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In seven months, the news of the January 12th earthquake in Haiti has slowed to a trickle. Fundraising has taken a back seat to more current news. Talk of orphans and amputees are buried well behind the headlines. The mass of adoption requests has returned to a normal level. Yet, there is still a Haiti. There are still orphans. There are now court dates and adoption finalizations occurring. Unfortunately, there are also around a dozen Haitian children in the United States who do not have a home, and their future continues to be uncertain.
The New York Times' Ginger Thompson recently reported on the effects of the humanitarian parole granted to approximately 1,150 Haitian children. Her article, “After Haiti Quake, the Chaos of U.S. Adoptions,” addresses several cases in which HP (humanitarian parole) has actually not been in the best interests of the children involved. Reading her piece certainly ignited many strong feelings within myself, not just as a mother to Haitian children but as a friend to many who brought their children home on HP. I decided to share this information with them and ask for their thoughts and input. As it is with most things -- particularly adoptions -- there are many sides to the story. It is complicated. For every travesty, there was a miracle. There is a balance, but every single child and their story and their family is important.
I have many answers, but no consensus -- not even in my own mind and heart.
BlogHer '10 gave me the opportunity to room with Kristen Howerton of “Rage Against the Minivan.” The Howerton's son, Kembe, came home via HP less than two weeks after the quake. In her experience, the children had to have already been matched and eligible for adoption. They were required to provide documentation such as birth certificates, parental death certificates, pictures of themselves with Kembe (proof that they had been visiting), and most importantly, proof of permission from IBESR. IBESR is the equivalent of the department of family and children's services and are responsible for approving each international adoption and ensuring that the adoptive family meets criteria, that the child is eligible for adoption, and that the adoption itself is legitimate, according to Haiti's adoption legislation of 1974.
“HP did not expedite the adoption -- these families still have to go through adoption procedures, and those in foster care may be returned to Haiti. The number -- roughly 1000 -- represents the fact that Haiti adoptions were back-logged by about three years,” Kristen wrote to me. “By the time our son came home (5 days post-quake), children were spending up to 24 hours in customs making sure they were eligible for adoption, and if they weren't, they were put in the care of refugee services instead of in an adoptive home. Prior to the earthquake, there were over 300,000 children living in orphanages. It was a small percentage that left after the earthquake.” Kristen has written extensively on the humanitarian parole process here.
Tara Livesay lives in Haiti. Well, she is not currently actually living in Haiti because they are waiting to receive citizenship for their daughter, who is not yet legally adopted, before they can return. All of their children returned to the states after the earthquake, where they were cared for by family. Tara and her husband Troy stayed with Heartline Ministries for a time, as their orphanage became a hospital and their home became a guest house for a constant stream of volunteers. The Livesay's call Haiti “home” … because it is, regardless of
