European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 17, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday Way 17, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 9braced to run adoption Gantle families confront ., romanian red tape Maureen and Harvey Leister hug their children from left Rachel Samantha Alex and Matthew. A amps Gary Milor by Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau Naples Italy a Marilyn Barna Dewald and her husband it. Cmdr. Peter Dewald left for Romania last week on a journey of great expectation and some trepidation. Their goal to adopt romanian children. A a we re going into this prepared for it to be the most difficult thing we be Ever done a Barna Dewald said. A a we Hope to find two children but we in be Happy with one and realize it might not work at  is a journey fraught with emotional and financial risks. Currently More than two dozen american families Are stranded in the Eastern european nation while  Immigration officials review their visa requests for the romanian children they adopted. Those families have been staging demonstrations near the  Embassy in the romanian capital of Bucharest since last week an embassy official said. Romania has been a Magnet for families hoping to adopt children since the collapse of the communist regime of Nicolas Ceausescu 17 months ago. His aggressive policy of promoting a High birth rate resulted in overcrowded orphanages and abandoned children living on the streets. The Edwalds drawing on the experience of other families from a Naples support group whose members preceded them in Romania said they think they can avoid the traps experienced by some prospective. Parents. They know that romanian adoptions if done properly can be quicker and cheaper than stateside adoptions. They also understand that they face what Maureen Leister who started the group described As a emotionally psychologically and physically the toughest thing in be Ever  Leister and her husband Harvey a air Force major stationed in Naples adopted two romanian children. Maureen Leister accompanied by an interpreter went to Romania in february to adopt Alex 5, and Rachel 2. Three other families involved in the support group have made the trip two of them returning with children. The listers have two other children Matthew 5, and Samantha 2, both of whom were adopted in the states. The adoptions in Romania took three weeks. The listers considered themselves Lucky to have adopted Matthew in the states in three years. On the average it takes five years in the states to adopt a White child in the age group of Newborn to 2 years old and it can take As Long As seven years Maureen Leister said. In All it Cost $4,200 to adopt Alex and Rachel. That total includes such expenses As Leister a airline ticket interpreters fees court costs and living  members of the support group said adoptions in the states can Cost $10,000 or More. While adopting Alex and Rachel took far less time and Money Leister had to endure the trauma of meeting both children a biological mothers. Many romanian children available for adoption Are not orphans. In such cases the country s Laws require that the Parent or parents listed on a child a birth certificate must state in writing and before a judge that they agree to an adoption. A but proving a child a natural parents have relinquished All custody rights can be harder before the  Immigration and naturalization service than before a romanian judge especially if both of the natural parents arc living. A if you have two people on a birth certificate you a better have a death certificate or proof of imprisonment or you re going to have a Tough time proving abandonment a Leister said. A at the embassy they encourage you to look for children with Only mothers listed on their birth  its much easier to convince immigration officials that a child has been abandoned if it has Only one Parent to begin with Leister said it is abandonment issues that arc plaguing the american families now demonstrating in Bucharest. The families say the  Immigration and naturalization service tightened its interpretation of american adoption Laws while they were in the process of adopting according to news reports. A these Are cases in which the children Are not clearly adoptable and rather than turn them Down they Are referred to the nearest ins office which is in Vienna Austria a said Virgil Bodeen an information officer at the american embassy in the romanian capital. Such problems Are unusual Bodeen said during a Telephone interview this had processed and approved Over 800 visas for romanian children americans had adopted a he said. The protesters say that although romanian courts recognize their adoptions ins officials question whether their children were truly abandoned by their natural parents. Stringent proof of abandonment must be provided according to  Law in order for the children to be granted residency status. The Naples support group helps prepare people for such challenges. Group members go to Romania having already met the ins requirements. The physicals establishing their Good health petitions for adoptions and other paperwork have been approved. The Edwalds began their paperwork in january and received ins approval in late april. In Romania group members face what Leister compared to walking in space. A when you Contact romanian officials they give you a copy of the adoption Law. It does no to Tell you where or when or who you must Contact a Leister said. A _ she was fortunate in her search. Her interpreter had a school Friend who knew a doctor. The doctor who served three villages told Leister about children in those villages who were available for adoption. People who done to have such contacts have few alternatives. The romanian government recently established a National commission to make the names of adoptable children available to prospective parents. However the commission will give a foreigner Only one child a name per year. I he prospective parents must locate the youngster and determine whether he or she is actually eligible to be adopted Leister said. English speaking romanian lawyers often offer to . An attorneys services Are not required for an adoption in Romania Leister said. A some lawyers try to stretch out the process so they la make More Money a she said a but in be met people who used lawyers and were very  those satisfied clients retained attorneys who explained the services they would provide and set a fee for the entire process Leister said. Baby brokers Are also ready to help but there Are risks involved in using them. A lbs to a a it minutes program recently showed romanian baby brokers hustling americans and haggling with parents Over the Price of their offspring in front of the children. �?o1 thought the Story showed the extreme Side a a Leister said. A if you go there with your heart on your sleeve you can be taken advantage of. A thankfully most americans coming from Italy know that Romania is not America and know when they re being taken advantage  even for Well prepared visitors romanians Ever changing adoption rules can be perplexing. To  sort out the situation the  Embassy in Bucharest holds meetings every tuesday morning. A. There consular officials answer questions and hand out a fact Sheet that includes information on  And romanian adoption Laws and lists of translators and lawyers. The embassy also has lists of apartments for rent. Hotel rooms in Bucharest Cost about $100 a night while some apartments Cost $120 a week Leister said. Armed with such information the Edwalds expect to spend about three weeks in Romania. A we went into this knowing it Wasny to going to be easy Quot Barna Dewald said a but we done to think it will be impossible  week. A by the end of april the embassy by the end of april the embassy had processed and approved Over 800 visas for romanian children americans had adopted a Virgil Bodeen information officer at the american embassy Bucharest Romania