In today's New York Times there is an excellent editorial about the story of Artyom Savelyev (Sunday April 18, 2010, pg9) titled "A Safe, Loving Home."
As the editorial states, while we don't know all the facts and details, returning a child is "profoundly wrong." The response of the Russian Foreign Ministry, while understandable, is, in my opinion, also wrong. Since 1991 over 50,000 Russian children have been adopted by US families. Currently there are 250 adoptions nearly completed and 3,500 pending. Children do better in families than in orphanages. That being said, many children who come from orphanages, which are frequently over-crowded and understaffed, have a variety of difficulties that sometimes require very specialized care, such as Alcohol Related Neurological Dysfunction, Sensory-Integration Dysfunction, and various psychological and emotional problems caused by chronic early maltreatment.
The inadequacy of post-placement services for families is a problem that we can fix by requiring agencies to provide those services. The problem of inadequate information from the orphanages, under staffing, and over crowding is something the other government can and must fix.
- Arthur Becker-Weidman, PhD
- NY, United States
- Arthur Becker-Weidman, CSW-R, PhD.DABPS received his doctorate in Human Development from the University of Maryland, Institute for Child Study. He achieved Diplomate status from the American Board of Psychological Specialties in Child Psychology and Forensic Psychology. He is a member of the American College of Forensic Examiners.
Dr. Becker-Weidman has over twenty years experience as a family therapist, consultant, and researcher. He has directed mental health, addiction treatment, family service, and other behavioral health organizations.
Dr. Becker-Weidman has extensive experience counseling families and helping them through difficult times with practical advice. He has published over a dozen scholarly papers and presented at numerous national, regional, and local professional meetings. Much of his research and publications have focused on adolescent and adoptive family development.
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