Haiti Signs the Hague

On March 2nd, 2011, Haiti quietly signed on to the Hague Convention. Signing on is different than ratifying, and for the time being, there will be no change to the status quo of adoption management under Haitian law.

No change, of course, except for the continued restructuring and rebuilding that has affected the island nation since the earthquake last January. Haiti is also considering updates to its adoption laws (last amended several decades ago) but this process is slow.

So what does this mean for Canadians hoping to adopt?

For now, no change. BC issued a moratorium on new applications for Haitian adoptions. This suspension stands for the foreseeable future, although our Ministry has committed to reassessing the status of Haitian adoptions at regular intervals.

The US is moving forward - in fact, Haiti's IBESR announced on January 31, 2011, that they would accept new applications for children who were orphaned or held documentary proof of being voluntarily relinquished by both birth parents.

Congratulations, Haiti, on moving forward even as you are still rebuilding. Time will tell how quickly this ratification might take place, and how long the door will remain shut for British Columbians hoping to adopt from Haiti.

Ethiopia Update - Approval Cutbacks

Ethiopia's Ministry for Women, Children, and Youth Affairs has announced a significant cutback to its intercountry adoption program. US State Department warns that families who have not yet been matched with a child may experience significant delays to their application.

Prior to the announcement, Ethiopian courts would process 50 international applications per day. That number was reduced by 90% to just 5 applications.

According to Ministry spokesperson Abiy Ephrem, the changes have come about in response to allegations of fraud. The reduction in cases will allow for a better verification of each application, including the child's orphan status and documentation. Read more here.

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If you are BC resident who has been impacted by this change, feel free to contact Sarah Reid, AFABC Education & Cross Cultural Coordinator, for support: sreid@bcadoption.com or 604-320-7330.

If you are waiting to adopt from Ethiopia and would like to be put in touch with other waiting families, please send your preferred contact information (either email or phone number) to sreid@bcadoption.com

Welcome to our new intercountry adoption blog!

Welcome families!

This new blog is just for intercountry families... adoptees... prospective parents... and anyone interested in learning more about intercountry adoption from the British Columbian perspective.

We'll discuss program changes, share research, and help build community links between adoptive families and the children we've brought home from afar (or just across the border).

I'm hoping to have guest writers who have a direct connection to international adoption - if this describes you and you'd like to share your perspective, send me a note at sreid@bcadoption.com

Stay tuned for updates, exciting developments, and a new perspective on intercountry adoptions.

Welcome to the blog!