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Future Haiti Adoptions and Foster Care

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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.

Comments

Gravatar Image1 - Thank you for this well written and very appropriate update! I will be watching for the webinar!

Gravatar Image2 - My husband and I are interested in fostering up to 3 children from Haiti.We are too old to adopt but have many good years left to give of our selves. We live in the country just 2 miles out of town, and 3 hours out of Boston. We have experience with many children as I organized and kept children from inner cities, i.e. Fresh Air Program. Thank You

Gravatar Image3 - P.S. We speak French

Gravatar Image4 - Hi I currently reside in Wichita, Ks and would like to open my home to help an Haitian child in need. I am currently a foster parent to a 15 year old and have 2 daughters of my own. I would be willing to help any way that I can.

Gravatar Image5 - Are there any plans for the orphans who were identified as being eligible for adoption before the earthquake?

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