The news from Ethiopia today is that the number of international adoptions will be cut by up to 90%. It's Friday, and I'm tired and dehydrated, and my 5th graders did worse than I'd hoped for on their latest test, so my first reaction is to be sad. But I know that this is a good thing, because it's for a good reason. With fewer cases to process, there can be more investigation of each case.
Someone posted a message to one of the online groups I belong to. It ended with the person's name, and a signature of sorts: "adopted a trafficked kid."
OK, I'm more than sad. I'm actually trying not to cry. But I'd rather cry now than have that signature later.
Thank you for posting this! My wife and I are awaiting our Federal papers, and then we'd be in line for the Ethiopian authorities. This news means that our wait time just increased considerably?
ReplyDeleteIt was a long day trying to push this news down and be present with my students, they are home now and I too am trying not to cry Kyra, trying instead to focus on the positive, to hope that these steps will ensure the safety and protection and Ethiopia's children.
ReplyDeleteIf this ensures ethical adoptions I am all for it, but now I just look at the pictures of the kids we hope to adopt (posted on our fridge) and have absolutely NO idea when we will meet them...how long they will have to live in a care center...
ReplyDeleteI do feel some sympathy for those perspective adoptive parents who were waiting. Many picked Ethiopia for its ease, quick turn around and ease of use. I hope they, like you can see that protecting the children and original families from fraud and abuse is paramount. No mother should have her child taken by force or even have to choose to sell one child to feed her others. Adoption is a viable option for true orphans and abused children, but the risk of trafficking is great and we must be vigilant in the quest to establish ethics in adoption.
ReplyDeleteAs a former foster child, I will say there are plenty of children - right here in this country who need stable homes. And while some believe that adopting children internationally is somehow a “safer” option that is just not true. Anytime a child is removed from their familiar environment, institutionalized and or passed from stranger to stranger they are bound to have some emotional baggage at the least, whatever their mother country. Children are a gamble no matter how they come to you.
I do hope that some of you perspective adoptive parents, who have been sidelined in Ethiopia, take some time to reconsider the thousands of children waiting in the U.S. foster care system
Sunday,
ReplyDeleteWe actually did look into adopting from foster care when we first started out, but for several reasons it was not going to work for us. It may still happen in the future.
Thanks for the comment,
Kyra
People on my agency's yahoo group are saying that this may not be a reliable news source. We did receive an email from our agency earlier in the week stating that MOWA would be cutting down on the number of cases processed from 40 to 5, so some of the information in this article was no surprise to me. However, they did not say for sure if this was a permanent thing or not. Our agency mentioned that the slow down could be a result of a lack of staff at MOWA.
ReplyDeleteThis article saying they are cutting back by 90% is not really accurate. They may be cutting down by 90%, but that doesn't mean they are denying 90% of the people who apply. If this does stay permanent, it will significantly slow things down, but it doesn't mean things will be brought to a halt. This article has caused a lot of uproar since yesterday, but honestly I am going to wait until I hear from my agency to know exactly what is going on before believing what I read in this article. I think everyone else involved in this process should also do the same thing before stressing out about something that may not be worth stressing out about. This process is stressful enough as it is.
It's okay to be sad. This sucks in that there are kids who really need homes. It sucks that some people take something like adoption and turn it into a business of profit and ruin it for everyone else. Even though I'm glad Ethiopia is trying to do the right thing, I hate it for you and the other families I know in process. {{{hugs}}}
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry. I hope this is a sincere effort to improve the out of country adoption process and not just politics and show.
ReplyDeleteIt's a wild ride, this international adoption, huh? I was a bit frazzled at the end of last week, but I'm feeling calmer now. There are too many questions about what is actually going to change and how things will be implemented. I guess I'm hopeful that there's a way for increased scrutiny of each adoption (which I'm all for!) and to help those of us who are pursuing adoptions to move forward simultaneously.
ReplyDelete"Ethiopia’s Ministry of Women’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs has issued a directive saying it will process a maximum of five inter-country adoptions a day, effective March 10."
ReplyDeleteMOWA is known to be short staffed. The Ethiopian Government should provide proper review of each case AND make sure there is enough staff to process all the cases so children without any other option can be adopted. Charge APs a higher fee to pay for it.
Whether or not MOWA performs a proper review of each case should not even be debated, but to not provide adequate staff to handle the high caseload is not acting responsible either.
In related news, I've decided to limit myself to a maximum of one adoption-related internet session a day, effective March 6. Otherwise I will drive myself insane.
ReplyDelete"But I'd rather cry now than have that signature later."
ReplyDeleteGood for you, it's heartening to see a perspective adoptive parent really put a child's best interests first even though it's difficult. As Sunday said, adoption is a viable option for children who truly need parents but the possibility of becoming involved in something unethical is very real. Great care and complete honest with oneself are essential.
"Good for you, it's heartening to see a perspective adoptive parent really put a child's best interests first even though it's difficult."
ReplyDeleteWe really aren't that rare.