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| Mme Villedrouin, Director of IBESR |
Haiti Ratifies the Hague
Yesterday I got some hard news regarding our adoption from Haiti. During their designated “Week of the Child”, the Haitian parliament went ahead and ratified their decision to become a party to the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption.
For those unfamiliar with the Hague, it is a treaty between party countries that governs adoptions between these countries. Developed in 1993, the US signed the Hague in 1994 but did not fully implement it until 2008. It took 14 years for the US, the most advanced nation in the world, to put everything in place to meet Hague requirements.
The goal of the Hague is to ensure adoptions are legal and transparent and to ensure the welfare of children. It’s aim is to curb corrupt and unethical adoption practices like kidnapping, baby selling and child trafficking. The intentions are great.
History of Hague’s Effect on Adoption
The problem is that the effect of implementing the Hague in countries like Vietnam, Nepal and Guatemala has been to shut down adoptions from to the US entirely. Pretty much as soon as another country joins the Hague, the US is obligated to suspend adoptions from that country while it checks to see if their procedures meet Hague restrictions.
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| From the US State Dept. |
In some cases, adoptions that have already started to be processed are grandfathered in and the US tries to get them completed. But in a situation like Guatemala, who ratified the Hague in 2008, the foreign government simply does not follow through. Families are stuck waiting and children sit in orphanages. Adoptions went from over 4000 per year in 2008 to near zero since they adopted the Hague.
The Haitian government is trying to appear organized and strong and caring for the well being of Haitian children. They were pressured by UNICEF and the French government to ratify the Hague way before they were ready to implement it.
The thing is, UNICEF hates international adoption. They’ve gone on record time and again fighting against it, calling it baby stealing and an industry where supply meets demand.
No one is denying that there are unethical practices and nobody wants that. I would rather a child be raised by his own family in his own country than have an American family’s dream of parenthood fulfilled unlawfully.
But UNICEF has no answer for what to do with the children who really will grow up in orphanages if they cannot be adopted. Some orphanages are better than others, but they are no replacement for a loving family.
How This Affects Our Adoption
So what does all this mean for our family and our adoption? We don’t know yet.
All the agency people and orphanage directors are telling adoptive parents not to panic. These same people have for months prayed and hoped that the Hague would not be ratified too soon. Of course we all knew how risky adoption is, especially in Haiti.
We claim to trust the Lord’s sovereign plan and His perfect timing. That’s easy to say and much harder to do. I’ve gotta remember that all this isn’t about us, or about Haiti, or about orphans. It’s all about God and His glory. I’ve gotta remember that ultimately that’s what we want in all this, to make much of Jesus.
But still I wonder now, as we are thrust back into the dark, what does this mean for our little family of four in Texas? How long till we know whether to press forward in the direction of Haiti or change course completely?
We have had at least two other friends had to change countries entirely in their adoption process. It would be easier now, since we have not been matched with a child yet. But we have fallen for Haiti and its fatherless children. Our hearts really are for them right now.
So we pray, and we ask you to pray. Not just for us, but for Haiti, and all the other families in the US with kids waiting for them in Haiti. Pray that God uses this to draw Mike and I back more fully into total submission and dependence on Him. And that we would find our kid, wherever she is.
Oh my, what heartbreaking news. It’s good, in the grand scheme of things, but the poor babies who won’t be matched with their families. Just so sad. Praying for you guys. You’ll get through it.
Oh my, what heartbreaking news. It’s good, in the grand scheme of things, but the poor babies who won’t be matched with their families. Just so sad. Praying for you guys. You’ll get through it.
Oh my, what heartbreaking news. It’s good, in the grand scheme of things, but the poor babies who won’t be matched with their families. Just so sad. Praying for you guys. You’ll get through it.
Thank you so much for commenting on my “Journey to Selfless” adoption post. I’m so sorry for you. My heart hurts. I wish the Lord would make this journey easier. I just keep trying to remind myself that the length and the depth of our wait….will make loving her…whoever she is….all the sweeter. Blessings to you. I’m your newest followers!
Thank you so much for commenting on my “Journey to Selfless” adoption post. I’m so sorry for you. My heart hurts. I wish the Lord would make this journey easier. I just keep trying to remind myself that the length and the depth of our wait….will make loving her…whoever she is….all the sweeter. Blessings to you. I’m your newest followers!
Thank you so much for commenting on my “Journey to Selfless” adoption post. I’m so sorry for you. My heart hurts. I wish the Lord would make this journey easier. I just keep trying to remind myself that the length and the depth of our wait….will make loving her…whoever she is….all the sweeter. Blessings to you. I’m your newest followers!
I feel like I could have written your blog post. It hits home that much for me too. We are a family of 4 living in Texas, in the beginning stages of adopting from Haiti and I feel so confused and sad, and praying. We are trying to figure out if we should press forward or if we should pursue adoption from somewhere else. We already feel like part of our hearts lie in Haiti and I don’t know what to think. Will pray God will make things clear quickly to us and others in the same spot.
I feel like I could have written your blog post. It hits home that much for me too. We are a family of 4 living in Texas, in the beginning stages of adopting from Haiti and I feel so confused and sad, and praying. We are trying to figure out if we should press forward or if we should pursue adoption from somewhere else. We already feel like part of our hearts lie in Haiti and I don’t know what to think. Will pray God will make things clear quickly to us and others in the same spot.
I feel like I could have written your blog post. It hits home that much for me too. We are a family of 4 living in Texas, in the beginning stages of adopting from Haiti and I feel so confused and sad, and praying. We are trying to figure out if we should press forward or if we should pursue adoption from somewhere else. We already feel like part of our hearts lie in Haiti and I don’t know what to think. Will pray God will make things clear quickly to us and others in the same spot.
Arica, I’m sorry I didn’t respond to this sooner. Hopefully you have been encouraged lately and are still moving forward as we are.
Arica, I’m sorry I didn’t respond to this sooner. Hopefully you have been encouraged lately and are still moving forward as we are.
Arica, I’m sorry I didn’t respond to this sooner. Hopefully you have been encouraged lately and are still moving forward as we are.
Thank you SO much for your kind words.
Thank you SO much for your kind words.
Thank you SO much for your kind words.
We were just begining our adoption application when all this began. Our agency is holding off on applications until Haiti is accepting dossiers again (which was supposed to be Aug. 1) So difficult for us (we are in our late 50’s) and time is ticking. We have met our boy…11 yrs old…a true orpan (which makes the process even more difficult). I have been going to Haiti every 3 mos. to visit him and will continue to do so. We love him so much…and he, us! (he is ours already) Please pray that the doors in Haiti will be opened so we can all do what God has called us to do. HE can move mountains when His people pray! Blessings and grace to you!
We were just begining our adoption application when all this began. Our agency is holding off on applications until Haiti is accepting dossiers again (which was supposed to be Aug. 1) So difficult for us (we are in our late 50’s) and time is ticking. We have met our boy…11 yrs old…a true orpan (which makes the process even more difficult). I have been going to Haiti every 3 mos. to visit him and will continue to do so. We love him so much…and he, us! (he is ours already) Please pray that the doors in Haiti will be opened so we can all do what God has called us to do. HE can move mountains when His people pray! Blessings and grace to you!
We were just begining our adoption application when all this began. Our agency is holding off on applications until Haiti is accepting dossiers again (which was supposed to be Aug. 1) So difficult for us (we are in our late 50’s) and time is ticking. We have met our boy…11 yrs old…a true orpan (which makes the process even more difficult). I have been going to Haiti every 3 mos. to visit him and will continue to do so. We love him so much…and he, us! (he is ours already) Please pray that the doors in Haiti will be opened so we can all do what God has called us to do. HE can move mountains when His people pray! Blessings and grace to you!