tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74746261591547466732024-02-18T20:54:11.239-08:00A Child's Voice International Advocacy1. A child has the fundamental right to grow up in a loving forever family.
2. To give a voice to children who are homeless, abandoned & orphaned.sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.comBlogger137125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-27755293149165173122011-12-14T08:25:00.000-08:002011-12-14T08:32:18.268-08:00UNICEF & Declining Adoption Numbers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghojPT0VHXxsjox5XScZV3mi4wNKKpBNdXerG90oEGnDg-4PfH_L260SgBF7AlXKq8-LTopCmq8PouCUYmosD8vtK7FceTBZFHm0waS3rHI-ndDynd3zHCsZ7HEpCY1U6inMzD4RuJ9yup/s1600/3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 202px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghojPT0VHXxsjox5XScZV3mi4wNKKpBNdXerG90oEGnDg-4PfH_L260SgBF7AlXKq8-LTopCmq8PouCUYmosD8vtK7FceTBZFHm0waS3rHI-ndDynd3zHCsZ7HEpCY1U6inMzD4RuJ9yup/s400/3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5686021572589375906" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">The Waning of International Adoption</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#ff0000;">Numbers Don't Lie </span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>This information was provided by Harvard Professor Elizabeth Bartholet:</b></div><div style="text-align: left;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div style="text-align: left;">The depressing 2011 statistics demonstrate the ongoing reduction in international adoption. <a href="http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/bartholet/Chart%2011X17%20with%20citation_for_Web_red2.pdf">2011 Adoption Statistic</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><b>UNICEF Continues to Undermine International Adoption</b><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />A powerful new film documentary demonstrates the harsh impact on unparented children of the elimination of Guatemala's former international adoption system. This film does an extraordinary job of documenting the problematic role UNICEF plays in international adoption policy. <a href="http://reason.tv/video/show/abandoned-in-guatemala-the-fai">Abandoned in Guatemala</a><br /><br /><br />Andrea Poe urges people not to buy UNICEF holiday cards given the destructive role that UNICEF has played in denying unparented children homes in international adoption.<br /><a href="http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/red-thread-adoptive-family-forum/2011/dec/5/why-i-wont-buy-unicef-holiday-cards/">Why I Won't Buy UNICEF Cards</a><br /><br /><b>Is There a Better Way Forward?</b><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />The Separate Statement on international adoption policy was issued as part of the recent Way Forward Project led by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. This Way Forward Project is designed to encourage the reduction in the use of institutions as a method of addressing the needs of unparented children in six African nations. An important Separate Statement promoting international adoption as a key method of serving children's needs was incorporated in the Way Forward Project's Final Report. This Statement was signed by: Elizabeth Bartholet, Morris Wasserstein Public Interest Professor of Law, Harvard University, Dana E. Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Tendai Masiriri, International Services Manager for Africa Programs, Bethany Christian Services International, Inc. and Elizabeth Styffe, RN MN, Director HIV/AIDS & Orphan Care Initiatives, Saddleback Church.<br /><a href="http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/bartholet/The%20Way%20Forward%20Project%20Report.pdf">Promoting Permanency through Adoption</a><br />Links...<br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><a href="http://www.law.harvard.edu/faculty/bartholet/The%20Way%20Forward%20Project%20Report.pdf">Center for Adoption Policy</a><br /><a href="http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/about/cap/">Child Advocacy Program at Harvard Law School</a>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-83468947013791921942011-01-12T16:05:00.001-08:002011-01-12T16:05:47.543-08:00One-Year Anniversary<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Grande', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; "><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; ">Today is the one-year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. My family and I survived this horrific event, physically unharmed (aside from a few bumps and bruises), but we lost most of our belongings in the aftermath…</p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It has been an emotional day for me that has been filled with feeling sad but at the same time feeling in awe as to what the human spirit can withstand.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I moved back to the U.S. in August, my kids and husband joined me in November. His mother and brother and many other relatives remain in Haiti.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Haiti is like a prison for most Haitians because no country seems to welcome Haitians. Only 5% of the rubble has been cleared! Most of the aid money promised has never arrived! I feel frustrated and somewhat angry because the big governments could help Haiti if they really wanted to… Haiti really does not seem to have much importance to the rest of the world leaders and governments. In my opinion, the only way that Haiti could be build up would be to take most of the people off the island. Rebuild it nice, then invite people back. Most Haitians have relatives in the U.S., Canada and Europe (mostly in France). That could get about 70% of the population out of Haiti to do the work.</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I know this might sound utopian, but I do not see how the country can be rebuild (when it was in terrible shape before the earthquake even struck) with all the people crammed into the Port-au-Prince geographic area!</span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thanks for allowing me to get this off my chest.</span></p></span>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-52220755598674807442010-05-31T06:44:00.000-07:002010-05-31T06:58:09.963-07:00New Law? --- Not so fast....The new law was ratified by the Haitian Parliament. However in order for it to become law, it also has to be voted on and passed by the Haitian Senate. Currently, the senate does not have all its members and it does not have a quorum. Additionally, once it is passed by the Haitian Senate, it has to be published for a while in order for it to be passed into law. <div><br /></div><div>Thus, there really is not "new law"... not yet anyways...</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, there is a bit of a scandal surrounding the "new law". While the "new law" was being written, composed, there were several meetings of all the stakeholders, including Creche Directors. ("Creche" is an orphanage that is licensed to process adoptions.) These directors proposed changes and these were edited into the proposed law. </div><div><br /></div><div>However, the wording of the "new law" that was ratified and passed by the Haitian Parliament did not have any of those changes and edits. The "new law" that was put forth to the parliament was exactly the wording that UNICEF had proposed! <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Hmmm... do you smell a rat? I sure do!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div>The Creche Directors were furious about this "fast one" being pulled... They are organizing to lobby the Senators (old, new, etc.) before the Senate will pass the law in an attempt to pass the law as it was written after the many editing sessions. So this is not done yet!</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div>Also, the Haitian Parliament passed this "new law" in one of its emergency sessions where they were supposed to only look, discuss and ratify laws that were of emergency! </div><div><br /></div><div>According to the "new law" - couples who have been married at least 5 years and are older than 30, with no biological children are given preference to adopt in Haiti. </div><div>- It mentions that biological children are no obstacle at one point in "the law" but at the beginning it states that the couple is to be without bio kids. (I still need to spend more time reading the text.)</div><div><br /></div><div>-If the couple is not married but has lived together for at least 10 years, they can also adopt.</div><div><br /></div><div>- Only divorced women and divorced men over the age of 35 without any biological children can adopt.</div><div><br /></div><div>- I am not sure if dossiers can be sent to orphanages directly for matching or if the dossiers have to be sent directly to IBESR for matching? I need to find the time to sit down and read "the law".</div><div><br /></div><div>- Orphanages will be financially penalized if they accept a child and do not report the child to IBESR within three days! That one is a biggy because the fine is a lot of money! Many orphanages have the capacity to accept children, but are not doing so because of financial implications. Who is financially supporting the orphanages and their kids? Only the big ones that have church sponsorship or sponsorship from other sources can survive and care for kids right now. IBESR or UNICEF do not give financial support to orphanages.</div><div><br /></div><div>On a side note - I was told by one creche director that UNICEF showed up at her creche with armed guards in order to "inspect" her orphanage. Armed Guards? Really? COME ON NOW!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-14599847645407162202010-03-19T11:46:00.000-07:002010-03-19T11:58:10.544-07:00Housing Situation in Port-au-PrinceI wanted to give a small update, it really has nothing to do with adoptions, but it is affecting children. <div><br /></div><div>*** The tent situation has gotten a little better, but there are still many more tents needed. I do not know if the international aid groups do not have good guides to help show them around, but there are many more fields and areas in the outskirts of PAP where families continue living in bed sheet tents. It has been raining a lot. When I say "raining", I mean RAINING for hours and strong rain! </div><div><br /></div><div>*** Some people's homes were not destroyed and now international aid workers are seeking housing. As a result, renters are being evicted because they cannot pay as much as the international aid workers. Some families are getting as little as a one-week notice to move out. </div><div><br /></div><div>*** Sexual harassment is getting worse for women and girls in their teens. The problem with living in tent cities or bed sheet tent cities is that there is really very little privacy and security. It is not like one can lock a door or gate. From my observations and with talking with women/girls I know, it is a real security threat. It is bad enough that so many women and girls have to depend on a man to help them get food, shelter, basic necessities, in addition to all too constant verbal sexual comments, but women and girls have to worry about getting sexually assaulted. </div><div><br /></div><div>*** On a side note, I have female friends who work for the U.N. and they constantly tell me about verbal sexual harassment and sexual touching that they have to endure from the male U.N. soldiers and employees. They are afraid to complain and endure this kind of treatment because they are afraid that they will lose their jobs if they do. </div><div><br /></div><div>*** The security situation has gotten worse since many of the U.S. Army troops have left the country. I think that was a bad decision to have them leave. Right on the street that I live on, a man was shot to death during a robbery by four men with guns. The man's son watched the attack and his father being shot. The father had driven his car to the local bakery and they were going to buy bread. Another incident happened in the city where two Haitian police men were shot and killed by criminals. These are just two incidences, there are others. It is no longer safe to go to the bank, to go shopping and to go into the city to run errands! Sad but true!</div>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-91001504992884663302010-02-15T11:41:00.000-08:002010-02-15T12:12:39.101-08:00Haiti UpdateI am in the U.S. for a few days after having escorted some adopted children to the U.S. from Haiti. We did not have any electricity since the earthquake, let alone any internet access. I am not sure how long it will be before we have electricity and/or internet after I return to Haiti. I wanted to post some information regarding Haitian adoptions and information for the general public to understand what children came to the U.S. (and other countries) post-earthquake.<br /><br /><strong>(1)</strong> I want people to realize that the Haitian children, with a few exceptions, that were brought to the U.S. (and other countries) after the January 12th earthquake, were mostly children who had already been adopted by foreign families or who were in the middle of the adoption process by those foreign families.<br /><br />In talking to people, it seems that many people think that the children who were brought out of Haiti on Humanitarian Parole "visas" were orphaned children who needed homes after the earthquake. Some people that I have spoken to seem to think that families who want a child merely stepped forward to claim an orphan. I want to dispell this misunderstanding.<br /><br />Most of the children, I am especially speaking of the children who I obtained humanitarian parole for were children who already had valid Haitian adoption decrees. Their adoption files were in the Ministry of Interior (in Port-au-Prince) awaiting passport approval letters so that they could be issued Haitian passports and then could have their immigration visas applied for at the U.S. Consulate in Haiti. Most of the families had been in the adoption process for one to three years at the time of the earthquake. I had one child who had IBESR adoption authorization, but the rest of the children had already been adopted by their families.<br /><br /><strong>(2)</strong> I know that a lot of families have come forward to inquire about adopting a child from Haiti, "earthquake orphans". Though I personally think that UNICEF is doing more damage than good, especially in Haiti with their anti-adoption attitude, I have to agree with them that in terms of children who seem to have lost their parent(s) during the earthquake should not be released for adoption unless we know that their parent(s) is(are) dead and no relatives can care for them.<br /><br />What people do not seem to understand is that under U.S. immigration law, the term "orphan" has its own legal definition:<br /><br />(a) A child whose parents are deceased; or<br /><br />(b) A child who has one living parent who is not able to care for that child under country-based standards and who has relinquished this child; or<br /><br />(c) A child whose living parents (both parents) have abandoned that child.<br /><br />Based on my personal working experience in adoptions, proving to the U.S. government during the orphan investigation process that a child's parents are deceased is the most difficult thing to do and that makes it the most difficult kind of adoption to process.<br /><br />Thus, I think that it will be difficult to adopt orphaned children who lost their parents in the earthquake because of the lack of proof that the parents really died. Many people's corpses were burned or burried in mass graves after the earthquake without any identification.<br /><br /><strong>(3)</strong> I know that <strong>IBESR (Haitian adoption authority)</strong> has started working again. Last week Monday, they accepted adoption dossiers and also signed out approved adoption dossiers. However, I know nothing about the workings of the courts.<br /><br />The <strong>PAP Parquet</strong> (the court building in Port au Prince that processes adoption decrees) building was still standing (at least what I saw from the street) but I do not know what kind of damage there is to the building.<br /><br />The <strong>Ministry of Interior (MOI)</strong> was pretty much completely destroyed, but apparently several, if not all, file cabinets that contained adoption dossiers with original adoption related documents, were recovered by MOI staff.<br /><br /><strong>Immigration</strong> was open last week and people who had had passports printed prior to the earthquake were able to pick them up. So, I do not know if they are up and operational for adoption related passports or if they are issuing new passports for the general population. Personally, I cannot see how they can work in the building because you have to enter into Immigration through a long basement room and I would not go through there (personally) just in case the building is not safe or another aftershock strikes.<br /><br /><strong>(4) Future Adoptions</strong> - I am sure that adoptions will continue, but if UNICEF is now in charge of adoptions and/or in determining what child can or cannot be adopted, then the future is really bleak for the children in need of homes. Post-earthquake, UNICEF personnel came to visit registered orphanages to take a count of how many children were in the care of the orphanages, so I had a chance to speak with one of the UNICEF workers. He basically told me that their focus was to keep all Haitian children in Haiti because "they are the future of Haiti".<br /><br />In theory, I agree that children should grow up in their home country, but when there is a non-existing social welfare system (even prior to the earthquake, let alone after the earthquake) to care for those children, then for survival sake, adoption is one of the very few solutions. That is the reality!<br /><br /><strong>(5) Post earthquake</strong>, I have been working on getting food and medical assistance to people who were displaced by the earthquake. Unfortunately, assistance has <strong>not</strong> reached people who are in the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, i.e. Santo, Clercine areas, just to mention two areas. We have a piece of land that is currently housing approx. 200 families in "bedsheet tents". Nobody has come to offer these families food, water or medicine from any international aid organizations. I am working on getting at least 50 real tents to bring back with me this week so that some have cover from rain which will come. We also want to set up a feeding program, but that requires ongoing donations. We have given food to about 80 families on a somewhat regular basis paid from private donations. But this distribution has been our private one-four persons effort.<br /><br />There has been some food distribution near the U.S. Embassy and the Major of Tabarre that I have seen, but people have to stand in long lines for hours in order to reach the distribution. In order to stand in the line for hours and to carry the food donations, the person has to be able to stand for a long time and be physically fit. What about mothers with small children? What about elderly people? What about people who were injured in the earthquake? They cannot stand in such lines.<br /><br />Drinking water was given free by Miracle Water for one week, two weeks ago. Now people have to pay for water again. As a result, of not having free drinking water provided to them, people are drinking contaminated water. Well water is readily available because many houses have wells and there are community wells, but that water is not safe for drinking.<br /><br />These are my personal observations and updates...sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-36742065460727264642010-02-01T13:09:00.000-08:002010-02-01T13:12:45.629-08:00Haiti UpdateYes, I survived the earthquake, thank you God!<br /><br />I have very limited computer or internet access. I have been working with different parents and orphanages to get humanitarian parol "visas"for adopted or in the process of being adopted children.<br /><br />Here is what all adoptive children's parents need to know, make sure that you have current fingerprints with USCIS!!! Many of the files (children) stuck in the process in the Port au Prince USCIS are stuck because the adoptive parents do not have active fingerprints. They expire every 18 months! Please, if you are one of these parents, go to your local USCIS office and have them resubmitted ASAP.sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-38618002779050314822009-11-20T12:12:00.001-08:002009-11-22T09:37:29.538-08:00Getting things accomplished in Haiti...I usually give adoption related updates on this blog, but today I want to tell you the story that is completely adoption unrelated. It is the true story of getting my car registration changed to my name after I purchased a car in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I am hoping that this story will give you an idea of how difficult it is to get things accomplished in a bureaucracy that is a complete disaster at times...<div><br /></div><div>I purchased a used car from a private seller, a Haitian man who works at the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince as a car mechanic. I purchased the car from him in October, however had not changed the registration and car insurance, which is state run in Haiti, and wanted to get this done. So, last week the seller and I finally found a date where both of us were available to get this accomplished. It took a total of <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">FOUR workdays</span> to get this accomplished! Here is the story...</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Day #1:</span> The seller and I had to meet at Circulation (similar to the Dept. of Motor Vehicles or DMV) to get the registration changed from his name to my name.</div><div><br /></div><div>First, we had to take the car through a car inspection line, cars are lined up to be driving into a big hanger type garage to have the VIN number checked and I think that they checked the engine too, but cannot remember. That part took over an hour to accomplish. We got the appropriate piece of paper. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next, we had to go find a parking spot in the crowded street near Circulation and then walk back to Circulation to continue with the process. Circulation is a big compound that has a hanger type inspection station, but there are offices hidden in buildings along side the large hanger. Also, the is a larger two story building with offices on the downstairs left side, downstairs bottom side and the second floor of the building. </div><div><br /></div><div>We had to go to the downstairs left building to get four empty forms that all required the seller's, the buyer's and the vehicle information. All four empty forms required the same information, but since it is not in carbon form we had to fill out each form individually. Once done with that, we had to go to one of the "hidden" buildings for a stamp to be put on each one of the forms. However, the police officer who was in charge of stamping the forms did not like that I had made correction on one of the forms and refused to stamp all four forms.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, we had to go back to the first office to get a new form. But just getting a new form would have been too easy, we were required to fill out an entire new package of forms again. Wouldn't it have been easier to fill out just the one form and to have stapled that page to the other three already correctly filled out forms? That would have made to much sense, I guess...</div><div><br /></div><div>Once we filled out the four new forms all over again, we walked back to the "hidden" office so that Mr. Police Officer could put the stamp on each of the papers. Which he did this time...</div><div><br /></div><div>Now we had to walk back to the first office, but this time we had to squeeze toward a small window in the wall where a man sat who looked over the forms and asked for 150 Gourdes. The funny thing is that both, the buyer and the seller have to show their faces through that little window to answer questions and to pay the money. There were about 20 sellers/buyers trying to get to the little window and whoever could squeeze the best got to the window. I guess that the seller and I passed the squeezing test because we made it to the window in about 10 minutes. </div><div><br /></div><div>The man behind the window looked at the forms, asked us for our i.d. cards, after inspecting them, he then covering up the information we had written on the forms asked us for the seller's name, his address and phone number. Then he asked me the same thing while covering up the information on the form. He also asked what kind of car the seller had sold to me, I guess that we passed the test and were told to sit down while the man kept our forms.</div><div><br /></div><div>After waiting about 20 minutes, the seller and I were called to a door that led into the office behind the man in the window. We had to go to desk #1 and sit down. Behind the desk was a man in civilian clothes who looked at our forms and asked us for our i.d. cards/driver's licenses. After inspecting them, he gave the cards back to us. Then, just like the man behind the window, he covered up the information on the forms so that only he could see it and asked us individually for our names, address and telephone number. He also asked what kind of car the seller had sold to me. I guess that we passed the test again because we had to move to desk #2 after the man on desk #1 stamped and signed the forms.</div><div><br /></div><div>We moved to desk #2, located immediately next to desk #1. I felt like playing musical chairs..</div><div><br /></div><div>The man behind desk #2 was a police officer. He did the same thing as the man behind the window and desk #1 had done. He asked us to show our i.d. cards/licenses and then while covering up the form ask each of us for our name, address, and telephone number. This time, after he had asked the seller what kind of car he had sold me and when he turned to me and asked what kind of car the seller had sold to me, I said: "A 2009 Mercedes." Mr. Police Officer Man failed to see the humor in my response, so I quickly gave him the correct answer.</div><div><br /></div><div>He stamped and signed the forms and handed each of us a paper with a Bible quote on it. I guess he realizes that Car Sellers and Buyers really need heavenly intervention in the changing of registration process? </div><div><br /></div><div>So, now we were done with the first part of the process. We had arrived at Circulation at 10 a.m. and it was now about 3:30 p.m. The next step was to go to the OCAVT office compound which is located clear across town and is not anywhere near Circulation. We realized that it was too late to drive across town to get anything accomplished at the OCAVT office compound. We made an appointment to meet the next morning at the OCAVT location. OCAVT is the official vehicle inspection place where mechanics check the engine of the cars and sign off on a document that certifies that the car is operational. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Day #2: </span>The seller and I met at the OCAVT location and had to drive in the car into the inspection line. We had to hand over the entire stack of stamped and signed forms from the previous day, including the title document of the car and some other receipt papers that we had collected from the previous day. Thank God for staples! Once we handed the stack of stapled papers over, a sticker with a number was placed on the rearview mirror, gave a sheet of paper to be filled out, and we were told to drive to the back of the compound to have the engine inspected. </div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile the seller was mad because he said that I should not have given the entire stack of documents to the men who put the sticker on the mirror. So, I walked back to the sticker men to confirm that they had kept the correct documents, etc. while my car waited for the inspection from the mechanics with the hood open next to a bunch of other cars with their hoods open. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was told by the sticker men that indeed, they had to keep the entire stack of papers. I walked back to the car to tell the seller the response which he did not believe. After all, I am a woman and they tell anything to women. (He seriously said that.) So he walked back to the sticker men just to get the same answer!</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, the mechanic with his flash light and stick that had a piece of cloth wrapped on the tip of the stick came to do my car's inspection. He used the flashlight to look at the engine and used the stick to poke some things. He also looked at the oil level and some of the other fluid levels of the engine. Satisfied, he signed off on the paper and told us to move the car to the very end of the compound to park it there. We were told that we now had to sit in a large room with benches to wait for our names to be called. </div><div><br /></div><div>As I parked the car at the end of the compound, I noticed that there was a small restaurant located in the compound. After I parked, I went to buy myself a cold drink. I am telling you this because as I was parking the car at the back of the compound, I saw some of the engine inspectors sneaking behind the building of the restaurant to sneak in a few drinks from rum bottles that had been stashed back there... I guess they needed ensure that their fluid levels were at adequate levels as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>We sat inside the large room with benches for about an hour when the seller and my name was called over a loudspeaker that was trying to blow out waiting sellers and buyers with squeaking feedback noises.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once our name was called, we had to go to my parked car and drive the car to the front of the compound to pick up the ever bigger getting stack of my documents that had some more papers with stamps and signatures on it. Then we were done at OCAVT.</div><div><br /></div><div>Next we had to go to the National Assurance (insurance) Office, fortunately located on the same street as OCAVT. We found parking and went into the Assurance Office which is a compound but not as large as Circulation or OCAVT. Of course, there is no paper or information posted as to where you have to go and what you have to do in each of these offices. </div><div><br /></div><div>We went to several offices in the Assurance building to find where we had to go and finally learned that we had to make photocopies of our driver licenses, the car title and the seller's insurance document. So, we had to walk down the street to the photocopy place to make copies. Once we returned to the Assurance place we were promptly told that we needed to get color copies of the driver's licenses and that black and white copies were not accepted. So, we had to walk back to the photocopy place down the street to get color copies done. How come they did not tell us color copies the first time around?</div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, with color copies of our driver's licenses in hand and the other photocopies, we were told to go to an office that was in a little wet alley way behind the back of the building. In the officer were a number of desks and we had to do the sit at desk #1, then move to desk #2 and then onto desk #3 "game".</div><div><br /></div><div>At desk #1, a gentleman who was very flirty (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">I'll tell you more about him when I get to day #4)</span> filled out a pink form while asking the seller for his name, address and telephone number and then moved on to asking me the same information about myself in his flirty way, complimenting me on my Kreyol, etc. Then he attached the pink form to our ever bigger getting stack of documents/papers with another staple. Then we had to move over to desk #2 and then onto desk #3 where the person behind the desk stamped and signed some more.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then we were told to go to the DGI cashier to pay 170 gourdes in fees and then once we were done at the DGI cashier, we had to go to the Assurance cashier to pay 500 gourdes. Fortunately, the DGI cashier and the Assurance cashier are in the same large room, though at opposite ends in their respective cashier cages.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once I paid the 500 gourdes, I was told to wait because my name would be called to give me the new National Assurance Document with my name on it. Once my name was called and I collected the paper, it again was around 3:00 p.m. as it had been the previous day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Our next step was to return to the Circulation Compound located clear across town and like the previous day, it was too late to get there during day #2.</div><div><br /></div><div>The seller told me that I could finish up the rest of the necessary paperwork on my own at Circulation and that I should go there the next day to finish up the process of changing the car registration over from his name to my name. We parted way and instead of leaving things for the next day, I tried to go to get some more things accomplished at Circulation during Day #2.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Day #3:</span> I went back to Circulation to try to figure out the rest of the change of registration process. Right away, I was approached by one of the "hustlers" that work around Haitian government offices and offer to be guides through the process. I did not trust this guy as far as I could throw him... So, I declined his assistance and went by myself to the upstairs portion of the Circulation Building. There one of the clerks told me that the seller and the buyer, each had to pay a fee of 3,650 gourdes (about $95 USD). I called the seller and told him that he and I both had to pay this fee. Of course, he denied that he had to pay the fee. </div><div><br /></div><div>I asked the lady where I had to pay this fee, as she wrote both the seller and the buyer fee onto the "old" car registration/ownership document that was in my stapled pile of papers. She told me that I had to go to "central DGI" which is located in downtown Port-au-Prince. This made no sense to me and I asked her if I could not pay my fee at the DGI cashier's office on the same floor where she was located. She told me "no" and that I had to go to the central DGI office in "la ville".</div><div><br /></div><div>I figured that she must know what she was talking about even though it made not much sense. But nothing had really made sense in this entire process, so I figured that she was correct.</div><div><br /></div><div>On the way down the stairs to leave the second floor, these guys started to make nasty comments to me (sexually tainted) and I was so mad!</div><div><br /></div><div>I drove downtown to the central DGI office and it became obvious that I was sent to the wrong place. I was so frustrated and called my friend James who is an auditor for the Finance Ministry in downtown PAP. I explained the situation and the confusion to him and he said not to worry, he was going to take the rest of the day off to help me finish the registration. True to his word, he met me within ten minutes and we drove back to Circulation.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we arrived at the second floor of the Circulation building, it became pretty obvious that all the people who work there knew James. He explained to me that while he was training to be an auditor, after his university studies, he worked at Circulation for several months to learn its operation. James ushered me behind the locked cage door that separated the general, car registering public and the workers and sat me in an office while he went to take care of my registration. After about one hour, James came back with lots more signatures and stamps. However, he told me that I had a problem. It turned out that the car license plate on my car was registered to two cars and this would have to be corrected before I could finish the registration. </div><div><br /></div><div>So, that is how day #3 ended because it was a Friday afternoon and people stop working early, around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m. James told me to come back on Monday to finish the process and to bring the car's license plate and registration sticker (peeled off the front windshield). He said for me to ask directly for the director of Circulation and that he would assist me. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">(To be continued...)</span></div>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-88696759429043245962009-11-14T04:02:00.000-08:002009-11-14T04:17:30.725-08:00U.S. CONSULATE ADOPTION CONFERENCELast week, the U.S. Consulate held its second adoption related conference to which the Canadian, French respective Consulates, Haitian authorities and Creche directors were invited.<div><br /></div><div>I was asked to be on the "panel of experts" alongside with the main Port-au-Prince judge (for adoptions), the IBESR director, adoption advocate and one other adoption processor/worker. The presentation that we were asked to give was:</div><div><br /></div><div>(1) To describe the work we do now in adoptions</div><div>(2) How our work would change if the Hague Convention was implemented in Haiti</div><div>(3) What, in our opinion, would have to be in place or challenges we see in trying to get Haiti ready for Hague</div><div><br /></div><div>Everybody recognized that Haiti is not ready to sign on to the Hague Convention and that a ton of work has to be done in order for that to happen. Everybody also agreed that if Haiti would sign on to Hague prematurely, adoptions would completely grind to a stop and it would spell disaster for the orphaned and abandoned children of Haiti.</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the other things that was discussed was the currently proposed adoption law that is in front of the Haitian parliament currently. The main issue/problem that I have with the law is that orphanages would no longer be matching adoptable children with prospective adoptive parents.</div><div><br /></div><div>Under the new law, IBESR would receive all prospective adoptive parents' dossier and would "review the file" for suitability for a match with an adoptable child. Then, IBESR would match that family with a child from their list of children.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sounds good in theory, but in all practicality --- Haitian adoptions would be just like adoptions in the Dominican Republic or El Salvador where similar systems are in place. Referrals would trickle through, kids would linger in orphanages because they would not be referred and the referring workers would only refer to their "favorite" orphanages (or at least that is my concern). </div><div><br /></div><div>In my opinion, for what it is worth, because there is no efficient bureaucracy in place, this kind of system would spell disaster to adoption referrals in Haiti. As a result, smaller orphanages would end up shutting down because of lack of referrals and it would overwhelm others to where these orphanages could not accept new children who need a home because others are waiting, waiting, waiting to be referred.</div><div><br /></div><div>As a result, only the large, well funded orphanages would survive. Smaller orphanages, like the ones that only have 15-30 children would end up having to shut down because one of the ways the smaller orphanages can survive financially is through the support fees that come from adoptions. With the current decline in the worldwide economy, general donations have seriously declined and it is already difficult for existing orphanages to financially function. </div><div><br /></div><div>This kind of proposed system of referral would only work if, and only if, orphanages received state funding to cover their operating costs. It seems that nobody, the writers of the proposed legislations (strongly sponsored by UNICEF) and the supporters of this legislation have NOT thought about the need for state funding of the orphanages if the legislation was to pass.</div>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-88208021291683689302009-11-03T12:36:00.001-08:002009-11-03T12:36:44.577-08:00Adopting an HIV+ Child News:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(68, 68, 68); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13px; "><span style="line-height: normal; font-family:Arial;">The process of adopting a child who is HIV+ just got easier because the additional step for adopting a child who is HIV+ is being eliminated. This has been posted by Joint Council on International Children's Services. <br /></span><span style="line-height: normal; font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:100%;"> </span> <br /><span style="line-height: normal; font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">"President Obama announced on Friday, October 30 2009, that the travel ban into the United States by individuals with HIV would be lifted. Kathleen G. Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, stated earlier today “we will publish a rule in the Federal Register announcing that the United States will drop HIV from the list of diseases barring visitors from entering this country, effective Jan. 1, 2010.”</span> <br /><span style="line-height: normal; font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;"> </span> <br /><span style="line-height: normal; font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;">"The lifting of this ban will eliminate the filing of a 601-waiver application for children who are HIV positive and adopted by U.S. citizens." </span></span>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-42223066836970185682009-11-01T05:35:00.001-08:002009-11-01T05:41:11.774-08:00News...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Ministry of Interior</span>- Any document that has a half-page archive certification (i.e. birth certificates, death certificates or adoption decree) that are less than one year old must be accompanied by a certification letter from the Ministry of Justice. (That has been the case for about nine months now...) That letter has three different officials' signatures on it...BUT NOW, that letter also has to be legalized (certified) on the back of it. <div><br /></div><div>It is like nobody trusts nobody in Haiti... It means that the certification (which is the half-page archive) has to be certified by the letter from the Ministry of Justice (with the three separate signatures) which has to be certified by the further legalization...it is like a never ending chain!</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. Embassy</span> - No news on the way DNA will be done now. Also, we have not received any DNA tests back that had been done prior to the change. I will post as soon as I learn something new.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, the embassy is holding another adoption workshop/meeting in November. Invited are Haitian government officials, French and Canadian embassy personnel, orphanage directors, etc. I was asked to be on the "panel of experts" to present along side with Madam Pierre (IBESR director), Judge Cadet (Port au Prince Parquet/Court), Dixie Bickel (GLA) and two others whom I do not know.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-41772110147819242292009-10-19T13:18:00.000-07:002009-10-19T13:23:17.859-07:00DNA Testing Changes - U.S. Adoptions in HaitiJust an update... In the past, there were a few U.S. government approved labs in Port-au-Prince, Haiti that could do DNA testing in adoption related cases. <div><br /></div><div>At first, the U.S. made the change that a U.S. Consular Officer had to be present during the DNA testing inside the respective labs. However now, the U.S. has changed the procedure completely and all DNA testing will only be done inside the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we asked about how this new procedure will work, we were told that there is no procedure in place yet, but that all DNA testing will be conducted at the U.S. Embassy only. </div><div><br /></div><div>This means that if a USCIS Official or a U.S. Consular Official conducts a birth parent interview and requests DNA testing to prove parentage, it can only be done at the U.S. Embassy....but as mentioned above, the U.S. Embassy has no procedure in place yet as to how to conduct the DNA testing.</div>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-80822193802927564682009-10-16T06:05:00.000-07:002009-10-16T06:21:42.266-07:00No real updates...I really do not have much to update...<div><br /></div><div>The <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. Consulate in Port-au-Princ</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">e</span> is going to hold another adoption workshop to which they will invite orphanage directors and Haitian government officials. The workshop will be scheduled some time in November since that is the "adoption month".</div><div><br /></div><div>Additionally, USCIS and the U.S. Consular Section have become much more "user friendly" and have returned to being customer oriented, meaning that interactions are polite and professional. This is a nice change from the way it had been for the time period of November 2007 through about May 2009. It is nice to be treated in a professional manner. :)</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Judge Cadet</span> in the PAP Parquet (court) is continuing to require adoptive parents to attend the court hearing regarding their adoptions. I really wonder how many families are not going to adopt from Haiti because they cannot afford taking trips to Haiti and/or rather choose to adopt from a country that makes the adoption process easier than Haiti. Ultimately, it will be the kids who loose out on families...</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Presidential Waivers</span> - are being issued. I have had some emails from families whose attorneys claim that they do not have access to the office that deals with the waivers. That is really not true. It is a time consuming process to hunt down the files that are waiting for waivers, but it can be done.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Selecting an orphanage to adopt from</span> - I get many emails from families stuck in the adoption process with incredible waits, wanting assistance. I can assist some families, especially if the orphanage is cooperative, but most orphanages are not cooperative for a variety of reasons. It is extremely important to do thorough research before deciding who to adopt through. </div><div><br /></div><div>Also, just because an orphanage is contracted with an adoption agency does not mean that the process will be smooth and timely. Most adoption agencies have no control over the adoption process with the orphanage. </div><div><br /></div><div>Do not let pretty websites or religious/pretty names fool you. Talk with parents who have their children at home! Ask them questions. Most families who have experienced some nice hand-holding through the dossier process, etc. will sing praises to their respective orphanage or adoption agency, BUT they are still in process and cannot really give a reference. </div><div><br /></div><div>Some orphanages that do a great job processing adoptions are not best at hand holding because they are busy working, pushing adoptions through the process. </div><div><br /></div><div>Some orphanages are lying regarding the status of the adoption files. For example, some orphanages claim that a file is in Ministry of Interior (MOI) awaiting final signature when in fact the file is not even submitted in MOI! So, MOI gets the blame when in fact the orphanage is telling stories to the adoptive families.</div><div><br /></div><div>Researching is so important! Once you have a child referred to you and your orphanage does not like "outside assistance", you are stuck with them and the process... For example, I met a family recently whose adoption, from the time that the dossier was submitted to Haiti, took almost five (5) years. That is an insane timeline! Sometime there is a problem with locating an Archive Log Book where a death or birth certificate is recorded, but that does not drag out an adoption to five years!</div>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-63084552188646751552009-09-19T09:49:00.000-07:002009-09-19T10:01:47.839-07:00Finally...I have had so many internet connection issues that I finally "broke down" and purchased an internet connection system. It was quite costly, way too much money, but at least I can connect to the internet without having to wait 10 minutes for one email to pop up...<div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Port-au-Prince Parquet</span> - Judge Cadet is requiring families whose adoptions are processed through the Port-au-Prince court to attend in person. </div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">U.S. Embassy Meeting - </span>Last week Wednesday, I attended a meeting at the U.S. Embassy to which Judge Cadet, Madam Pierre (IBESR), M. Guignard (MOI) were invited also. M. Guignard is out of town, so his second in charge attended. Representatives from the French and Canadian Embassies were also in attendance as were other orphanage directors/ representatives. I really think that this meeting's real purpose was to get the Haitian officials to see that the parents are thoroughly screened and thus maybe the Haitian officials would stop making the adoption process more difficult. </div><div><br /></div><div>For example, UNICEF keeps talking about disruptions, parents not knowing the children they are adopting and child trafficking. This presentation at the U.S. Embassy really "drove home" the point that parents are well qualified to adopt and that "child buying" is illegal under U.S. law. Also, the consular official made it very clear that if there is so much as an inkling of fraud, misrepresentation or suspicion of child buying, the child's visa will not be approved. </div><div><br /></div><div>When I spoke to some of the officials later this week, they seemed to understand the process a bit better, but at the same time, they were annoyed because the invitation stated the start time as 9:00 a.m. but the meeting did not start until 10:20 a.m. Some of the Haitian officials felt slighted by that and one said that this was "disrespecting my time". </div><div><br /></div><div>I think that the dialog needs to continue and that Haitian officials understand that parents who are adopting are not "rogue adopters" but thoroughly screened for fitness to adopt. Also, there needs to be a continued education that on the U.S. side of things, the adoptions are thoroughly examined and that contrary to UNICEF's concerns illegal and fraudulent "stuff" cannot make it through the system. </div><div><br /></div><div>In Haitian adoptions, there are way to many cooks in the kitchen (as the saying goes). That is why things are so slow and frustrating. It is almost like every step is its own adoption process. It would be nice to get the departments/ministries/court to communicate with each other and to trust each other's process. </div><div><br /></div><div>During the meeting USCIS and the U.S. Consulate representatives explained the approval process that American families have to go through in order to be approved to adopt. </div>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-66274107779723178892009-08-09T07:16:00.000-07:002009-08-09T07:39:06.528-07:00Updates....Sorry for not having updated my blog much lately...but there has not been much to report on that has not already been written about.<br /><br /><strong><u>IBESR</u></strong> - continues to require all adoptive families with children to obtain a "Presidential Waiver". Now, not only families with bio kids but families with adopted kids have to get the waiver. Since the "presidential office" (actually Ministry of Justice) only accepts 10 files at a time, this can be a really slow process for some families. It is frustrating because in the meantime the children continue to live in orphanages instead of with their families.<br /><br />UNICEF keeps meddling in the adoptions, so they are not making things easier for the process. The interesting thing is that UNICEF talks a lot --- but you know the saying: "Put your money where your mouth is."? --- well they talk a lot but I do not really see them doing much for the kids in Haiti. When I speak with people who work with the kids, including Haitian government workers, they all agree with that. UNICEF is becoming a "bad word" because they meddle in things BUT cannot provide workable solutions and cannot assist in ensuring that all Haitian children have loving homes, food, education and medical treatment. In my opinion, UNICEF is just good at putting roadblocks in the way of children having loving homes, food, education and medical treatment.<br /><br /><strong><u>Parquet</u></strong> - The newest "thing" is that thanks to our friends at UNICEF who are concerned that parents adopt children before they have met them in person, have put a bug in the ear of the judge in Parquet (court) in Port-au-Prince that all adoptive parents should come to court in Haiti. This way, supposedly, the judge can assure himself that the adoptive parents really want the child.<br /><br />Maybe we ought to invite our friends from UNICEF and the judge to one of the many Haiti Adoption Reunions that are held on a regular basis.<br />* May - there was one in Washington D.C. at the invitation of the Haitian Ambassador to the U.S.<br />* August - there was a BIG one with over 200 families in Indiana.<br />* August - there is another one in Washington state.<br /><br />There are adoption reunions on a bi-monthly basis in the U.S. and Canada. I would love to learn about adoption reunions in Europe.<br /><br />Here is the "kicker" --- the prospective adoptive parents are supposed to attend a hearing with the judge in Parquet. But, they won't have an appointment (or court date), so they are expected to come and sit, and wait, and wait some more? In the meantime, protests continue in downtown Port-au-Prince on a regular basis, most recently last week over the minimum wage issue.<br /><br />Also, as posted on this blog before...these protests have involved Parquet before especially when protesters have been arrested. Hmmm... So I would like to know how UNICEF and the judge are going to ensure the adoptive parents safety when the parents sit in Parquet for a week?<br /><br /><strong><u>Ministry of Interior</u></strong> - I know that there are a lot of adoptive parents frustrated with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) process. Files have been stuck in MOI for many months, I know of some files that have been inside of MOI for a year!<br /><br />Here is the issue... Thanks to our friends at UNICEF who are so worried about child trafficking, the workers in MOI have been instructed to go through every document with a fine tooth comb. This means that if there is as much as a misspelled word on any document, that document has to be done over again. That can take a long time for an orphanage to correct because it means that, for example, an adoption decree has to be redone.<br /><br />In the meantime, that file is <u>stuck</u> inside of MOI...because an "a" instead of an "e" in a word could really mean that the child was trafficked (just kidding!) --- but that is what it comes down to.<br /><br />Also, MOI does not trust Archives (where documents are certified), especially for documents that are less than one year old and have "half-page Archives" attached. For any such documents, the orphanage has to obtain a letter from the Ministry of Justice that certifies that the Archive is proper and legal. However, here comes the kicker...often that letter from the Ministry of Justice has a typo. What does that mean? It means that MOI cannot accept a letter with a typo and then the orphanage has to go back to the Ministry of Justice to get a new letter without a typo.<br /><br />In the meantime, the document that was less than one year old, now is one year old...and that means that it needs to be a "full-page Archive" and no longer a "half-page Archive". Thus, then the orphanage is sent back to get a full-page Archive and this can take several months to obtain, especially if the log book is not in Archives yet.<br /><br />I hope that you get the picture of the "spinning wheels"? The thing is that the people who work in the adoption related MOI office are one of the hardest working people that I have ever observed in Haiti. They want to get the files signed out and they often work right through their lunch break. However, they are bound by the "rules"...sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-88934476487771733372009-07-17T05:31:00.000-07:002009-07-18T06:51:00.372-07:00Proposed Haitian Adoption Law Revision = BAD IDEA<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I want to give my five cents to this "new" = old 2006 written and proposed adoption law in Haiti... I personally think that the law is NOT a good idea. The law was written ("co-authored") by UNICEF and we all know that UNICEF is very anti-adoption and would prefer children to live in Haiti (in orphanages because there are few in-country adoptive homes) versus being adopted internationally.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Thus, the law is geared to slowing the process down even more and to make the adoption process more difficult than it already is. HOLT writes that the current adoption process is taking up to four years. That is a ridiculous time line and most adoptions currently do NOT take four years. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Counting from the time that the dossier reaches Haiti up to the point that the child's file comes out of MOI and a passport is issued, should take 12-18 months. The time prior to the dossier reaching Haiti and the time it takes the respective receiving country (i.e. the U.S. Consulate) to issue immigration permission cannot be counted against the Haiti adoption timeline because it has nothing to do with the Haitian side of the adoption process. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The law proposes to "fix" the no-bio kids stipulation that is causing many families difficulties, BUT it also proposes a new referral process that will slow down referrals and will open up the process to possible bribes and corruption. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Currently, a licensed for adoption orphanage can receive adoption dossiers and is able to make adoption referrals to the prospective adoptive families. This process is smooth and does not take much time. However, with the proposed 2007 law, all dossiers have to be received by IBESR directly and then it is somebody in IBESR that will make a child adoption proposal referral of a child that is on its list living in one of the licensed orphanages. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Currently, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica has a very similar dossier receiving and child referral process. Adoptions in the countries with such a referral system are extremely slow because it takes forever to receive an adoption referral. Plus, the prospective family does not get as much information about the proposed child as they would with an orphanage referral. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Additionally, my concern is that Haiti, like many non-developed country bureaucracies, offices work really slow and it will be an office worker who decides what child from which particular orphanage will be adopted. (I mean no disrespect to anybody working in IBESR because they are short staffed and underpaid as is.) </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">My fear is that only orphanages that are "in good graces" with the particular referring office will get its children referred for adoption. As a result, in my opinion, that leaves things open for corruption, bribes, etc. (Again, I mean no disrespect to anybody working in IBESR, but this is a possibility.) </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Many orphanages in Haiti can financially survive and take care of children because they handle adoptions. With the proposed new (old) law, many orphanages would go under financially and would stop functioning, allowing only big organizationally backed orphanages to survive. Since IBESR, the Haitian government and UNICEF do NOT provide funding for orphanages in Haiti, unless they want to start funding these orphanages, this is a really BAD idea and will ultimately leave hundreds if not several thousand of kids homeless and starving to death. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">I am really surprised that HOLT and Joint Council would put their push and backing into this law and would want prospective and adoptive families to put their weight behind it. It makes little sense to me and I hope that people will really look at this proposed law and it severe negative consequences. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Two years ago when this law was first proposed, lots of people who run orphanages, who work in adoptions expressed their concerns about this law to the Haitian parliament and that is why it was not passed at that time.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Here is an English translation of the proposed law:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(41, 48, 59); white-space: normal; "><div class="post-body entry-content"><strong>English Translation of the Proposed New Haitian Adoption Law: </strong><em>(Thank you Amy for helping me translate this!)<br /><br /></em><strong>FREEDOM EQUALITY FRATERNITY<br />REPUBLIC OF HAITI<br />Adoption LAW reform</strong><br /><br />RENE GARCIA PREVAL<br />PRESIDENT<br /><br />Considering the Haitian Constitution of March 29, 1987;<br /><br />Considering the Decree of December 22, 1971 governing the social works;<br /><br />Considering the Decree of December 22, 1973 governing the status of the minors in children centres;<br /><br />Considering the decree of April 4, 1974 on the adoption reinforcing the provisions of that of March 25, 1966.<br /><br />Considering the Organic law of the Ministry of Social affairs dated March 6, 1983;<br /><br />Considering the decree of August 28, 1987 creating the Ministry for the Social Affairs and integrating the Institute of the Good Social Being and Research among the technical and administrative organizations.<br /><br />Considering the law of May 7, 2003 relating to the prohibition and the elimination of all forms of abuse violence, ill treatments or inhuman treatments against the children.<br /><br />Considering the law of May 13, 2003 prohibiting the treatment cruel, inhuman and degrading against the children.<br /><br />Considering the inter-American Convention on international traffic of minors sanctioned by the decree of November 26, 2003.<br /><br />Considering the decree of December 23, 1994 ratification of the convention on the rights of the children.<br /><br />Considering the additional protocol with the convention of the United Nations against organized trans-national criminality aiming at preventing, to repress and punish the draft of the people, in particular women and children sanctioned by the decree of November 26, 2003.<br /><br />Considering the decree of January 12, 2004 with the convention of the United Nations against organized trans-national criminality aiming at preventing, to repress and punish the draft of the people, in particular women and children sanctioned by the decree of November 26, 2003;<br /><br />Considering convention on the minimum age with employment (convention 138 of BIT) sanctioned by the decree of May 14, 2007.<br /><br />Considering convention on the prohibition of the worst shapes of work children (convention 138 of BIT) sanctioned by the decree of May 14, 2007.<br /><br />Considering that, promulgation of the decree of April 4, 1974 on the adoption at our days, the international adoption knew a fast growth which requires on behalf of the Haitian State of new laws and the procedures suitable for the reinforcement of the protection of the child in his biological family as well as in her own hearth of reception.<br /><br />Considering that as regards adoption, it is advisable to respect the obligations which are made in the States signatories in accordance with article 21 of the Convention on the rights of the child.<br /><br />Considering that certain fundamental principles governing from now on the international adoption, namely: the principle of the higher interest of the child, the principle of subsidiary which considers the international adoption like a measurement of last recourse, the principle of non discrimination drawing aside any distinction of race, sex, religion, birth, incapacity, of ethnic origin, national or social, or of any other situation.<br /><br />Considering that it is necessary for the Haitian State to engage the process of modernization of its system.<br /><br />On the report of the Ministers for Justice and Public Safety, Social Affairs and Work, and, after deliberation in the Council of Ministers:<br />The executive power<br />PROPOSED<br />And<br />The Legislative power<br />VOTED<br />The following law:<br /><br />ARTICLE 1: The adoption is a solemn act which creates between an individual and a child who is not biologically it his of the family ties identical to those which result from paternity and filiations. It is regarded as a protection measure and is based on the higher interest of the child, by offering to him a permanent family and favourable with its blooming, in accordance with its basic rights.<br /><br />SECTION 1 – The adoptive parents<br /><br />ARTICLE 2 – Adoption can be requested jointly by a married heterosexual couple after 5 years of marriage when one of the spouse is 30 years of age and older.<br /><br />If the request is from one of the spouse, the assent from the other spouse is necessary.<br /><br />ARTICLE 3 – Two different sex persons living together for at least 10 years can present a request to adopt a child. The common life must be established with a certificate delivered by the competent authority of the welcoming country and the assent of the two is necessary.<br /><br />ARTICLE 4 – Single women candidatures, of 35 years of age and older, are accepted. For men, he must be widow or divorced, without any biological children and must be 35 years of age or older.<br /><br />ARTICLE 5 – The priority will be granted to married couples or those living common-law without any biological child at the moment of the adoption. When the heterosexual couples have at least 2 biological children, they can adopt children with particularity (handicap, health problems or children with more than 5 years of age).<br /><br />If the couple already has biological or adopted children, they have to provide their assent if they are 8 years of age or older.<br /><br />ARTICLE 6 – The age of adoptive parents cannot exceed 50 years for oldest of the two joint ones or the two people living in established free union.<br /><br />ARTICLE 7 – Adoptive parents must be at least 16 years older than the child they want to adopt.<br /><br />The minimum difference of age is 9 years in case of adoption of the spouse’s child or relatives at the degree of sister, brother, nephew, niece, uncle, aunt or relatives at the same degree.<br /><br />ARTICLE 8 – Birth at home of one or more biological children is not an obstacle for the adoption by two spouses of a child or children previously supported and continues to receive their care.<br /><br />ARTICLE 9 – When sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins, uncles, aunts or other from the same degree, even Godchildren, have been welcomed by close parents or godfather or godmother, following the death of their biological parents or long imprisonment, or when they are absolutely incapable to support the primary needs of their minors, the adoption is possible if their close parents already have biological children, following the conditions mentioned at Article 7.<br /><br />ARTICLE 10 – A Haitian person can adopt a child following the legislation of the country of origin of the child.<br /><br />A simple or plenary adoption is recognized in Haiti with the help of the recording of the aforesaid the adoption at the office of the Office of the marital status of the applicant's permanent address.<br /><br />In the case of the conversion of a simple adoption into a plenary adoption, a request must be addressed to the senior of the Civil Court of the applicant's permanent address for obtaining a justified judgement.<br /><br />The plenary adoption confers on the child the right to Haitian nationality.<br />SECTION II – The adoptive child<br /><br />ARTICLE 11 – Only minors children until the age of 16 years can be adopted. As of 8 years of age, the child must give his assent for the adoption.<br /><br />ARTICLE 12 – The adoption of a Haitian child by someone abroad is possible only in the case of absence of Haitian adoptive parents or an assumption of responsibility of relatives.<br /><br />ARTICLE 13 - The adoptive child must be: an orphan child, a abandoned child, a child whose parents are in the total disablement to provide for its needs.<br /><br />In the case of an orphan child of father and mother, it will be held a counsel of family to appoint a tutor having to grant the adoption.<br /><br />When it is about a abandoned child, the Principal Mayor of the Commune declares the birth of the child and gives his assent to the adoption.<br /><br />When the filiations of a child are established with regard to his father and mother, the assent of one or the other is necessary with the adoption.<br /><br />When one of both has no possibility deceased or to express its will, assent other is enough.<br /><br />ARTICLE 14 - The biological parents cannot validly grant the adoption that after having been the subject of a social evaluation on behalf of Institute Good Social Being and Research (IBESR) and after to have duly informed of the consequence of their act.<br /><br />The assent with the adoption can be retracted during a 3 months deadline.<br /><br />SECTION III - Legal form of adoption.<br /><br />ARTICLE 15 - The adoption is considered simple when it lets remain the bonds between the biological adoptive child and his parents.<br /><br />It is considered plenary when the aforesaid bonds disappear completely.<br /><br />ARTICLE 16 – Simple adoption is authorized:<br /><br />In case of national adoption<br />In case of interfamily adoption, national or international<br />In case of nationals Haitian living abroad<br />Plenary adoption is also possible in those cases.<br />The adoption is plenary during the national adoption of an orphan or abandoned child or an international adoption by foreign nationals.<br /><br />PARAGRAPH I – The effects of the simple adoption<br /><br />ARTICLE 17 - In the simple adoption, the adoptive child placed well under the parental authority of his adoptive family, preserves all his rights in his family of origin, in particular his hereditary rights.<br /><br />ARTICLE 18 - The simple adoption confers the name of adopting on the adoptive child by adding it in the name of this last. No modification will be made when adopting it and the adoptive child has the same patronymic name.<br /><br />In the event of adoption by husbands, the adoptive child takes the name of the husband.<br /><br />ARTICLE 19 - In the request for purposes of judgement of the adoption, adopting it can, if it considers it necessary, request to modify or change the first name (S) of the child to adopt.<br /><br />The Judge will analyze the request following of the specific criteria, year having cared to request the opinion of the child when this last at the necessary age.<br /><br />ARTICLE 20 – The adoptive child has to provide assistance to the adoptive parent when necessary and reciprocally.<br /><br />The obligation to provide assistance remains between the adoptive child and biological parents. However, the biological parents do not have to provide assistance to the adoptive child when the adoptive parents can.<br /><br />ARTICLE 21 – The adoptive child and his descendants have in the family of adopting the same successional rights as a biological child, without however acquiring the quality of heir with regard to the ascending ones to adopting.<br /><br />ARTICLE 22 - If the adoptive child dies without descendant, the goods given by adopting or collected in its succession and who exist in kind, at the time of the death of the adoptive child, turn over to adopting or its descendants, responsibility of contribute to the debt and without damages of the rights of the thirds.<br /><br />The goods that the adoptive child received on a purely free basis of his biological father and mother turn over to the latter or their descendants.<br /><br />The other goods of the adoptive child divide per half between the biological family and the family of adopting.<br /><br />PARAGRAPH II - Prohibition of marriage and revocation of the adoption.<br /><br />ARTICLE 23 - The marriage is prohibited between<br />The adoptive parent, the adoptive child and his descendants;<br />The adoptive child and the spouse of adopting and reciprocally between adopting and the spouse of the adoptive child.<br />The adoptive children by the same adoptive parent.<br />The adoptive child and the biological children of the adoptive parent.<br />The adoptive child and the members of his biological family.<br /><br />ARTICLE 24 - The simple adoption is revocable.<br /><br />The request for revocation can be formulated by the adoptive child for serious reasons such as:<br /><br />misrepresentation at the time of the request of adoption,<br />ill treatments inflicted to the adoptive child,<br />sexual contact with the adoptive child,<br /><br />And another facts prejudicial with the physical and psychic integrity of the adoptive child.<br /><br />Adoptive parent cannot ask the revocation of the adoption only if it is established that the adoptive child made an attempt on his life, that of joint sound or to his other children.<br /><br />ARTICLE 25 - If the adoptive child has the age of sufficient understanding, it can itself ask the Civil Court the revocation of the adoption. In the contrary case, the Public Ministry can, of office or on request of the IBESR, to present the request for revocation near the Civil Court.<br /><br />ARTICLE 26 - The revocation puts an end to for the future all the effects of the adoption.<br /><br />PARAGRAPH III – The effects of the plenary adoption<br /><br />ARTICLE 27 - The plenary adoption definitively breaks all the bonds of filiations existing between the adoptive child and his family of origin.<br /><br />It is irrevocable.<br /><br />The adoptee loses his name of origin like successional straight in his biological family.<br /><br />ARTICLE 28 - The adoptive child has, in the family of adopting, the same rights and the same obligations as a biological child.<br /><br />ARTICLE 29 - The plenary adoption confers on the child the name of adopting and, in the event of adoption by two husbands, the name of the husband.<br /><br />In the request of the adoptive parents, the Judge can amend the first name (s) of the child having cared to request the opinion of the child when this last at the necessary age.<br /><br />ARTICLE 30 - The plenary adoption of the child of the spouse is allowed only with the assent of the mother or the biological father of the child or if legal filiations with regard to one or the other of the biological parents is unknown or that it deceased or disappeared.<br /><br />SECTION IV – the adoption process<br /><br />ARTICLE 31 - The IBESR is the supervisory authority of reference and for all the requests for adoption.<br /><br />It centralizes all the files of the children like those of the candidates to the adoption and holds the relative registers.<br /><br />It preserves all the data and provides, if necessary, of information to the consulates and/or the qualified official authorities.<br /><br />The files of adoption are preserved during at least 80 years.<br /><br />ARTICLE 32 – The files of adopting foreign must obligatorily be sent to the IBESR by an Organization of Adoption Approved of the host country and duly entitled by the IBESR.<br /><br />ARTICLE 33 - When biological parents wish to give a child in adoption, they must be addressed firstly to the IBESR which will record the request, will inform the parents and will carry out the social evaluation.<br /><br />The maintenance of the child in his family must be encouraged for the period of evaluation.<br /><br />ARTICLE 34 - When the biological parents bring the child in an orphanage (place of lodging of transit), the persons in charge for the institution are held to announce the arrival of the child to the IBESR within 24 hour.<br /><br />Using the information provided by the persons in charge for the Creche on the identity of the biological parents, the IBESR will contact the family in order to carry out the social evaluation.<br /><br />ARTICLE 35 - The finished evaluation, the IBESR decides if the adoption serves or not the higher interests of the child, by taking account of the fact that poverty in itself does not constitute a sufficient reason for abandonment.<br /><br />ARTICLE 36 – The biological parents must personally sign the assent for adoption of the child in front of the Judge of the Peace of their residence.<br /><br />ARTICLE 37 – IBESR holds the parental authority after the biological parents signed the assent with the adoption.<br /><br />Orphanages are given custody of children who are confided to them.<br /><br />ARTICLES 38 - After the constitution of the file of the adoptive child, the IBESR proceeds with the decision of the grouping of electoral lists by attributing a child to a couple or a person candidate whose file reached him(her) beforehand and which was approved.<br /><br />IBESR passes on the decision in adoptive parents when it is about a national adoption and in the OAA concerned abroad in the case of an international adoption.<br /><br />ARTICLE 39 – The report of assent in the adoption, the decision of the IBESR and all other details of the file are subjected, for judgment, to the Civil Court of the place of residence of adopting him or that of the adopted, in the case or adopting him is a foreigner.<br /><br />ARTICLE 40 - Later deliberated, the Court, by motivated decision, pronounces or refuses a simple or plenary adoption according to Articles 15 or 16.<br /><br />In the first case, the device of the judgment contains the mentions prescribed by the article 812 of the Code of civil procedure.<br /><br />In case of refusal, each of the parts can, in 30 true days of the pronouncement of the judgment, summon it to the Court of Appeal, which instruct in them even form that the Civil Court.<br /><br />By a motivated stop, the Court of Appeal confirms or rejects the decision of the Civil Court.<br /><br />ARTICLE 41 - The appeal against the Court decision of appeal is exercised by request of the providing in 30 true days of the meaning of the decision of the Court of Appeal. Providing him conforms in the conditions of shape and of delay common planned by the Code of civil procedure.<br /><br />ARTICLE 42 - According to the obligation of registration of any judgment of adoption in registers, the Registrar of the place of residence of the adopted establishes a new birth certificate for the plenary adoptions.<br /><br />ARTICLE 43 - The simple or plenary adoption produces effects as from the date in which the decision admitting the adoption is spent in strength of res judicata.<br /><br />ARTICLE 44 - In all <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">cases</span></a> of <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; "><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); ">adoption</span></a>, the administrative and judicial authorities take all appropriate measures to prevent undue gains and are still trying to find interest supervisor of the Child.<br /><br />ARTICLE 45 - It is a requirement for the adoptive IBESR Haitians and foreigners (through OAA) to provide reports on the <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">development</a> and integration of the <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">child</a> into his<a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">new</a> <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">family</a>.<br /><br />The reports must reach the IBESR every 4 months for the first three years and twice a year for the following years.<br /><br />The Department of Foreign Affairs, through the consulate established in the <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">host</a> country, follows up on <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">children</a> in terms of full <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">adoption</a>.<br /><br />The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour, from <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">information</a>provided by the IBESR, <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">will</a> inform the Foreign Affairs for purposes beyond themselves;<br /><br />SECTION V - Clause repeal<br /><br />ARTICLE 46 - This Act repeals all laws or provisions of Laws, Decrees or all provisions of Decrees, all Decrees-laws or provisions of Decrees-laws which are contrary and <a href="http://www.google.com/translate_t?langpair=fren#" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="color: rgb(71, 54, 36); text-decoration: underline; ">will</a>be published and implemented at the discretion of the Ministers of Justice and Social Affairs everyone in their respect.<br /><br />From the Legislative Palace, in Port-au-Prince on _________________2007 204th year of Independence.<br />For the Senate of the Republic<br />For the Chamber of Deputies____________________________<div style="clear: both; "></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 74%; border-top-width: 1px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(191, 177, 134); padding-top: 6px; "></div></span></span></div>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-73772738469027382922009-07-12T05:36:00.000-07:002009-07-12T05:39:13.070-07:00Important Legislation Proposal - TAKE ACTION!Please take a moment to read this and sign the petition. Please ask your spouses and friends to do the same.<br /><br />"The intercountry adoption process is a long, tedious process for American citizens seeking to adopt a foreign born child. Paperwork includes home studies, finger printing and criminal checks. The process can take up to three years to complete.<br /><br />At the completion of the adoption, the child must be approved for a U.S. immigrant visa in order to enter the U.S. and gain citizenship. The immigrant visa is required despite the fact that the "immigrant" is the child of a U.S. citizen.<br /><br />The U.S. is one of the few developed countries in the world that requires internationally adopted children of citizens to immigrate in order to join their new families.Most countries recognize internationally adopted children as citizens upon the finalization of their adoption. The Foreign Adopted Children Equality Act (FACE Act) would recognize that internationally adopted children deserve to be treated as children of American citizens and accorded the same citizenship process as children born aboard to American citizens.<br /><br />Under the FACE Act, Adoptive parents would apply for a U.S. passport and Consular Report of Birth instead of a visa. These documents provide adoptive parents with immediate proof of citizenship for their adopted child and provide immediate proof of U.S. citizenship. "<br /><br />- McLane Layton Equality for Adopted Children (EACH)<br /><br />Please follow the link to sign the petition.<br />( <a href="http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/face-act-of-2009.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.gopetiti on.com/petitions /face-act- of-2009.html</a> )<br /><br />To learn more about Equality for Adopted Children (E.A.C.H),<br />visit <a href="http://www.equality%20foradoptedchildr%20en.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.equality foradoptedchildr en.org/</a><br /><br />Thanks!sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-48113910708156052872009-06-20T09:14:00.000-07:002009-06-20T09:16:48.277-07:00Comment Sections & Email ResponsesI have had several of my blog's readers ask me questions in the comment section. Unfortunately, when you do that, there is no email address to respond back to you.<br /><br />If you have a question that you want me to answer, please email me directly (<a href="mailto:achildsvoice@live.com">achildsvoice@live.com</a>) because if you post on the comment section, I cannot reply to you.<br /><br />Thanks :)sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-5063444747246077122009-06-17T11:17:00.000-07:002009-06-17T11:19:07.384-07:00Press Release from Harvard Law School's Child Advocacy Program (CAP)Harvard Law School's Child Advocacy Program (CAP) and the Center for Adoption Policy win key backers for International Adoption Policy Statement<br /><br />Support for International Adoption principles is growing, says HLS Professor Elizabeth Bartholet, citing endorsements for Policy Statement and the recent Malawi ruling in the Madonna case<br /><br />Harvard Law School's <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102611938592&s=1255&e=0017bYwp-EZnk1VKoeSNOgQHx3SZ5X6nNzFAyTXxnF6Rkbp9apaW9MJ6vbZum8Sjk_eA9zJ_P8jSMgxFvYm-slO5H_ybI1UHRevYG7IZHRvxXzJ2ozlMlqCulDjMK_kFa6IYqCarsjOzLk=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Child Advocacy Program</a> (CAP) and the Center for Adoption Policy have won key endorsements promoting International Adoption to help meet the needs of homeless children worldwide.<br /><br />Working with some of the nation's leading child and human rights experts, CAP recently led a campaign to disseminate their International Adoption Policy Statement, and has now won backing from more than 130 legal scholars in the fields of human rights, child rights, civil rights, and family law, and from six children's rights and adoption policy organizations.<br /><br />CAP helped develop the Policy Statement to address the crisis in international adoption, as UNICEF and other organizations have increased the pressure to shut down adoption in favor of keeping children in their countries of origin at all costs. The Policy Statement takes the position that International Adoption should be part of a comprehensive strategy to address the needs of unparented children, and that it generally serves children's needs far better than available in-country options like orphanages and foster care.<br /><br />HLS Professor <a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102611938592&s=1255&e=0017bYwp-EZnk3Hy1-1FmSrGvWLL6BOLFyvfFRRVyykjo4DF2G6rtGf1N0862-nValApjGdNJwBwDL-LeA2QmF5KZOnNlmv3sL6aI5PhWHos2v1bk_8knoPTT1xUzykmQM3xq3dqqn15-hA1TnGQCL95ioebgZhfEgGQbdY9A2KxNc=" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Elizabeth Bartholet</a> '65 said that "these endorsements demonstrate that organizations like UNICEF and Save the Children should not be seen as having a lock on the child human rights position. Many of the nation's leading experts on child and human rights have joined in this campaign to endorse the principle that children's most basic rights are to grow up in the true family that is often available only in International Adoption."<br /><br />Bartholet announced the Policy Statement endorsements in the same week the Supreme Court of Appeal in the Republic of Malawi released a decision granting Madonna's application to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James. "The Malawi court's ruling is consistent with the core principles in our Policy Statement," said Bartholet. "I applaud the court for making the child's best interests primary, and approving the adoption so that Mercy can be released from the orphanage to grow up in a family."<br /><br />The Malawi court found adoption required under basic human rights principles contained in Malawi law and applicable international treaties including the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Its key conclusions were: (1) the best interests of the child must be determinative in decisions related to adoption; (2) children's most fundamental interests lie in being raised in a true family; and (3) technical "residence" requirements for adoption must be read in light of the new international order characterized by "globalization and the global village."<br /><br />Bartholet said that the ruling in the Madonna case is consistent with other recent court rulings in South Africa and India. "It is all evidence of a growing understanding that basic human rights principles point to making use of International Adoption as a source of homes for children in need," said Bartholet.<br /><br />List of Organizations & Individual Endorsers:<br /><a href="http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/cap/ia/IAendorsements.php">http://www.law.harvard.edu/academics/cap/ia/IAendorsements.php</a>sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-29698407608240094442009-06-17T05:52:00.000-07:002009-06-17T05:53:58.241-07:00Ministère d'Intérieur - Ministry of InteriorRegular office hours are commencing this Thursday, June 18th and Friday, June 19th.<br /><br />I have no update on IBESR and Madam Pierre (Director).sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-12302781017669543342009-06-12T17:57:00.000-07:002009-06-12T18:05:54.666-07:00IBESR & MOI UpdateI was told today that the main IBESR director, Madam Pierre is not on a trip to France, thus she won't be signing any adoption dossiers...sorry...<br /><br />The city seemed more quiet today. I was told that there were demonstrations, but I did not see any. However, I saw a lot of police in riot gear, but not much else.<br /><br />I had an interesting conversation with one of the "bum guys" that hang out in front of the Ministry of Interior. He insisted that former President Clinton is going to be the new governor of Haiti and they are going to get rid of President Preval.<br /><br />Aside from the bums on the street having this as the topic of their political musings, members of the Haitian legislature might be asking for President Preval to step down. People are tired of there not being any progress.<br /><br />Ministry of Interior was closed yesterday for the holiday, and today, the director was not there. That is two weeks of not being able to do any MOI work (remember, last week it was the funeral that everybody attended), understandibly so...sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-30451659466916881042009-06-11T02:28:00.000-07:002009-06-11T02:35:14.879-07:00Haitian Holiday - todayToday is a Haitian Holiday for which many people do not seem to remember the name. Some people call it "God's Day" but like I said, most people do not remember the name and as to why there is a holiday today.<br /><br />I was told by a friend that even the U.S. Embassy is closed today for this holiday, since the embassy observes all U.S. and Haitian holidays. However, it was not listed as a closing holiday on the 2009 holiday list of closures.<br /><br />Some kids that I spoke with yesterday told me that they had school today. Workers in town said that they were working today, but others confirmed this holiday. Hmmm...<br /><br />So, I guess that Ministry of Interior will be closed too? And the thing is, if there is a holiday on a Thursday, don't expect anybody to work on Friday since the holiday would be convenient to taking a four-day weekend. MOI only has office hours on Thursday and Friday. Last week, they were not receiving anybody because of the director's sister's death. This week, they will probably not be receiving anybody because today is the "mystery holiday" and tomorrow might be a "all staff is out for the weekend" holiday. We shall see...<br /><br />Yesterday, the demonstrators were still protesting around the park area of the palace in downtown. I think that we have gotten used to this now. Life goes on as normal around the surrounding streets as long as the protesters don't decided to take a "walk" up to the next street. I wonder if the protestors will be observing "God's Day" today? Maybe they will take the weekend off and make it a four-day weekend?sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-9055361437549168602009-06-09T16:19:00.000-07:002009-06-09T16:21:30.379-07:00IBESR - "Day of the Child"Last week, the IBESR director Madam Pierre was out of IBESR participating in a conference. This week, to my information, she is out participating in "Day of the Child" activities. "Day of the Child" is on June 14th.<br /><br />Thus, unfortunately, it does not seem like any dossier "Authorization to Adopt" certificates were signed last week and won't get signed this week.sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-23895507981457639682009-06-09T15:57:00.000-07:002009-06-09T16:07:22.710-07:00Manifestations, etc.Today, the manifestations (demonstrations) were around the park area near the Presidential Palace. We were able to get into Immigration and picked up three passports...that is what we had been trying to do for the past few days but were not able to do that because of the demonstrators on the street.<br /><br />Yesterday afternoon, I was riding a tap-tap into town (I do not have my own car), and the police was out in force, in their battle gear and tear gas containers in hand. I am glad that the tap-tap quickly passed them in the intersection...tear gas does not feel too good. :)) I really need to get my own car. I do not mind riding a tap-tap, but it is "open air" and not the safest or the most efficient mode of transportation. However, cars cost money to purchase...LOL (Just to clarify, when I am working with my friend, I drive her truck to get the errands done, but on my own, I am on-my-own regarding transportation.)<br /><br />On a personal note, though I try to keep this blog just for updates... I graduated from law school with my Juris Doctor, just before coming back down to Haiti. Not only did I graduate, but I was the valedictorian for my graduating class. Unfortunately, I missed the graduation ceremonies because of the ticket prices (had I stayed one more day to attend the graduation, the ticket price would have gone up by a lot of money). So, my fellow graduates were spared a boring speech by me. :))<br /><br />I am taking the bar exam in Florida and in Calfornia. Also, I have been studying Haitian Law and am getting to be really well versed in the law here. Mind you, in Haiti, there may be a law on the books but that does not mean that it is being followed or enforced.sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-27409899725256141152009-06-09T05:13:00.000-07:002009-06-09T05:22:18.713-07:00Continued Protests in PAPThe protests have been pretty steady here. We tried to get some printed up passports out of immigration yesterday, but the parquet (court) is just a few hundred yards pass immigration. There were many protesters. I could not drive down that way and did not want to drive any closer than I already was.<br /><br />A few days ago, when the manifestations (protesting) started, about 80 cars were damaged, several cars were burned and one person was killed. In addition lots of rocks (big ones) were thrown, big trask containers were dumped over to create road blocks, etc. So they arrested about 24 students/protesters and they were kept in parquet where they were seeing a judge yesterday, thus the protests outside of parquet.<br /><br />By evening, the protesters had moved up to the intersection of Martin Luther King Blvd. and John Brown Ave. Police was there with tear gas cans and in their battle gear. Surprisingly, no UN involvement, they are keeping a low profile.<br /><br />According to the newspaper, the protests started over an increase of the minimum wage proposal. Currently the minimum daily wage is 25 Gourdes (about $0.60) to 200 Gourdes (about $5.00). That may not seem like much to most westerners, but this minimum wage increase would include everybody including domestic help, etc. and the people who employ them cannot afford to pay the equvalent of $5.00 per day. For example, an middle level goverment worker with a college degree earns about 20,000 Gourdes per month (about $500). So, one has to look at this within this particular perspective. If somebody has to support a family on $500 per month, how can they pay a household help $100 per month?<br /><br />Because of President Preval's refusal to increase the minimum wage to that level, the protests started.<br /><br />As we tried to get things accomplished yesterday in the downtown area, it was like driving through a maze of sorts because the protesters had made roadblocks out of big boulder rocks, big trash containers that were tipped over, cars, furniture, you name it... I would turn a corner and look down a road and it would be blocked. At one point, I drove around a corner and there were a bunch of guys sitting on chairs, blocking the road. I guess that they were taking a rest from protesting. :)<br /><br />The manifestations (protests) are only the downtown area for now and no outlying areas seem to be affected.sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7474626159154746673.post-88152598394233964872009-06-08T04:13:00.000-07:002009-06-08T04:30:35.132-07:00Radio Show - Day of the ChildThe other day, one of the local stations here in Haiti (96.5 FM) had a show where they were discussing the situation of children in Haiti and this discussion included international adoption.<br /><br />On June 14th (or thereabout that date) is the "Day of the Child" and that is what prompted the topic of the show. The current IBESR Director, Madam Pierre, was supposed to have participated in the show, but she was a "no show". The show hosts did not take kindly to that.<br /><br />During the discussion, the participants pointed out that there are homeless and parentless children living on the street (in the ravines and gutters) on their own, they get murdered and nobody seems to care about what happens to them.<br /><br />Participants reiterated that children deserve a loving family where they are educated and taken care of. That brought up international adoption and the consent on the show was that it is in the best interest of the children especially since there are no families in Haiti that can, want or will adopt the children who need homes.<br /><br />The consent seemed to be that if there is a willing family, not matter where, as long as they will properly love and care for the child, then that family should be able to adopt the child.<br /><br />I was so glad that this was the opinion of the participants of the radio show and the VIP guests that participated in the discussion. With UNICEF meddling in adoptions, and with their anti-adoption stance, often you hear that the children should stay in their home countries and that there really should not be international adoption.<br /><br />UNICEF has been heavily involved with IBESR and the result that I have observed is that now the IBESR employees have fancy SUV vehicles that they can utitilize, but that has not improved the lot of the children here. There is no government financing of child welfare that is making any sort of observable impact.<br /><br />Most people cannot imagine the circumstances so many of the Haitian children have to live in. We just had an adoptive mom visit and she said that she could never have imagined it without having seen it first hand just how horrible many of the conditions are for the children.<br /><br />Haitians love their children, but when one person has limited resources for their own family, how can they step up and help the other children? It is not possible...sunfunliving@yahoo.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16896731038739904128noreply@blogger.com3