*JCICS Update

Our agency sent out an update today that included posting from JCICS. It sounds like negotiations between the US and Vietnam regarding adoptions are happening this month. Here's a quotation:

"Joint Council continues to view the suspension of intercountry adoption between the United States and Vietnam as a tragedy for children and for the families willing to provide a loving home for them. We remain confident that an interim MOA is achievable. Joint Council reiterates that considerable steps have been taken by both the Vietnamese and the United States governments toward this end. "

I am still much more antsy during this stage of the wait than I have been before. My heart is longing to hold my next child, and it is hard to not know when I will. But, I am thankful that some progress is being made in the negotiations, and I still hold hope that we will adopt from Vietnam.

Keep Calling!

Here is an update from JCICS regarding the Child's Right Campaign:

Joint Council is pleased to announce that the letter from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption to Secretary Rice regarding intercountry adoption and child protection in Vietnam has received over 130 Congressional signatures.

Given the visit to the United States by the Prime Minister of Vietnam over the next few days, it would greatly benefit our collective effort if additional calls to Members of Congress were made immediately.

While many families and adoption service providers are not directly involved with Vietnam, we urge all families and service providers to participate in A Child’s Right Campaign by calling your Congressional Senators and Representatives today!

Please take a moment now and contact your Congressional Senators and Representatives and ask if they have signed the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) letter to Secretary Rice. If they have, please thank them for their support. If not, please ask that the Senator or Representative add their support and signature to this important letter.

So good to hear so many congressmen have signed on. Keep calling. Lets add some more signatures to that letter. Thanks!

Important, Please Join the Campaign

Our agency gave us more info on the Child's Right Campaign for Vietnam. The JCICS (Joint Council of International Children's Services), several adoption agencies, and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) are initiating this Campaign.

"It is through this advocacy group that we are can get word to Congressional Representatives and Senators of the urgency of the situation in Vietnam. This Campaign consists of families making contact with their Senators and Congressional Representatives urging them to support the Campaign and the continuation of adoptions in Vietnam."

The campaign is asking all adoptive families and anyone else who is concerned to participate in this Campaign by contacting your Congressional members. Holt International set up a program that will allow you to make this contact. All you have to do is go to this link, http://capwiz.com/holt/issues/alert/?alertid=11402851. Go to the issues and legislation tab and you will see the “Contact Congress Now” page for this Campaign. You can modify the text of the message and put in whatever you wish to convey. Once you put in your name and address, the email will go directly to your Congressional members. Feel free to call their local offices as well to convey your concerns about adoptions in Vietnam being at risk and that you are asking for their support for this Campaign and for the continuation of adoptions in Vietnam.

*Important: Campaign for Vietnam Adoptions

Sorry about the change in layout. I was a little overexcited to update the blog's background, and not really knowing what I was doing, messed it up. We'll work on getting it back in shape, but it's not high enough on Keith's to do list.

Just checked out Adoption Integrity's website, and they had info from the JCICS. JCICS is putting together a campaign for Child's Rights in Vietnam and asking us to contact our congressmen in their support. The effort is to give children in Vietnam the right to be adopted, and to clean up the system, without Vietnam closing to US adoptions. It gave me a lot of hope to read it. Please join in this campaign, and pray for it's success. Do so quickly, as it is time-sensitive. Here's the link: Voices for Vietnam Adoption Integrity and the Campaign : JCICS Child's Right Campaign

And on this Memorial Day, I am so thankful for all the men and women who gave their lives for me and this nation. What an amazing and honorable sacrifice! And thank you to all who are serving in the forces currently. We are in debt to you, and pray God's protection over you.

Thank you!

*I Finally Called

More pictures are on Ethica's website

I scared myself by reading adoption info on the internet. I do that every now and then because I don't fully understand the process or who is who... So, after receiving an email from a fellow PAP (prospective adoptive parent) with some concerning news, I called our agency this morning. I've been putting off calling for an update as long as I can, as I know it is something that I will quickly get addicted to doing.

It was really good to talk with our program director. She is honest and well-informed. But, that doesn't mean the news was all positive. The MOU will not be resigned. That is the agreement between the VN and US governments allowing adoption. It expires Sept 1st of this year. The US will not resign it because VN has not met some of the requirements, including a fee schedule to make all adoptions the same (and attempt to eliminate baby buying) and more government oversite of each province. Resigning it would require that Vietnam totally restructure how they work provincially, meaning provinces would have to give up control to the country government, which is quite unlikely, especially in such a short amount of time. Apparently other Europpean countries have no issues with the way it works now, so at least if the US isn't able to adopt from Vietnam anymore, some children will still find homes.

Vietnam isn't super thrilled with the US Embassy right now either. With the change of the I-600 process, the US stated that the wait period for approval would be up to 60 days. Vietnamese law said it had to happen within 30 days. So, VN changed their law to be 60 days, and now the Embassy is taking far more than 60 days in most cases (because they are backlogged and understaffed). That has offended VN officials. Also, when the Embassy investigates adoptions, they are showing up unannounced to the orphanages, and in unmarked vehicles. They probably have reason for doing so, but this has also offended VN officials, making it harder to negotiate and come to an agreement so that adoptions can continue. I am glad the US has high standards and making an effort to improve the ethics of VN adoptions, but it is making it harder on us PAPs. It shouldn't be about us though. It should be about the children.

Our agency only had one referral last month, and none so far this month. The director said it has been very slow, and it is probably partially because of the big Tet holiday last month, and because of the current US/VN relations. When the Director of our agency, John, was in VN last month, he was told several referrals were on their way. We'll see. We have been waiting 5.5 months, and have gone from number 39 to the early 20's.

The waiting list isn't that informative though, because some of those on the list are requesting boys, and some are requesting girls, while some are eithers. But, we still have a long wait ahead of us.

Some families in our agency are have also signed on with their Nepal program (which has been closed but should reopen any day now), meaning they are doing concurrent adoptions. These families hope to adopt 2 children, one from Nepal, and one from VN, but in case VN closes, they will still have one adoption to be waiting on. The thought has crossed our minds to do this, but likely with a different country. But, our hearts are set on Vietnam, and our current plan is to wait several years after we get Liv, and adopt an older and perhaps special needs child. Or maybe to do foster care and adopt out of it. We'll see.

I also learned today that it is the orphanage officials that give the referrals to the agencies of their choice. Once the agency gives that referral to a family and the family accepts it, a letter of acceptance is sent to the VN government, and that is when they know who is matched with who. So, it is important that agencies maintain good relations with orphanages, and often do this by aiding (charitably) them. I know our agency is helping a little boy get much needed surgery to remove a huge facial tumor, has helped install several water purifiers, and is helping remodel a building into a new orphanage. I know it is not their motive to get more referrals by doing so. They have always helped the Vietnamese orphans, even while the country was closed before.

I suppose the conclusion of what I learned today is that things are looking hopeful that adoptions would be completed for people like us who have their Dossiers in Vietnam by the date it closes, but it is also looking likely that VN will close to US adoptions for at least a short time. The JCICS (Joint Council on International Children's Services) has vowed to fight for VN/US adoptions, and that will be helpful. We just need to pray hard. Please join us in praying that God would unite orphans with their loving families soon.

For other PAPs out there, please don't read what I write as fact. I don't totally understand everything in this US/VN adoption world, but this is my take on what our agency told me.