Another Earthquake in Haiti Brings Focus to Haitian Orphans, Adoptions

A new earthquake in Haiti, one measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, seemed to underscore the need to help unite Haitian orphans with their anxious adoptive parents in America. Orphans already in official Haitian adoption programs may be in their new adoptive homes even earlier than expected, thanks to the Humanitarian Parole Policy announced by Homeland Security.

Some of these adoptions were coordinated with Bethany Adoptive Services and God's Littlest Angels. Bethany has offices in Michigan and Indiana, as well as overseas and other locations. My husband and I went through an international adoption with Bethany and know that normally it can take years, especially with all the paperwork and rules. Haiti is no exception. But recent earthquakes bring a special urgency to the adoption process.

We know a bit what it is like to live with uncertainty - and to feel blessed- because we brought our son home only 10 days before adoptions were shut down in his birth country (Romania). UNICEF, international adoption agencies, The Department of Homeland Security and others seem to be working hard to ensure that orphans in Haiti will be able to get to their prospective adoptive homes quickly.

Families who'd completed all the required paperwork for Haitian adoptions and had been waiting (in some cases, for years) may finally be able to see the light at the end of a very long tunnel. Their adoptions should take place within week - or perhaps even days.

Haiti Orphans and Adoptions in Progress - Speeding up the Haitian Adoptive Process

For those who were completing Haitian adoptions, the earthquake and the Humanitarian Parole Process may hasten adoptions from Haiti, as long as the Haitian adoptive process was started before January 12, 2010. Waiting adoptive families are expected to hear news soon, possibly any day now. Travel arrangements are being made. If all goes well, parents should be able to welcome Haiti orphans home months before they'd anticipated.

This means that these orphans won't have to go through months of living in a country where there is turmoil, uncertainty, unrest and the possibility of more earthquakes. As noted above, there was another strong aftershock today (some called it an earthquake) which occurred this morning, rating 6.1 on the Richter scale. More aftershocks and destruction could be waiting to happen. Getting Haiti's orphans into safe and permanent homes is a priority.

Although each case is expected to be handled individually, certain orphans from Haiti should have a quicker adoption process. These include children who have been legally confirmed as orphans eligible for intercountry adoption by the Haitian government and already in the process of being adopted by U.S. citizens. Adoptions may also be quickly completed for children who have been identified by an adoption service as eligible for intercountry adoption and who have been matched to prospective U.S. adoptive parents.

Required paperwork must also be submitted, including Haitian Adoption Decrees, special forms and other information. For complete information, check for updates from Homeland Security here as well as specific adoption agency blogs like the Haiti adoption blog .

What About New Orphans in Haiti and Those Wishing to Adopt?

At this point, there are Haitian children who have lost their parents in the earthquake. They are newly orphaned and the need for adoptions will most likely be greater than ever. Information and updates can be found on Bethany Christian Services' Haiti Blog here as well as at other adoption agencies and websites. The prospect of future Haiti adoptions is not complete at this point. Government services in Haiti are in a state of emergency transition since the earthquake. UNICEF has issued a statement, found here ,which indicates that children will have to be determined to be true orphans (rather than simply separated from their parents or other relatives) before adoption would even be considered. Extensive screening would have to be completed before the children could be identified as Haitian orphans and released for adoption.

Sources:

Secretary Napolitano Announces Humanitarian Parole Policy for Certain Haitian Orphans, Homeland Security, Jan 18: here

Major Aftershock Rocks Earthquake-Stricken Haiti, NPR, Jan. 20, here

Bethany Christian Services, Discussion Forums, http://discussion.bethany.org/index.php (scroll down for Haiti).

Bethany Christian Services, Haiti Blog, here with current updates