adoption

We adopted two of our children from Haiti before we lived here. The orphanage our children were placed in back in 2001 is no longer operating. As with all international adoption, the process is somewhat difficult and can be very long.  We love the gift of adoption and believe that with caution it is something very worth pursuing. We have since adopted a third Haitian child and consider it an honor, joy, and privilege to love and parent these fabulous children.

If you are thinking of adopting from Haiti:
We don't currently recommend any one orphanage or program in Haiti. There are a few great programs. A simple Google search should help you find them quickly. Not all orphanages in Haiti are licensed to process adoptions.  We recommend that you research the methods and procedures of the orphanage thoroughly.  Some orphanages in Haiti take children from their families of origin with no questions asked.  Because adoption involves money the system can be corrupt and difficult to navigate. Just because someone says they can process an adoption, doesn't mean they can. Whomever you chose should be able to prove success and show you other completed adoptions. We believe it is very important that the orphanage care about preserving family and that they have some vested interest in helping prevent the placement of orphans too.  Adoption is a beautiful, restorative, and redemptive thing for children in need of a family. It is not without pain and risk.  It will not solve or even come close to scratching the surface of the "orphan crisis".  Many children in orphanages have a living birth-parent. The more questions you ask of your orphanage about their philosophy and approach, the more assured you can be that you are adopting a child that was ethically taken into the orphanage and needs to be adopted.

Adoption from Haiti will cost 12 to 18K (varies) - those costs include about 3K that is spent on the HomeStudy and USA document preparation.

Because our adoptions were done almost 10 years ago and before the earthquake we cannot advise on the length of the current adoption process in Haiti.  We have heard many families are waiting two or more years.

Posts on Adoption:
When your children come home - good advice HERE.

Transracial Adoption - Love is Colorblind? A Vision Test

Adoption is built on pain

Statistically Speaking

Calling for Balance

A boat that needs rocking

There will never be enough people desiring and willing to adopt to reduce the orphan crisis. It should be the goal of every adoptive parent to find ways to keep families together in addition to being willing to adopt a child that cannot stay with his/her family.  Sometimes as consumers we get to thinking that because we have financial means we are better suited to parent and raise a child than the biological family.  That is arrogant and not usually correct. (Plus, if we believe that it means that 90% of the children in the world are being raised by unfit poor people.)  People without material blessing live joy-filled and inspiring lives. Poor people love their children too. The prevention of orphans is the only way the orphan crisis will ever be improved.  There are ministries that work to support women to keep and raise their own children in poorer countries.  In addition to adopting it would be a huge blessing for all adoptive parents to also invest in organizations and people that are working to address the core issues and offer support to birthmothers.

(This page is still under construction - links and other thoughts will periodically be added here.)