“The announcement by Commissioner Astakhov that those parents in the final stages of adopting children will now be allowed to return home with them is very good news for the children and the adoptive parents. 
 
“We urge the Russian government to re-double its efforts to reform the child welfare system, and to address the situation of families who are in the middle of the adoption process, but who do not yet have a court order.”

For more information, please contact:
Sarah Crowe, Spokesperson for the Executive Director, 
Tel: 212 326 7206, 
scrowe@unicef.org