We have received numerous inquiries about adopting our children. We thank each and every one of you for your kind offers to give our children loving homes.
The bad news is that adoptions out of Haiti are “closed”. While adoptions currently in process may eventually become expedited, no new adoption processes can currently be initiated. For news on the lastest status, please visit The Joint Council on International Children’s Services.
Puzzled, frustrated, perplexed? So are we, and Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana. She is championing the Families for Orphans Act (more details) which may be on the Senate floor for a vote as soon as early February.
Legal adoptions out of Haiti have been frustratingly difficult in the past. According to the US State Department, only 330 adoption visas were issued for Haitian children in FY 2009. In light of the fact that there are an estimated 225,000 restavecs (modern-day child slaves) and an estimated 380,000 orphans in pre-quake Haiti, official policies appear completely disconnected from reality.
In light of those conditions, our orphanage was always intended as a permanent home for our children. Lia, our staff and our children form a tight-knit, if somewhat unconventional family; one that is very integrated into its neighborhood and local institutions as well.
That said, there are so many children in Haiti who would fare much better in the care of an adoptive family in the US than in their current conditions in Haiti. For professional help, here are three adoption agencies that we highly recommended to us:
Also highly recommended is Dixie Bickel at God’s Littlest Angels.
We are sorry that we cannot offer better news at this point. If you would like us to post you with news on this topic, please join our mailing list.
