Creating a Family is on FaceBook/blog and full of insights and resources for all. This was posted recently by Dawn Davenport. The Korean War Baby has personal experience with trying IVF method unsuccessfully to create his own family. As an Adoptee from Korea in the First Generation in 1956, he has sought information from many sources, to maintain a balanced and informed view.
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Posted by Dawn - November 12th, 2010 - 2 Comments
Published in * Adoption
The US State Department is in charge of processing international adoptions to and from the US. The person at the head of this section at the State Department is Susan Jacobs, Special Advisor for Children’s Issues. Last week, in honor of National Adoption Month, the State Department held a press conference with Ms. Jacobs to discuss the status of international adoptions. When Ambassador Jacobs talks, those of us who care about international adoption should listen since she is about as high up in the US government as it gets when talking about international adoption.
Interview with Top U.S. Official on International Adoptions | Creating a Family
She did have some interesting insight into the US withdrawing from the international adoption pilot program in Guatemala. She said: “In terms of the pilot project, every time we asked for details about it, there weren’t any. So it turned out there really wasn’t a pilot project to which – in which we could participate. And in looking at the procedures and regulations that had been put in place, not very much had changed since adoptions had been shut down. So we are trying to work with the Guatemalan Government to help them set in place proper regulations and procedures, and at the same time, close the cases that are in the pipeline. There are hundreds of cases that need to be resolved, so we’ve asked them to focus on that.”
She also addressed an interesting situation that resulted from the evacuation of children from Haiti to adoptive families in the US immediately after the earthquake. I imagine we all have heard that several children were evacuated that did not meet the strict criteria set up by the State Department. I have never found the exact number of kids that fit into this category until today—turns out there were twelve. Considering the chaotic conditions people were working in and the high state of emotions, twelve seems like a relatively small number.
About these twelve cases, Ambassador Jacobs said:
“During the crisis, 12 children were also brought from Haiti to the United States who had not previously been matched with families here. … A delegation from [the US government] traveled to Haiti about four weeks ago to work with the Haitian Government to resolve these cases. …We sent a team down there to meet with the Haitian officials and with the parents of these children, and we expect that these cases will be resolved very soon. …
QUESTION: Resolved in what way? Will the children go back?
AMBASSADOR JACOBS: Resolved in whether the parents want to relinquish the children so that they can be adopted in the United States or –
QUESTION: So the parents have been identified?
AMBASSADOR JACOBS: Oh, yes. I mean, and the children have – were in contact with their parents throughout this process. …They’re in a very safe, loving atmosphere, …but it’s up to the parents to decide whether or not they want to relinquish these children for adoption. And if they don’t, we will send back the children whose parents want them returned.”
You can read the full transcript or watch a video.
Well, there you have a top official of the US State Department giving updates on the situations on International Adoptions in several “Sending countries”. Focus on Haiti- it seems that after all the chaos during and after the devastating earthquake earlier this year, the State Department has identified only 12 cases that slipped through without proper parental relinquishment papers signed. Only by regulating carefully can separation of birth parents/mothers be prevented from occurring in all cases.
The Korean War Baby agrees with making certain that US government officials and United Nations NGO’s must strictly enforce the guidelines on International Adoptions to prevent abuses and possible ‘child-laundering’. As long as guidelines are adhered to then and only then should InterCountry Adoption be allowed.
The KWB would prefer that families of ethnicity be at the top of the list…then families with other Trans-racial adopted family members, parents who have already experience and training made available on the issues that their adopted children will face growing up in a blended family. There are resources available for all to “do it better” and perhaps all Agencies could provide courses that Perspective Adoptive Parents must attend to prepare them. Adoption is not the first choice nor the perfect solution, but a loving home is certainly a child’s right as well. We must consider all circumstances before rendering judgments and decisions that will impact all concerned.
Now if corrupt Haitian officials could only focus on the reported cases of Sex Trade across the border to the Dominican Republic!
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