Ethiopia continues to work on re-aligning their adoption program. This comes on the heels of a [almost] complete system shutdown in the middle of last year that resulted in many prospective adoption cases being delayed. Since then, Ethiopia has stepped up and worked through many of their issues.
Ethiopia is one of the most popular countries in Africa to adopt from. There are many children available and the screening process is monitored. Ethiopia, as a country, is wrought with poverty and disease. The need for adoption is great. The children that are adopted from Ethiopia are said to adapt well when adopted and have pleasant personalities.
There are many sources for information about daily life after adoption available online. If you are interested in adopting from Ethiopia, consider researching the many blogs and groups that focus solely on adoption from this country. They are said to offer valuable information.
At this point, Ethiopia has stated that they are able to process new cases within 2 days. That is an amazing turn around. One issue that was addressed in the notice released from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa is that many of the relinquishment cases were being processed with birth parents believing that their child would be returning home after 18 years of age. The Embassy set up interview times at the embassy where these parents are taken to a private room to discuss the fact that adoption severs all family ties. This has been difficult for the biological parents emotionally. The embassy is trying to deal with this issue and remain focused on ensuring that their adoption program moves forward.
It is vitally important to use the services of a reputable agency to ensure that all of the paperwork has been completed correctly. There have been cases that were not done properly and left a bad mark on this program. The United States government offers a list of approved, reputable agencies on their adoption website.
It is so exciting to see this program grow and develop. The tiny setbacks that they have encountered have only strengthened the program and made it more viable for the future. In order for things to run smoothly, a country must focus on the strengths and weaknesses of its program. This is what the growing Ethiopian adoption program is doing.
Now is an exciting time to be involved in adoption. Organization and governmental control have brought about a safer, more reliable program. Ethiopia is currently open. It is not party to the Hague Convention and does not hold to its statutes.
~Angie
Photo Credit
