Well, we did it! This morning, we turned in application part II....talked a lot about the next couple of steps (Home Study, USCIS, Dossier)....asked a lot of questions, especially about the new rumors that Ethiopia is going to start requiring 2 trips....and left with an nervous excitement to get on with the process!!! I am learning that, adoption---international adoption specifically but probably ALL adoptions--are much like trying to fly somewhere....it's a lot of "hurry up and wait" cycles!
So about those questions.....for those interested in adoption or simply praying for ours, the rumors are true....Ethiopia is going to start requiring that the families be present for the court date...which means that, in it's current condition, it will require two trips to finalize the adoption...*enter major sad face here* I have mixed feelings about this but I trust God to make a way and we will lean on Him as we go through the process. Below I have listed some of the reasons WHY ET is going this direction AND why this adds some stress to the process
Why ET is going to start requiring 2 trips:
1. Currently families are not present for the court hearing that grants guardianship. They get as much medical and familial history as can be mustered in country, make a decision from 1000 miles away, and are technically guardians of the children before they ever actually travel to get him/her/them. This presents a number of problems, 1. If there has been an omission on the child's file--the parents could be in for a surprise when they go to pick up their child (whom they have custody of but have never met at this point). 2. The court is granting this custody without the parents there saying "yes, we agree that we want this child" so IF there is any corruption and/or "bait and switch" tactics, nobody is aware and the ET government allows the attorney to act on behalf of the parents......
2. 47 children have been "adopted" and left in ET after the families traveled and changed their minds in-country. Now, I am not condemning...I can't imagine what it takes to make a decision like that, what those parents are emotionally going through to say "This child isn't what I thought I was getting nor what I am prepared to care for"....I can only pray that God keeps his hand on our process so that I never get to know first-hand what those families are going through when they decide to leave those children in that country..We all know, that 1 child left in an institution is 1 child too many so 47 is certainly cause for concern.......Not to mention the fact that (see #1) the family already has guardianship--meaning that that child is not available for adoption again until all of the bureaucracy of dissolving the adoption can be take care of...
Why this is difficult for families:
1. Because it takes so long to have the birth certificates, visas and passports transferred, there are SEVERAL weeks between court and when the child can travel home...meaning that families must take 2 trips to ET to complete the process...Financially--that means 2 different times off work--two different flight/travel costs--two different times of flight exhaustion....the financial cost alone is enough to make families cringe (both parents MUST travel both times)..Thank God (he always knows what he is doing) that we decided to do this before having any other children in the home..Can you imagine having to leave them home twice?? OR TAKE them twice??? Two trips is definitely stressful...
2. I can't imagine the heartbreak that I will feel as I board a plane back to the U.S. knowing that I have left my child in an institution for weeks or even a few months longer...Don't get me wrong, I thank God that the orphanages Dillon works with have great caretakers who love on those babies as much as possible...But...I am mommy...I don't want to meet him/her, love on them, pray for them, sing to them...and then LEAVE them there....Oh Jesus, give me strength.... Give all the mommies and daddies who have to board a plane without their children strength....
But, really, this two trip thing isn't unusual...in fact most countries require two trips (one of the reasons ET has been so appealing was that they did NOT)...but we are praying that as they begin to transition their processes--which we don't blame them for changing (you do remember 47 children were adopted and left, right??)--that they consider speeding up the time it takes to convert the birth certificates and passports..If they could get THAT lag time to 5-7 days, then families could make 1 two or three week trip (doesn't minimize the time off work but does lower travel costs significantly) to ET and would NOT have to leave their baby there between trips but instead would get more time to learn about the child's birth land, love on him/her in their own country, visit with caretakers, any birth family, etc...and when they board the plane home, have their baby with them...Doesn't that sound like a MUCH better plan (P.S. This is how China works currently)?? I think so, too!!! Infrastructure changes are key!
Anyways, we were told to go ahead and plan and prepare for two trips..We are praying that in the next year the processes become efficient enough to warrant just ONE trip but even if it's two, we continue to lean on God!
Thank you for your prayers--We will keep you updated!
Til Next Time,
Ash
1 comments:
I certainly pray that it all works out and you guys can accomplish this and finish it in one trip. It certainly makes sense to be there and spend time together and get to know the environment they were in as well.
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