July 14, 2006

We slept in a bit this morning, and lied around playing with our girls. Our room had a twin bed and a double bed. We pushed them together to make one mondo bed. The girls slept on the twin up against the wall, and I slept right next to them (on the crack) and Tim was next to me. Having the beds like that made it easy to have a large, clean, soft place for the girls to play and Talley to crawl around. Georgia never moved from where we placed her, so I guess having a big area was less necessary for her.... more

July 13, 2006 continued from Part Two...

We were at the orphanage for a very long time. It was so hot! There isn't any air-conditioning or even fans. Tim wasn't feeling too great and had to use the bathroom. He finally ended up having to use one without running water (they pull water from a well-type thing and carry it in buckets to flush toilets and other uses). A little two year old boy was in the bathroom and... more

July 13, 2006 continued from Part One...

The traffic and roads were very much like in Viet Nam and Ethiopia, in that it was chaotic. Lots of trucks and cars and exhaust. There did not seem to be any road rules other than try not to get hit. They use honking a lot, as well. There was a large truck broken down in the middle of the road and everyone just drove around it.

The streets of Port-au-Prince... more

July 13, 2006

Today is Talley's first birthday.

We did not get very much sleep last night. We woke up every half hour, thinking it was time to go, only to look at the clock and realize it was not time to get up. When it was time to get up, we both struggled. We were so sleepy. We rushed to shower and dress and made it down in the lobby barely on time. We ended up having to take the second shuttle to the airport, so we had time to sit around and wake up. I quickly checked email and sent... more

In July of 2006, we met and visited our daughters in Haiti for the first time. I kept a journal of our trip and would like to share it here. I woke up so nervous this morning. I even felt a sense of dread. I did not want to go. I was exhausted from my week of cleaning and doing laundry. I was worried about my kids and how they would fare. I was concerned about the stress I was inflicting upon loved ones who so kindly volunteered to watch our kids. I just didn't feel like going to Haiti today.

On... more

Continued from Overview of Steps in Haitian Adoption--Part One...

When your file has exited the Minister of Foreign Affairs, it will then be prepared for submittal to IBESR. IBESR is Haiti’s Social Services Department. An IBESR social worker will review your file (with your child’s information), and decide whether or not to approve of the adoption. (The director of IBESR, the IBESR lawyer, the head of adoption services at IBESR, and the IBESR social worker must all sign off on your dossier.) This process has traditionally taken the longest time to accomplish. However, there is a new... more

Once you have compiled your adoption dossier, you will most likely send it to your agency. They will review your dossier to make sure everything is in order. They will then get it translated and will send it out to be authenticated. Some agencies require that the adoptive parent(s) take care of this process, so be sure to find out from your agency how they go about it.

When the dossier is translated and authenticated, it will be sent to your agency’s contact in Haiti. Once the dossier is received in Haiti, and most likely reviewed by Haitian staff, the adoptive parent(s) will be ready to accept a referral. Some agencies will refer waiting children prior to the dossier being complete.... more

What is needed to complete a Haitian adoption dossier, continued from Part One: • Positive Home Study: A state-licensed agency or social worker must do the home study. The agency and/or social worker should also include a copy of their license. Please request that it be no more than 6-8 pages in length. You need TWO Notarized originals. One for your dossier and one for your I600a which you or your social worker may send. (Notarized & State Authenticated.) • Psychological letter: This letter must contain specific results from a MMPI II (or newer version) test. The letter must... more

The first step in the Haitian adoption process is putting together your adoption dossier. What is required in the dossier? The requirements may vary slightly from agency to agency, but this is a general list of what is needed (please double check with your agency before compiling your dossier):

• 4 Passport Photos of each Parent: These will be sent to Haiti with the dossier. The dossier cannot be processed in Haiti without them. DO NOT use the photos off of your passport. • 1-3 Photo Pages: A total of four- color copies of these pages are needed. The pages should contain pictures of the adoptive parents, family and home. No more than 3 pages will be accepted. • IBESR... more

If you are interested in adopting from Haiti, you might be wondering what he requirements are?

• Heterosexual married couples and single women, who are living alone, between the ages of 35-50 are eligible to adopt. • No single men. • Age exceptions may be made for couples under age 35 with documented infertility. • Couples must be married for at least 5 years. • There aren’t any general religious requirements, BUT each agency is different and may have their own specific requirements. (Many agencies with Haiti programs do have a Christian requirement.) • You may adopt two unrelated children at the same time. • Families may have a maximum of... more