The Ups and Downs of International Adoption

Sometimes I just have no words...


We received this post tonight.  Yesterday was such an exciting and emotional day and then we get slammed with this.  I know the timing of everything is in God's hands and that He is sovereign over everything but some things are just really hard to accept.  I know the Ethiopian government is very much trying to make sure every i is dotted and every t crossed so I hate to complain.  Please pray that this new procedure is temporary and that they can fix any problems that need fixing.  The ideal situation would be for a much better procedure and policy to be found and put into place making the entire process less lengthy. 

This, 1 day after we accept our referral of beautiful Butula...

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Bureau of Consular Affairs

Office of Children’s Issues

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Government of Ethiopia Plans Major Slow-Down in Adoption Processing

March 9, 2011

Citing the need to work on quality and focus on more important strategic issues, the Government of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs (MOWCYA) will reduce to a maximum of five the number of adoption cases it processes per day, effective March 10, 2011. Under Ethiopian adoption procedures, MOWCYA approves every match between prospective adoptive parents and an Ethiopian child before that case can be forwarded for a court hearing. The U.S. Embassy is working with Ethiopian government officials and adoption agencies to learn more about this change in procedures. We will continue to share information as it becomes available.

Given MOWCYA's current caseload, the U.S. Embassy anticipates that this change could result in an overall decline in case processing of some 90 percent. If this change is implemented as proposed, we expect, that parents who have begun the process of adopting from Ethiopia but have not yet been matched with a child could experience significant delays. It is not clear if this change in procedures would have any significant impact on cases in which MOWCYA has already approved matches.

Prospective adoptive parents should remain in close contact with their adoption service provider to obtain updates on individual cases.

The Embassy's Adoptions Unit can be reached at consadoptionaddis@state.gov.
Please continue to monitor http://adoption.state.gov/ for updated information as it becomes available.

We got our referral!!!

Yesterday while I was driving home from lunch at Panera Bread with Caitlyn, Carson and my Mom, I received a call from our adoption coordinator saying she thinks she has a referral for us.  Not a cool thing to say to someone who is driving.  :)  I screamed and about drove off the road!  She asked me if I was at my computer but unfortunately I was driving and had to wait until I got home to read "her" file.  I called Paul and told him to get home NOW!  He left work and picked up Colton early from school.

I always thought I would be able to wait for Paul so we could open the file together but unfortunatly he was at work and ...I...just...couldn't...wait!!!  The kids and I ran into the house and were so excited to open the email.  She is a beautiful 4 year old little girl.  She is from the norther part of Ethiopia and is absolutely beautiful and very healthy.  The kids were so excited and had tears in their eyes as they looked at her.  It is a very hard thing to describe how you feel connected to a picture on a computer screen but this is the little angel we have been praying for and loving for about a year now.  Caitlyn kept kissing her fingers and placing them on the screen saying "we will bring you home soon."  It was so bittersweet.  Carson was so excited about her age.  He said he "wants to play on the same soccer team as her."  :)  Colton couldn't take his eyes off of her and said that he "knew that was going to be what she looked like." 

We now wait until our paper work is finalized in Ethiopia and then we will get our court date. At that point we can start making our travel arrangements.  Our best guess for that will be in about 3 to 5 months.  We will make 2 trips over to Ethiopia, this court appearance is our first trip and the second one (about 2 months later) will be for our Embassy appointment.  Our adoption will be final at that point and we can bring her home!  I though that the wait for the referral was a hard wait, but these past few days have been really hard.  I now see the light at the end of the tunnel and just want to get our little girl HOME.