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.