Questions about Letters

We are truly touched by the number of people who have contacted us about writing letters on our behalf.

After answering a lot of questions, I think I have narrowed down what should be included in a letter as they should be relatively short. The point is for the staffers to see a volume of inquiries on the issue and pass on the information to their bosses.

1) You are aware of the problems faced by Marcia & Randy Newton and their adoption in the Zhambyl region of Kazakhstan. There are many families facing the same issues. The Newtons have formally requested that Senator Amy Klobuchar's office intercede.

2) These families followed the laws of Kazakhstan while the Taraz Municipal court did not. Examples include: delaying court date assignments past the legal requirement, seeking out "witnesses" to undermine cases and illegally sharing confidential file information.

3) All the cases have been rejected on a technicality (based upon info from the US Embassy in Almaty KZ). Kazakhstan has a requirement that children must be in the babyhouse for 6 months and during that time, only Kazakh families can meet the children for adoption. There is not a legal requirement stating how many families need to meet and reject a child before the child is eligible for foreign adoption. In many of the rejected cases, the babyhouse provided documentation that local families met and rejected the children. There is a logbook that is signed when parents meet children. The court ignored that testimony and chose to accept questionable testimony from their "witnesses".

4) The children are the ones who are suffering. The court requires parents to bond with the children as part of the adoption process and then undermine the bonding by unneeded delays. Parents and children are suffering extended absences as most parents need to be at home to work or care for other family members. These children will be US citizens and should be protected as such.

If you are in Klobuchar's district, just post that we have contacted them and you would appreciate them making a stronger effort in assisting us. (All they have done so far was send a "inquiry" to the US Embassy even though I provided them contact information for the person at the Embassy who is most familiar with our case).

Feel free to send letters to your elected officials and organizations you know that take an active role in children's rights. For example I found an organization that specializes in the rights of international children and adoption (jcics).


Marcia