23 December 2011
"It has been awhile since I have had news to pass on to everyone about adoptions. On Monday, fourteen members from the Association of crèches had a meeting with the new director of IBESR, Mme Arielle Jeanty Villedrouin. Unfortunately, I could not attend but Magaly and Ernst attended in my place. The members of the Association had questions about why the director has not approved any dossiers since she took her position. Mme Jeanty Villedrouin said that she was trying to learn about her position. She said that she also has someone in mind to help her go over the dossiers who has experience with adoptions but she did not have the funds to hire her full time, so it is taking a while to look through the dossiers. She promised that she would be signing dossiers very soon.
Mme Jeanty Villedrouin also had concerns about the costs of adoptions in Haiti. I am sure that idea comes from talks with organizations that are working to limit adoptions from Haiti. Ernst and Magaly said that only a couple of directors were allowed to talk because of the time limit of the meeting, but that they did try to explain to her the costs of feeding the children, caring for them, medical care for the children, educations, supplies, etc! They also explained that adoptions did not cost so much until it started taking 2 years to finish an adoption plus the time the children spent in the orphanage!
I do not think that she has any concept of what it costs to care for the children. She suggested that the directors find sponsors to help with all of the expenses of the orphanage. I know for GLA that even with sponsors the expenses are very difficult to cover! And it is even more difficult for a Haitian orphanage to find sponsors for their children. They might not have the resources and media possibilities that GLA has available to us.
There is supposed to be a general meeting of all orphanages and creches on 17 January 2012. Because there are so many registered orphanages/creches now, she said they needed to find somewhere large enough for everyone to meet. At that time, we will be able to ask questions and share our thoughts with her.
President Martelly has started signing presidential dispensations again. We hope to see more coming out of IBESR soon. We have some dossiers that have now sat in IBESR for more than 6 months which has been discouraging when things were going so well for the last year. I hope that it gets back on track to taking 8 to 12 months again as soon as the new government gets organized. It seems to be mainly our families with children who are taking the extra time right now.
I have a meeting at the US Consulate on Thursday the 29th with the Adoption Unit Staff. I asked for the meeting to discuss what I have heard about the changes in the new adoption law and also the changes in IBESR. Please pray that I will be able to express my concerns clearly and be able to motivate them to help us lobby for adoptions for those children who will most benefit for a life in a family instead of an institution!
I spent today sending proposals. Some of the agencies are closed for the holidays and so it will be next week unfortunately before the proposals are delivered. For others, they will receive the proposals tomorrow, I have been told. I will be up working on finishing up two of the proposals early tomorrow morning. What better Christmas gift could these families get? I can’t think of one better gift than a new son or daughter! Can you?"
We are so excited--this truly is the best news we have heard in a LONG time...please pray that the ball keeps rolling!!! I would love for Wisler to be home with us in 2012
