This evening I spoke with Robin with EAC. She was so helpful. I was asking her about Haiti, Honduras and Ghana. We spoke the most about Haiti. She talked about the need there for adoption, due to poverty, inability to care for their children and sadly the death of their parents. So much of their country is still recovering from the devastation of the 2010 earthquake. They have children as young as 3 months available for adoption at the time of referral and this country would be our best bet for keeping the child younger than Violet. Haiti is interesting because you have to have been married 10 years and they prefer you to be childless. Apparently, you can get a presidential approval after you have your referral and it just adds an additional step (and a couple months) but she says it doesn't penalize you. After your paperwork has been submitted and approved you wait about 3-4 months for a referral and then you would take your first trip of 1-2 weeks with both parents, hopefully have a court date, meet your child and come home. Then you would have to wait 8-12 months to bring the child home on your second trip of 8-10 days where one parent must go, but during that time you could visit. Haiti is not currently a part of the Hague convention but is in the process of getting there. They have one more step to take. It sounds like the reason the country has slowed a little with adoptions is due to administrative staffing in Haiti and that should be changing at the end of this month or the beginning of February.
We talked some about Honduras. You wait 12-15 months for a referral, then you have to wait about 4-6 months to complete adoption. Honduras requires three trips about six weeks apart. The typical age of their youngest children is toddler to preschool age with the majority being 3 to 4 years old.
We talked the least about Ghana. Her thinking with Ghana is that when comparing the countries we are most interested in, Haiti or even Honduras is somewhere it is more likely we could travel and expose the child to their heritage and culture.
Then came the kicker...my seizure disorder AND the fact that I had my license suspended for six months due to a seizure back in 2003 or 2004ish. One previous agency I talked to suggested I just not tell the country I was on medication and that I had a seizure disorder. I just wasn't comfortable with that advice so I just decided that wasn't the best agency for us. This lady said that was insane advice (THANK YOU for agreeing with me) and said the best first step for us would be for me to get a medical letter from my doctor. The goal is to explain my diagnosis, treatment plan and care and basically verify that it does not affect my ability to parent. Then she would verify with the country that it was ok to proceed and it would not trip us up. She also suggested writing a personally letter for now documenting the situation surrounding the suspension of my drivers license, explaining what happened and what I have to do now to maintain my license. Who knows maybe those annoying medical things I have to have filled out by my doctor for the DMV will pay off rather than just piss me off. ;)
My other big question had to do with them being legit because we have worked for a non-profit organization that was not legit but was excellent at hiding that fact. She said she could give me references from people who have adopted from them in the past and that they were a member of the JCICS and the National Council for Adoption. This really put my mind at ease after researching. Unfortunately she can't give me any names of people that have successfully adopted from Haiti specifically, because everyone is in the middle of the process and it's a new program. Side note, I just looked up another agency in Tennessee just out of curiosity and turns out they mainly do domestic adoptions but they partner with outside agencies to do international adoptions and one of the four agencies they partner with is EAC. That even made me feel better, that another agency is willing to put their stamp of approval on them to the point of joining with them. We have found a great contender for a possible agency for sure and Haiti seems like a place that there is a great need.
I have already emailed Hopscotch to set up a phone call with them to learn about their programs. They have a Ghana program. I am curious to see what they say.
We talked some about Honduras. You wait 12-15 months for a referral, then you have to wait about 4-6 months to complete adoption. Honduras requires three trips about six weeks apart. The typical age of their youngest children is toddler to preschool age with the majority being 3 to 4 years old.
We talked the least about Ghana. Her thinking with Ghana is that when comparing the countries we are most interested in, Haiti or even Honduras is somewhere it is more likely we could travel and expose the child to their heritage and culture.
Then came the kicker...my seizure disorder AND the fact that I had my license suspended for six months due to a seizure back in 2003 or 2004ish. One previous agency I talked to suggested I just not tell the country I was on medication and that I had a seizure disorder. I just wasn't comfortable with that advice so I just decided that wasn't the best agency for us. This lady said that was insane advice (THANK YOU for agreeing with me) and said the best first step for us would be for me to get a medical letter from my doctor. The goal is to explain my diagnosis, treatment plan and care and basically verify that it does not affect my ability to parent. Then she would verify with the country that it was ok to proceed and it would not trip us up. She also suggested writing a personally letter for now documenting the situation surrounding the suspension of my drivers license, explaining what happened and what I have to do now to maintain my license. Who knows maybe those annoying medical things I have to have filled out by my doctor for the DMV will pay off rather than just piss me off. ;)
My other big question had to do with them being legit because we have worked for a non-profit organization that was not legit but was excellent at hiding that fact. She said she could give me references from people who have adopted from them in the past and that they were a member of the JCICS and the National Council for Adoption. This really put my mind at ease after researching. Unfortunately she can't give me any names of people that have successfully adopted from Haiti specifically, because everyone is in the middle of the process and it's a new program. Side note, I just looked up another agency in Tennessee just out of curiosity and turns out they mainly do domestic adoptions but they partner with outside agencies to do international adoptions and one of the four agencies they partner with is EAC. That even made me feel better, that another agency is willing to put their stamp of approval on them to the point of joining with them. We have found a great contender for a possible agency for sure and Haiti seems like a place that there is a great need.
I have already emailed Hopscotch to set up a phone call with them to learn about their programs. They have a Ghana program. I am curious to see what they say.
Now I guess the big question is my fun medical issue which has and will always be a thorn in my side apparently and the financial side. That should be interesting, being we are not and I'm pretty positive we never will be remotely wealthy. I have always wondered if maybe God taking us through the fundraising process so many times was in preparation for this. A friend I met with today for coffee who is also in the adoption process mentioned that she thought fund raising was great because regardless of whether everyone is called to adopt, everyone is called to care for the widows and orphans and for some people the way they may do that is through a financial gift. I pray God will connect us with those people when the time is right. People may think we are crazy to attempt something that can only be done through Himself and His body of believers, but if I have learned anything through our ministry life it is that when God puts a calling on your life and you can not escape it, you are obedient, regardless of whether people think you are insane or not. And, based on the path God has tended to take us down, I am confident that over the course of our life people have watched us and thought we were crazy...at least we've been obedient.
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