Adoption Issues

I have noticed a lot of interest in Haiti adoption. This is good. There is such a great need for care of orphans in this country. One of the recent comments from this blog dealt with adopting a child/children from Haiti whose parents are still living and want you to take the kid for a better life. I do not know much about this. I know that relinquishment papers can be signed in some countries but am not certain in Haiti. One of the biggest obstacles that could be  for adopting out of this situation is that the governments of both Haiti and United States are VERY careful in the wake of the 2010 devastation that occurred. I know that adoption regulations have… [more]

It is hard to believe that the two year anniversary of the earthquake that devastated a large portion of Haiti is coming up. On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked this nation. They have not recovered. I have many family members who have visited there in the past year and they come home with broken hearts and a regained sense of the urgency that is faced by the Haitians every day. The need is great. In light of that, I have to tell you about a neat girl and what she is doing on behalf of the Haitian people. She is a Chinese exchange student who is living in my home. As part of a Christmas dinner, she saw a movie… [more]

Haiti has been the hot topic around this area for the last week because several people we know have gone over to serve there in whatever capacity is needed. I love that! It seems that Haiti has struggled so much since the devastating blow it received. There is little that can be done but to serve. I am grateful to be surrounded by compassionate people who choose to give of their time and money so freely to help the poorest of the poor. In regard to adoption from Haiti, a fraud threat has surfaced. Recently, a church who served in Haiti found that much of what they were in the form of food and clothing to a particular orphanage was disappearing before it… [more]

Adoption from Haiti continues to regain strength. Organization and clarity has begun to be established and growth is the natural outcome of those two strengths. While that is progressing, Haitian officials continue to watch closely for threats of fraud. There is little that strikes fear into the hearts of anyone involved with adoption then the word- fraud. When mishandling [whether directly or indirectly] occurs, people suffer. Of course, the most difficult suffering to witness is that of the children. They already have experienced loss in their lives- compound that with another major loss. The effects could be insurmountable for the child. Any international adoption comes with a certain amount of risk. This risk is only magnified when major disasters occur. Parents are separated… [more]

The country of Haiti is embarking on important changes within their adoption program. They are working with other adoption partners and governmental agencies to rewrite the legal requirements in order to meet Hague Convention statutes. This is a great move for Haiti because of the large number of children who are in need and the threat of fraud that is looming. In regard to the threat of fraud, the United States Department of State issued this statement on June 27, 2011: [We] have seen a recent increase in US citizens seeking to pursue adoptions in Haiti through independent agents instead of licensed adoption workers. While these private adoptions are currently permissible in Haiti, prospective adoptive parents should be aware of the risks associated… [more]

Do you remember the little girl 'Grace' that I posted about previously? She was one of the children who was flown out of Haiti soon after the major earthquake. She lives very close to me and I have routine contact with her aunt. She is doing very well. She came to her family at three years old. She was severely malnourished and struggled in many areas. Next week, she will be five years old. Wow! It doesn't seem like it could be that long. Yet, fifteen months ago almost to the day, Grace was flown from her native home of Port-au-Prince, Haiti to join her forever family. She is doing so well. She loves school and is a buddy to all of her teachers… [more]

Haiti is an amazing country with a strength and resilience that has made the national news repeatedly. It is a poor area with great need. The children have suffered the loss of family and continue to need help in order to survive. Many people have expressed an interest in adopting from this country since the earthquake that devastated Port Au Prince and surrounding areas. As I stated in earlier posts, Haiti has re-opened their intercountry adoption program. In January 2011, a notice was released stating that they were accepting applications for adoption. I checked into many sources to see how the adoption program is working and found that though they have re-opened, there are many hardships that must be overcome. So if you are interested in adopting from Haiti, expect… [more]

Haiti continues to be on the hearts and minds of people worldwide as they struggle to regain their footing from the earthquake that devastated a large portion of it over a year ago. Times have been difficult. Children have been hungry. People want to help. At this point, adoption from Haiti is open. In January of this year, the Haitian government released a document stating that they were open to begin accepting and processing adoption cases. This is good news. Yet, it is important to keep in mind that adoption from Haiti could be lengthy. It takes such a large amount of time and money to rebuild an area that has been devastated. So as the country is re opened, the infrastructure is… [more]

Haiti's Street Kids--continued from Part One... Children participating in the project aspire to one day enter the Village, a residential program on the outskirts of town with space for 50 kids who have proven themselves responsible and committed to excel. There, children are offered a wide variety of vocational training, including sewing, driving, welding, woodworking, and tailoring. "This program is evidence of one person making a difference against incredible odds," says Paul Carrier, a chaplain at Fairfield University in Connecticut. Father Carrier encourages Fairfield students – including Perlitz, who first visited Haiti in 1991 – to do community service work in the third world. Carrier supports Perlitz's program through visits and constant fundraising. He once brought down 70 pairs of donated shoes – each designated for a specific child. "I work with a… [more]

Tomorrow I will celebrate my birthday. As I contemplate my life thus far, I have also been thinking about my actual birth day. Today as I pulled weeds from our backyard, I thought about the privilege I have in knowing the details of my birth. It is not a luxury most of my children can claim. Whenever my children have a birthday, they ask me questions about their birth. They want to know what time they were born. They want to know what day of the week they were born on. Together we imagine what things might have been like for their birth and their birth mother. For one of my children, I know everything about her birth. For two of… [more]