International Adoption: Unicef's and Other Critics’ War Against International Adoption

An interesting article on Unicef''s vendetta against international adoption.
International Adoption: Unicef's and Other Critics’ War Against International Adoption
Seems they have struck again with Nepal. Let's look for real reforms in fighting adoption fraud as opposed to shutting down countries. Really, what is in the best interest of the child? Growing up in an orphanage in their home country or being a part of a loving family in another country. Unicef is failing children in these countries, making them orphans for life. Yep, I'm mad!

Thanks for the link, Nachama.
Carrie

How I am coping?

How am I coping?  Overall, I think pretty well.  I have spent quite a bit of mental and emotional energy on worrying, thinking, planning, feeling mad, feeling resentful, feeling powerless, feeling sad, wondering why we were brought to this point, only to have an abrupt halt.  I think about this ALL the time.  Now that I have pictures of a precious little girl, I cannot get them out of mind. 

Last week, I asked our church to pray for us and little girl.  I had not, up to this point ,even told anyone at church about our adoption plans.  Really, I had only talked about it with family and close friends.  All along, I was worried something would go wrong.  It took so long for Nepal to get moving on the matching that I wondered if they intended on doing so.  I kind of looked at this as a very long, high risk pregnancy.  But, when we got our referral, I let my guard down.  It seemed real then.  It seemed like it was really going to happen.  OK, now back to church.  It was so strange having the church pray for us.  I know that is not the word I should use to describe my feeling, but it was strange.  I did feel a bit of peace.  Then, this week, they prayed again for us and little girl.  I didn't even have to ask, they just remembered.  Again, strange and peaceful.  I am feeling this is about more than just us and this little girl.  It is so touching to me that others are hoping we can bring her home. 

Tomorrow starts school.  Being a teacher, I will be consumed with all I have to do with my class and my two sons.  In a way this is a relief.  I do have some power over these things.  God has put these children (my class and my own kids) here in front of me now.  I will be available and present for them 100%.  I will not stop doing what I think I need to do to advocate for the adoption situation, but I know I will not be thinking about it all day.  I am doing what is put in front of me each day and I will trust that the adoption will work out.  (OK, I will struggle to trust that the adoption will work out-but I'll work on this too).  

AND, I will be praying for all of the prospective adoptive parents and their prospective children.  I hope they will feel some peace.
Carrie

FL Senators

FL Senators Bill Nelson and George LeMieux have sent emails back to my Mom's friends.  Unfortunately, it seems they can only intervene for a FL resident.  Sooo...  Has this been a waste of time?  No, I don't think so.  At least the word is getting out there.  Is there a family hoping to adopt from Nepal in FL?  If so, contact these senators.  They have each written back, sending forms to intervene.  I guess I need to get on my Texas buddies and ask them to send some letters.  I know Lisa wrote a letter (Thx, GF, I know you are busy).  And I plan on either dropping by or calling Ralph Hall's office this week.  Here's what we are asking for right now...  Three things-  1.  That the US get their new procedures to investigate the orphan status prior to parents travel.  This needs to be done, yesterday!  2.  That the US DOS secures an extended travel approval from Nepal.  We don't know what will happen when our 60 days are up and we have not gotten a visa for little girl.  3.  That the US embassy uses the same standards to investigate the pipeline cases as the previous referrals.  Before they approved the visa as long as there was no sign of corruption, now it is stated they will be needing proof that documents are legitimate.  Hopefully, early this week we will get word that DOS is ready to start investigating.

Again, thanks to all who have written on our behalf!
Carrie

I Spoke to the Congrassman's Office

Today I spoke with a staff person in Congressman Connie Mack's office. He listened intently to my story, asked some questions and finally said that they could call the Department of State to make a congressional inquiry. I thought, "WOW, yea, maybe someone will put some pressure on the DOS!" When he asked where I lived and I told him I was in Texas, he said that he would not be able to do that on our behalf. He told me they would have to extend congressional courtesy to my congressman. I told him I had emailed him and not heard back and he suggested I call his office. Even though he could not help me, I appreciated that he called me. At least now I know that they can make a congressional inquiry with the DOS. That was valuable information.

Any Prospective Adoptive Nepal Parents out there, call your congressman. I will be calling Congressman Ralph Hall's office on Monday. The Department of State needs to get their procedures going. Those of us who have travel approval have time ticking away.
Carrie

Someone heard

Thanks to everyone who has been making some noise. I know these people have written letters... Mom, Lori, Susan, Ron and Ginny, Clora. THANK YOU! These are the people who have told me they wrote. Today I got a message from Congressman Connie Mack's (FL) office. I did not get to call him back today, but will call tomorrow. The message said they have received several notes on our behalf. I don't know if it will help, but at least, someone heard. I don't know if he can do anything, or even if he wants to do anything, but someone heard. Thanks for helping me make some noise!

I am a bit nervous about calling him back and talking to him. What if I don't make a good argument or am not articulate enough? What if he asks me questions I don't know the answer to? What if I don't mention the major points? What if he cannot do anything? What if all of this doesn't work and I will wonder the rest of my life what is happening to that little brown-eyed girl in Nepal?

Let's keep making noise!
Carrie

Dear Madame Secretary:

Reposted from Nachama's blog http://apennyanickeladollaroradime.blogspot.com/

August 13, 2010

Madame Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Madame Secretary:

Effective August 6, 2010, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) announced the suspension of new adoption cases for children identified as abandoned in Nepal. DOS announced at the same time that that they would continue processing adoptions for those children who have already been referred to an American citizen prior to August 6, 2010.

There are approximately 80 of those citizens. They have waited for these children for years.

On August 6, 2010, without warning to any of the parents or agencies currently finalizing their cases, the DOS issued a statement, “strongly recommending that prospective adoptive parents do not travel to Nepal to finalize their adoptions.” Instead, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of State report that they are “currently setting up a [new] program that will enable the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu to complete the required I-604 Determination of Child for Adoption before prospective parents travel to Nepal to finalize the adoptions.”

This new vigorous investigative program is just for the 80 families that are in possession of referrals issued before August 6th, 2010. USCIS and DOS report that "...the review of these approximately 80 adoptions will be vigorous and it is expected that some might not be ultimately approved.” Holding these 80 cases to a higher standard of investigation than the previously approved cases seems arbitrary at best and cruel at worst. Chuck Johnson, head of the private National Council for Adoption, expressed dismay at the suspension, saying it would consign many Nepalese orphans to longer stays in institutions.

"It's a sad day for us children's advocates," he said. "When you suspend adoptions due to concerns of abuse, you're also preventing the adoption of legal and legitimate orphans. ... There will be suffering, profound psychological and physical effects."

Until August 6th a visa could be granted if there was no proof of corruption but as of August 6, 2010 – just for the 80 families with referrals -- proof must be provided that the documents are legitimate, proof that is extremely difficult to come by given the Nepali culture and customs. It is unconscionable that these children may have to remain in orphanages for the rest of their childhood because the DOS is now reviewing each abandonment case on a “guilty until proven innocent” view instead of an “innocent until proven guilty” standard. These children have been abandoned – there is ample evidence that they have been living in orphanages for years but are not going to be given a visa to the US to live with their forever family that will provide a safe, loving and nurturing home because their original abandonment cannot be substantially verified. Children are abandoned because these mothers/family members/relatives by necessity go great lengths not to be identified. The government of Nepal has determined that these children are legally free to be adopted.

The Nepali culture makes it very difficult to investigate these cases according to Western standards. Many abandoned children were born out of wedlock, a situation that is illegal in Nepali society. Women who have given birth out of wedlock are considered unmarriageable. Therefore most women and girls have no choice but to keep their pregnancies a secret. These women and their relatives will do anything to remain anonymous rather than be shunned by their community and left husbandless in a patriarchal society. This makes the orphan investigation process nearly impossible. The Embassy has stated that one of the reasons for questioning the orphans' files is that they are all so similar. However, the files are similar because the situations are very similar in the case of abandonment. A child is found by someone and then taken to either a police station or orphanage. This is the only information available because the mother has chosen to remain anonymous and others do not wish to report anything they know about the situation.

I strongly support ethical adoption policies and procedures but feel there may be a lack of consideration of the values and culture in Nepal. I am asking you to help us bring these children home.

Please contact the Department of State and urge them to expedite these cases caught in the middle of this abrupt policy change.

Very truly yours,

Travel Approval (TA) time may be extended

It has been reported by someone on the Yahoo group that the US Embassy in Nepal is negotiating with the Ministry to have the travel approval time extended. Apparently Nepal gave them verbal indication that they would do so. We just need to get it in writing to feel comfortable that we will all not need to jump on a plane in 10 weeks and complete the adoption before we are sure we can get a visa for the child. This would not be an option for us anyway- but many are considering this. There are also several families in Nepal right now trying to decide what to do.

Come on DOS, let's this get this show on the road! We need to get moving! Children need to leave orphanages and go to the loving families waiting for them!
Carrie

Nepal Adoption Suspension in the News

US family fights halt on Nepal adoptions
AMY BOWEN/ST CLOUD TIMES

ST CLOUD, Minnesota, USA, Aug 14: Tears well up in Cherie Beumer's eyes for the daughter she doesn't know, but loves.

Beumer and her husband, Todd, are fighting to adopt a 14-month-old Nepali girl. The US Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and US Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended American adoptions from Nepal on August 6.

The Collegeville couple was scheduled to travel August 7 to Kathmandu, Nepal, to adopt the toddler. They adopted their 6-year-old son, Alex, from the country in 2005. They started the adoption process for a second time more than three years ago.

"We are so far along," Todd Beumer said. "We already have her photos."

The pictures show a little girl with chocolate brown eyes and black hair, crawling and sitting on a wooden horse. The family has already invested $20,000-$25, 000 in the adoption, not including travel expenses.

The US government halted Nepalese adoptions of abandoned children. According to the State Department, Nepalese adoption documents have been found unreliable, and the government wants to verify the children are orphans.

Other countries, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany and England, have suspended adoptions from Nepal as well.

About 80 American families have been matched with children, the State Department reported. It is recommending that families defer travel to complete the adoptions.

It is illegal to abandon a child in Nepal, the Beumers said. Therefore, little information is known about children who are abandoned in places such as police stations, they said.

Officials publish the children's pictures in newspapers in case birth parents are looking for them, they said, then fill out paperwork to make the children eligible for adoption, the Beumers said.

The Beumers and their adoption agency are confident the child they want to adopt does not have a birth family looking for her, they said. They wouldn't adopt a child who had a birth family that wants to care for the baby, the couple said.

The Joint Council of International Children's Services, an advocacy group for intercountry adoption and finding families for orphans, issued a position statement about the situation in Nepal. The council contends those who abuse the adoption system in Nepal should be "investigated, arrested and prosecuted." It does not want to stop intercountry adoption, though, as it "only contributes to the elimination of a child's right to a family".

The Beumers feel added stress because they have 60 days from the date they were approved to travel to Nepal to legally adopt the child, according to the government there.

They were approved to travel July 23.

They have to get to Nepal by September 20 or they will lose the referral, Todd Beumer said.

Cherie Beumer plans to leave for Nepal early next week.

The girl will be legally adopted by the Beumers in Nepal's Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, but she will not be issued a U.S. visa until the investigation into whether she was legally abandoned is complete. And that could take months, the Beumers said.

They have thought about stopping the adoption, but can't. They already love the child, and worry she will grow up without a family in the orphanage, Cherie Beumer said.

"We can't leave her there," Cherie Beumer said.

"We're going to adopt her, and show up at the (US) embassy and fight for her, " Cherie Beumer said. "She'll be our child legally."

Todd and Alex Beumer will stay in Collegeville, and will visit Nepal in November or December if Cherie Beumer is still there, Todd Beumer said.

The family is prepared for the worst, which would have Cherie Beumer living abroad with the girl for two years until the child could obtain a visa.

"We're planning for the worst case," Todd Beumer said. "It's better to get good news when you're expecting bad news."


Published on 2010-08-14 14:49:23

We are in this same situation. However, we cannot travel and be in Nepal for an undetermined period of time.

Carrie