Bethany News Blog

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We now have the Haiti & Beyond national recorded webinar up on Bethany's website.

You can link to the webinar through www.bethany.org/haitiearthquake, or click here for a direct link.

The webinar is 38 minutes and covers information about Bethany's response to the earthquake and the latest adoption information. It also discussed the different categories of Haitian orphans as well as the many other orphans around the world and provides several options of how you can help.

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 10:36:26 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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With the Haiti earthquake and devastation still on all of our hearts, we are inviting you to attend a national webinar called “Haiti & Beyond” to learn more about what you can do to help the many children of Haiti and other countries around the world.

We have been overwhelmed and are so appreciative for the thousands of people who have contacted us and are interested in donating, volunteering, taking children into their homes, and so much more to help the children in Haiti.

The webinar will be from 3 to 4p.m. EST on Wednesday, January 27.

There is no charge for this webinar and the login instructions are below. This webinar is open to the public and will be recorded and available to watch online at a later date.

As our focus is on finding families to help children, please invite others who may be interested.

If you are unable to attend and would still like to donate to help make sure orphans in Haiti are having their basic needs met, please visit www.bethany.org/donate and select “Haiti-Earthquake Recovery” as your gift designation.



Using Internet Explorer, go to the following URL:
https://bethanychristianservices.on.raindance.com/confmgr/public_unsched.jsp?confId=5182910

If the link does not work, please go to www.raindance.com and click on join a meeting. Use meeting number 5182910.

At the login screen, type in your information, make sure you select Light Version. Then select Join.

Once you have joined, answer yes to the webcast question.

Additional Audio Instructions:

Please make sure you have external speakers, the volume is turned up, and it is adjusted on your computer and on the Webinar controls - three places!

In the left panel of the webinar controls, click on audio controls and start webcasting. You will be able to adjust the volume controls there.

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 12:15:47 PM Location | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

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Please click the link below to read a message from the U.S. State Department about adoption of children in Haiti affected by the earthquake.

adoption.state.gov

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 11:26:22 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Bethany Christian Services is working with its orphanage partner in Haiti, God’s Littlest Angels (GLA), to bring 80 orphans to the United States to be united with their adoptive families, late this evening.
A flight leaving at Haiti 7:40 p.m. on Thursday, January 21, will arrive in Miami at 9:40 p.m.

Please keep all of these families in your prayers over the next few days. It is very exciting for Bethany Christian Services to be part of this event that will unite 80 children with their adoptive families late this evening.

Some highlights:
·        It is important to note that these Haitian children were already living at the GLA orphanage and their adoption was in process prior to the           earthquake.
·        Out of the 80 children arriving, 58 children are placed with Bethany adoptive families.
·        Bethany has arranged two private jets for families traveling to Miami to meet their children.
·        Families will be meeting their children at a Miami hotel, after the immigration process.
·        Earlier this week, the US Embassy in Haiti granted visas for these children to expedite the adoption process.
·        Typically adoptive parents would travel to Haiti (in two separate trips) to pick up their children.
·        This is unprecedented in the world of International Adoptions, where children are being flown out of the country to complete their adoptions.
·        Bethany Christian Services will have three staff members on the ground in Miami to assist families who are uniting with their children.
·        With these children now safely with their families, the orphanage director, Dixie Bickel, and her staff will be able to return to Haiti to help newly orphaned children at GLA.

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 10:48:13 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

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Thank you to everyone who has expressed interest in opening your home to a child from Haiti, whether through adoption or foster care.

We are truly overwhelmed by the quick and generous response from our Bethany families and supporters. It is a blessing to know that there
are so many people out there who are willing to open their hearts and homes to care for these children.

We would like to respond to the many comments posted on this blog about the possibility of adoption or foster care from Haiti.

Bethany Christian Services is a member of the National Council For Adoption (NCFA), which recently released this statement:

The NCFA and other adoption advocates are very concerned about the potential for child trafficking in Haiti. As such, NCFA urges that there be no expedited efforts made to process new adoptions in Haiti. Additionally, NCFA discourages the altruistic practice commonly referred to as "baby lifts." Adequate time is needed to ensure that presumably orphaned children have no surviving family. Even in the name of humanitarian interest, we cannot risk the premature adoptions of vulnerable children who may have been separated from their families by this tragedy.

Bethany is in agreement with the NCFA statement. We are an advocate for the child, so that their best interests are being met.

Bethany’s hope for the new orphans is to help them stay in Haiti where it makes sense. For example, if there are Haitian families with love in their heart and the means to take care of an orphan child, we want to make sure they are given that opportunity.

We appreciate the outpouring compassion and interest in families considering adopting orphans from Haiti. We received hundreds of additional applications in the first two days after the earthquake. After any crisis, it’s going to take months before there’s a thorough review of whether these children have any family in Haiti before the adoption process begins.

After it is determined that a child does not have a suitable family to care for them in Haiti, the adoption process will then begin. Traditionally, the adoption process in Haiti takes between 18 to 24 months. While we will advocate streamlining the adoption process due to the circumstances, it’s not something we can guarantee.

For more information on adopting a child from Haiti, including fees, children that are available for adoption, and country requirements, please visit www.bethany.org/haiti. At this time, no information has been released as to whether or not age or other requirements for adoptive parents will be changed. If we do receive any such information, we will post an update on this blog.
To fill out a preliminary adoption application, visit www.bethany.org.

Bethany Christian Services is also planning to schedule a national webinar on Haiti adoptions. Please watch our blog for an announcement regarding the schedule of that webinar.

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 08:13:45 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

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We have received word that Secretary Janet Napolitano has announced a humanitarian parole policy allowing Haitian orphans to enter the United States!  We are praising God for this news, and thanking Him for working through the necessary individuals to help this come to fruition.  

Please visit our Haiti blog to find the Press Release, as well as the Fact Sheet related to this policy.  

Thank you to everyone for your prayers for those in Haiti, the adoptive parents, and those at Bethany...we will continue to covet your prayers as we move through this process of travel for the children, and of recovery for the Haitian people.

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 07:11:01 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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If you are currently in the process of adopting a child from Haiti, please visit the Joint Council on International Children's Services' (JCICS) website to register your case with them.  

This will allow JCICS to advocate with the US and Haitian government for these children's cases.  If you would like to go directly to the page to register, please click here.

We will be posting a message about further ways you can advocate for your child soon.  
Please be looking for this post, and please continue to pray for not only the orphans in Haiti, but everyone going through this disaster and recovery.

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 01:18:41 PM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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 Bethany Christian Services was featured on the news in Detroit yesterday regarding Haiti adoptions and how people can help the situation in Haiti through Bethany. Click here to view the story.

Another Detroit news station featured a Bethany family adoption through Haiti on their program yesterday.
Link to their story here.

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 10:52:16 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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The Department of State(DOS) has posted a statement on the possibility of future adoptions in times of disaster and conflict.  

Please read their notice here.  

The DOS has not issued a notice regarding the processing of current adoptions at this time.

Bethany Christian Services will continue every effort to post updates regarding the situation in Haiti and how adoptions are being affected. Information will be posted as it is received, both on this blog, as well as our Haiti blog.

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 07:40:47 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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We continue to react to the devastation we see in Haiti and our hearts are saddened as we consider the hundreds of thousands of people who have been affected by the earthquake. One natural response is to ask, "What can I do to help?" There has been a huge response even within the past day to the needs, and we're grateful to each and every one who has offered to help in some way.

At this time, we want to tell you what we know and guess about future adoptions in Haiti.  

First priorities in Haiti are search and rescue, assessment of the damage and current needs, and peace-keeping. After awhile, we may see that there are children who have been separated from their families. These children should be provided with temporary care while efforts are made to locate their relatives.
In the meantime, efforts will be made to resume the processing of the adoptions of children who are already connected with prospective adoptive families.  Unfortunately, this process is now virtually stopped, and will take some time and effort to be resumed.  

Only after current adoptions are processed, will there be consideration for the possibility of adoption of children newly entering temporary care, and for whom relatives have not been found who can provide permanency.

We have received numerous inquiries about adoption from Haiti. If you are considering adoption at this time, we encourage you to check out all of our intercountry adoption programs. If you wish to take the next step, please complete a preliminary application.

However, while we anticipate an increase in the numbers of orphaned children in Haiti, the adoption of those children will not happen quickly or easily.

Bethany Christian Services will continue every effort to post updates regarding the situation in Haiti and how adoptions are being affected. Information will be posted as it is received, both on this blog, as well as our Haiti blog.

Posted by Sarah J. Ronan At 07:32:27 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)