to promote the placement of children in foster families. Although the details of the legislation aren’t clear, it shows that Russia is trying to pass some legislation to promote domestic adoptions via the foster system and reduce the number of children in orphanages.

Social Work Strategies

Social workers in Russian hospitals must be a voice for newborn babies. Those who are abreast of the most current research can be a source of positive encouragement for new moms after birth. By providing positive support, information and resources, social workers can help new mothers make more informed decisions about children with disabilities and feel more empowered. Social workers in these positions are able to drastically reduce the number of children that enter Russian orphanages, and thus it is important for them to have the skills to collaborate with medical staff to gain the most accurate information about the diagnosis of the child and the future implications. Social workers can also educate the public and raise awareness in order to remove the stigma associated with persons with disabilities, with the aim to further encourage the adoption of children by Russian families.

Assessment of the Situation

Economic Policies. Since the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia has faced tremendous economic, political, and social change which has had a negative impact on Russian children. Although the economic trends since 2005 have presented opportunities to increase investments in child welfare, UNICEF reports that many children remain impoverished, abandoned and discriminated against. The improved socio-economic situation since the Cold War has had a limited impact on children because the benefits of economic policies haven’t reached the most marginalized people in Russia. Social policies should focus on improving the social and economic being for all people, as well as giving special emphasis on children with disabilities.

Social Policies. Banning American adoptions was a tough decision Russian lawmakers had to make, especially since the adoptions were benefiting children on so many levels. The fact that lawmakers took increasingly drastic measures to protect adopted children from harm without sweeping the problem under the rug deserves some recognition. Russia attempted to gain greater accountability of adopted children over the span of 22 years before finally calling an end to U.S. adoptions in 2013. Though orphanages are not ideal places for children, Russia decided it was less risky to keep them there temporarily than allowing them to be sold off into an unknown future of potential abuse and death. Overall, banning the U.S adoptions at that time was an appropriate decision with the presumption that further decision-making would reduce the number of children in Russian orphanages.

Hospital Procedures. The single biggest factor contributing to the problem is the funneling of children into orphanages from hospitals. Maternity wards don’t give women the necessary psychological and educational support they need. For whatever reason, Russian doctors seem to be, or have been, encouraging mothers to sign over their babies to the state. This needs to stop if this problem is ever to be solved. Whether it’s for financial gain or issues of social stigma, more research needs to be done to uncover the cause and put an end to it.

Lessons Learned

We can see what happens when social workers aren’t being utilized to the maximum extent possible in situations where they are needed most. Newborn abandonment can result when women don’t have the necessary psychological and social support they need to care for their babies. What’s worse, even though they may think they’ll be able to return to a full and happy life, research shows otherwise. Research has shown that when mothers abandon their newborns, 80% of the time they’ll have a series of physical and psychological problems, especially anxiety and depression.

Prevention in the United States

Although many social workers are dedicated to helping children navigate and exit the foster system in the United States, more social workers should be involved in preventive, not reactionary measures, to this problem. This can be done at all levels of social work.

At the micro-level, clinical social workers can work directly with individuals, families, and groups to navigate the social welfare system and understand all the benefits and resources available for low-income families, especially those with disabilities. There are an abundance of local, state, and national non-profit organizations providing monetary and social support for persons and families with disabilities.

At the mezzo-level, social workers can organize community support groups, lead informational workshops, and raise awareness locally. There are many ways to do this. One way would be to post flyers in local libraries and coffee shops. Another would be to host local fundraisers for community children with disabilities.

Finally, at the macro level, social workers can advocate for the rights of children at home and abroad with disabilities and reach out to lawmakers about policies that affect this population. There are grassroots activists fighting for social protection floors which would raise the standard of living for all mothers in America and internationally. If mothers felt more financially and socially secure, they would be much more confident in taking on the challenge of raising a child with disabilities. The more of these children that remain with their mothers, the less that will end up in the foster system.

Conclusion

Orphanages are deplorable and do not serve as an alternative to a loving and stable home. Unfortunately, they don’t exist exclusively in Russia. They still exist in America today; they just go by different names: residential educational facilities, residential academies, boarding schools, and children’s homes. Social workers should aim to deny the entrance of children into these facilities that isolate them from their families and communities. The cost is far too much; both in human and financial terms. Interventions and policy choices made today will determine whether millions of children and youth are able to reach their full potential, or are left to face a future of worsening inequality and marginalization.