Special Note Friday, April 09,2010
Adoptions Reopen in Haiti!!!

Haitian Adoptions Reopen!

This is advance notice of Haitian Adoptions reopening!

Ken and I have returned from a trip to Haiti last week. While there we met with several individuals involved in adoption and processing. Today we are thrilled to report we have just received a memo through The USCIS, US Citizenship and Immigration Services announcing the regular resumption of Haitian Adoptions!

The Haitian Government will NOT allow adoptions fro children orphaned since the earthquake - but praise God we have many that were in orphanage care prior to the tragic earthquake of January 12th, 2010! I quote from this memo:

“USCIS to resume Haitian orphan adoptions through regular process
WASHINGTON – The Haiti government has requested that the United States provide them with a final list of orphans being considered under the Special Humanitarian Parole Program for Haitian Orphans. As a result, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will stop accepting new requests for consideration under the special program as of April 14, 2010, and will resume regular processing of intercountry adoptions.”

“USCIS believes the vast majority of adoption requests for orphans who meet the criteria of the special program have already been submitted. Since January 18, USCIS has authorized parole for more than 1,000 orphans under the special program, and as of April 5, approximately 340 cases are still being considered. The unprecedented program included safeguards to ensure that each child granted parole was truly available for adoption and had been matched to a suitable U.S. citizen for adoption.”

“Going forward, intercountry adoption cases involving Haitian orphans will again be processed through normal procedures. The government of Haiti has already begun accepting new documents for adoption cases and the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince has resumed regular processing.”

Here are the steps you must go through to begin an adoption of a Haitian orphan.

• Register with Hope For Families Haiti Adoption Program. Your completed registration information and International Registration Fee of $2,800 (twenty eight hundred dollars) is required in order to take position in the “adoption cue” as a family in process for adoption. Essentially we must operate on a first come - first serve basis. Your registration fee covers the initial international work, and initial dossier creation which we will facilitate for you with our Haitian adoption director.
• Secondly, you must have an international home study completed through a qualified adoption agency ASAP. If you live in Florida, Hope For Families will provide you with this service for approximately $1,300. If you live outside of Florida - we can refer you to a qualified agency outside of Florida although those agencies may charge a fee higher than our agency. Click here to get detailed information about what is required in a home study.
• As part of our Haitian Adoption program, we will accept an international home study properly completed by another qualified agency. Otherwise, we will be happy to complete the homestudy for you or refer you to an outside agency. Once we have received the required completed adoption forms, required registration fee and completed home study, we will work with the adoptive family to match you with an orphan and facilitate the full process of an international adoption from Haiti.