Russian Parliament Passes Bill Banning Adoptions by Americans

Today, the upper house of Russia's parliament voted unanimously in favor of a bill that would ban Americans from adopting Russian children. Russian officials stated that the move is intended to encourage Russian families to adopt Russian children without caregivers. However, it is widely believed that the move is being made in retaliation against a recently passed US law that imposes sanctions on Russian officials responsible for human rights abuses.

In the past 20 years, more than 60,000 Russian children found new homes with American families. If Russian President Vladimir Putin signs the bill, thousands of Russian children will be denied that opportunity each year. Currently, there are more than 700,000 children living in Russian orphanages.

Read the full story here.

Also check out Reason TV's "Abandoned in Guatemala: The Failure of International Adoption Policies," a short film about how and why Guatemala shut down international adoptions several years ago.