Tough Times

OK so since Chantel is making me post this here it goes:
We have been working on our adoption for about 15 months now. As you all know it has taken a considerable amount of time, energy and money to get everything in order. Our prayers were answered Jan 24th when we saw our beautiful daughter's face and were able to read about her and her family story. We are heartbroken for her birth family but so unbelievably excited to join her to our family. Although we are yet to hold her, talk to her, comfort her we absolutely love her.
When we accepted the referral of baby "E" on Jan 24th our case was submitted to the Ethiopian court system to be assigned a court date. This typically was taking a week or two and the court date would be assigned 4-8 weeks from there. The purpose of the court date is basically for the judge to verify that the child is indeed an orphan, the care of the child has been relinquished, the information is accurate, etc., and that we are suitable parents. Well one item in this checklist is a letter from MOWA (ministry of women's affairs) saying that they reviewed the documentation and approve of the adoption. Up until now MOWA has been issuing 40-50 letters per day, but they are planning on reducing this to 5 a day. What this means is that adoptions, including ours will be delayed months and even years. This of course is heartbreaking for us. Not just because we want to bring our daughter home but we feel so much sorrow for the poor kids that will sit in orphanages that much longer. With no Mom, no Dad. These kids will have to learn to cope on their own, fight for attention, fight just to be held or fed. It is hard for us to watch E grow up just in the last month from the pictures we see. These orphans need families. To know that "E" is there waiting and we are here waiting, missing all of her milestones. We are so happy that she at Hannah's Hope and being well cared for, but she still needs us and we so need her. The orphanages are already crunched for space. Its just frustrating to know that there is such a need, and there are so many willing and waiting families. I understand the process, its a process in place to protect the children from fraudulent and unethical agencies. But there has to be another way.


Well is there is something you can do, the Joint Council on International Children's Services has a petition here: http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html
here is the text:



Last week the Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s, Children's, and Youth Affairs announced their intention to reduce intercountry adoptions by 90% beginning March 10, 2011.

The Ministry’s plan for a dramatic reduction is apparently based on two primary issues;

1) the assumption that corruption in intercountry adoption is systemic and rampant and;

2) the Ministry’s resources should be focused on the children for whom intercountry adoption is not an option.

The Ministry’s plan to reduce intercountry adoption by 90% is a tragic, unnecessary and a disproportionate reaction to concerns of isolated abuses in the intercountry adoption process.

We support the Ministry’s goal of ensuring ethical adoptions that serve the best interest of children and serve all vulnerable children & families.

We respectfully urge the Ministry to consider the overwhelmingly positive, ethical and legal services provided to children and families through intercountry adoption. Rather than eliminate the right of Ethiopian children to a permanent family, we encourage the Ministry to accept the partnerships offered by governments, NGOs, and foundations.

Such partnerships could increase the Ministry’s capacity to regulate service providers, further ensure ethical adoptions and expand services to more families and children.

We, respectfully urge the Ministry of Women’s, Children's and Youth Affairs to reconsider its plan and to partner with governments, NGOs and foundations to achieve their goals and avoid the coming tragedy for children and families.