Now I know I'm not a patient person, but I would like to really get this baby #2 show on the road. I have a very demanding little 3 year old, who could really benefit from having her world rocked by a new sibling. I also think she would love to be a big sister, and we would love to spread the crazy around to more children. However, I think we are getting our first taste of the uncertainty of being an adoptive parent. I know that plans change quickly in the world of adoption, and we are really starting to see how crazy things can get.
We've been in denial lately over here about the international adoption situation in Ehtiopia. For weeks we've been getting discouraging updates from our agency about the threat from Ethiopia to limit international adoptions to all but 10% of their former capacity. I'm new to the whole process, but this appears to be a pattern in many third world countries. They open up for international adoption, things are moving quickly and smoothly, and then tons of parents start to try and adopt from that country, causing overload, corruption and general freaking. Well, that's my take on it, at least. So it appears that Ethiopia is in freak-out mode. They could end up going the route of Guatemala, which would be to shut down entirely, or end up like China & Russia, which would be to restructure to add tons of red tape and a LONG wait. Let's put it this way, when your agency tries to recruit you from the Ethiopia program to the Russia program.....you know things aren't looking so hot.
I should add here that we feel incredibly thankful that buying our house delayed us from sending out our dossier (and a ton of money) to Ethiopia, only to find out that we may be waiting forever for a referral. At least now we have a choice. We can wait it out and see what happens before we send out our dossier anyway, we can try for a domestic adoption, or we could just say forget it and go on a tropical vacation. I'm thinking we might try for a domestic adoption, but the beach also sounds really good right now.
So I guess I should re-title this blog! Hmmm...any suggestions?
I have to say I love reading you blog! The words come out of your mouth JUST as I am thinking them!!!
ReplyDeleteThe country choice is a hard one, no matter domestic or international. If you do Russia, we had great luck with Vladivostok!
I've got two wonderful and loving grandchildren from Russia who have been such and incredible blessing to our family. Talk to Kim - she's been to Russia twice and loves it. She'd go back tomorrow if David would agree!!!
ReplyDeleteI guess that it is only recently that our agency was even accepting new applications to the Russia program. They still don't accept applications for infant/toddler girls, so that's a problem for us because Pearl is still so young. Otherwise, I'd just change courses....but you never know, the news out of these programs changes so quickly.
ReplyDeleteAhhh Russia! Yep, I would go back tomorrow! I just wrote Anya and asked about the infant/girl stuff. I will have to find the email and forward it to you. My understanding is that a family can request an infant of any gender but a girl would take 12 months or longer, which is what they told us and it took 6. Families have to be open to a boy but what I don't understand is if you say any gender and a boy comes along, can you refuse the referral and keep waiting for a girl? Wouldn't that be the same as allowing families to request girls? I don't know. I DO know that Volgograd where Noah and Ellie are from is one of the regions they are working in and I would adopt 5 more times if my husband agreed. Russia will always have a part of my heart.
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