Reuters is reporting that a group of ten Americans was stopped as they sought to cross the border from Haiti into the Dominican Republic with 33 Haitian children, ages 2 months to 10 years.   The Americans, who report being with New Life Children’s Refuge, a charity based in Idaho, were questioned and taken to a jail cell at Haiti’s Judicial Police Headquarters.  They apparently had no papers to prove they had cleared the children to leave the country.

Fears in Haiti are running high regarding the danger of human trafficking and other forms of exploitation of vulnerable children, so the un-authorized transport of these 33 children struck a nerve with Haitian authorities.

While it appears that the children were being taken to the Dominican Republic with the best of intentions, the incident will likely be used by those unfriendly toward international adoption as a reason to slow in-process adoptions and prevent future ones.

As the UPI reported this morning, the Haitian government has suspended flights of orphans out of Haiti.  This apparently includes flights of children previously approved to travel under the agreement between the U.S. and Haitian governments that allowed an expedited travel-approval process for children previously matched for adoption with American families.  According to the Miami Herald, Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive says he has issued an order that children cannot be released for adoption without his personal approval.

However, on a call with U.S. government officials this morning, it was explained that this order is not a permanent change in policy.  Rather, it represents a precautionary measure taken following reports that some orphans had been illegally taken out of the country to the Dominican Republic and possibly elsewhere.  The halt in flights was ordered so that further assurances can be made that no child that has not been authorized for travel is taken out of the country.  U.S. officials believe that flights of orphans will resume by early next week if not before.

Also mentioned on the call—while firm statistics are not yet available—officials described the number of Haitian orphans who meet the standards for expedited processing (i.e. previously matched with a U.S. family) at “more than 500” with “several hundred” transported to the U.S. already  and “hundreds more” yet to travel.

Our friends Michael and Amy Monroe, who lead the Tapestry Adoption and Foster Care Ministry at Irving Bible Church, are always an excellent source of both information and discernment regarding adoption-related matters.  The email Tapestry sent today, pasted below, provides an insightful and appropriately-cautious overview of key issues regarding Haiti and adoption:

As the pictures from the devastation in Haiti continue to pour in, the reality of the long, slow road of recovery and rebuilding is becoming more apparent. But even in the midst of the tragedy, heartache and seeming hopelessness, God is clearly at work. Over the past days we have seen and heard inspiring stories of remarkable faith, hope and courage from Haiti. And the response from Christians across the U.S. – particularly toward the orphans and vulnerable children in Haiti – has been equally encouraging.

Understandably, the situation in Haiti has led many Christians to begin asking questions about international adoption, and specifically about adoption from Haiti. There have been countless news reports about the status and future of international adoptions from Haiti and, not surprisingly, no small amount of confusion has resulted.

In an effort to provide some reliable facts and some helpful next steps, we wanted to let you know what we have learned about the current adoption landscape in Haiti. In doing so we are only attempting to touch on the high points. As always, if you have questions or need more information please contact Tapestry at tapestry@irvingbible.org and we will be sure to follow up with you.

Some Basic Facts about International Adoption from Haiti

Prior to the earthquake there were (according to recent estimates) as many as 380,000 orphans in Haiti. Tragically, some have estimated that the number of orphans in Haiti may double or even triple as a result of the earthquake. Yet despite this staggering number of orphans only a little more than 300 Haitian children were adopted by U.S. families in 2009.  In addition, the average time to complete an international adoption from Haiti pre-earthquake was close to three years.

We could write a book about why this disparity between the number of orphans and the number of international placements exists, whether it is defensible (or not), why the wait time is so long, why the tension between adoption and humanitarian organizations exists and so on. But the reality is that international adoption was not adequate to address the needs of the vast majority of Haiti’s orphans pre-earthquake, and that will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. As a result, we must all focus on the crucial importance of continuing to pray, give, advocate and serve – not just for the immediate needs in Haiti (which are many and urgent) but for the long-term. Along those lines, let us encourage you to continue to pray about how God would have you, your family and your church be involved to serve the ‘fatherless’.

Adoptions in Process Pre-Earthquake

The U.S. and Haitian governments have determined to “expedite” many of the adoptions that were already in process prior to the earthquake. This is being done via a process known as “humanitarian parole” and it relates to two categories of children whose adoptions were already in process pre-earthquake: (1) children who had been legally confirmed as orphans eligible for intercountry adoption by the Haitian government and (2) children who had been identified by an adoption service provider or facilitator as eligible for intercountry adoption and were matched to prospective U.S. adoptive parents. Certainly this is terrific news for the children and families affected and we rejoice with them.

Adoptions Post-Earthquake

We can make this real simple – as of now no new international adoption processes are being started for children in Haiti. As we noted earlier, one of the best and most reliable places to go for information on all international adoption programs (including Haiti) is the Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS). The JCICS webpage for Haiti indicates very clearly that new adoptions from Haiti by U.S. citizens are “closed.” While there does seem to be some discussion in the U.S. about streamlining the international adoption process for Americans wanting to adopt from Haiti (and possibly other countries as well), there is no clear indication as to whether or when that will happen.

How You Can Respond

The fact that Haiti is currently closed for new adoptions should not discourage you from taking the next step and getting involved. There are many different ways to serve orphans in Haiti and around the world, and we would be happy to discuss your options with you – so don’t hesitate to contact us.

If God has opened your eyes to the needs of the ‘fatherless’ and is calling you to adopt – even if you feel called to adopt specifically from Haiti – there is still much that you can do. Many people think that beginning the adoption process means that they must research information about agencies, gather the necessary financial resources, fill out applications and start waiting. Some people are even considering rushing out to obtain a generic home study.

These are all certainly ways you can get started, but let us encourage you to “get started” in a somewhat different fashion. By pouring yourself into the tangible steps listed below you will be “getting started” in a direction that will help you build a strong foundation for one day loving and serving a child in need – whether from Haiti, your own community or wherever God may lead you:

●  Pray – To some it may sound almost cliché, but the first step (and a continual part) of any adoption journey for those who are followers of Christ must be to pray. No matter where your journey leads you please continue to pray.

●  Examine – Your motivations and expectations matter when it comes to adoption, and yet many people spend far too little time examining themselves. Read this helpful article about the importance of continually examining your motivations and expectations.

●  Prepare – Children who are impacted by adoption and foster care have histories that can have profound impacts in a multitude of ways. These “children from hard places,” which certainly includes all of the orphans in Haiti, will need parents who not only have huge hearts and a deep well of compassion, they need parents who are informed, equipped and committed to building trust and helping their child heal. There are some great resources available to help parents understand these challenges and how to meet them. Some of the best resources can be found at Empowered to Connect.

Tapestry is committed to helping and serving families called to adoption and foster care in any way that we can. As the situation in Haiti continues to develop we will be sure to provide periodic updates on the Tapestry Blog.

In the meantime, please let us know how we can best serve you as you prayerfully consider how God would have you respond.

A group of Congressional members supportive of adoption are working to create a streamlined system to match orphans from Haiti with U.S. families.  Helping to lead these efforts is Senator Mary Landrieu, a longtime adoption advocate.  Although the legislation championed by the group would focus first on Haitian orphans, it would ultimately apply to other areas in which there are orphans in need of families, seeking to make aspects of international adopion overseen by the U.S. government smoother and easier.  Supportive members of the U.S. Senate will seek to get the “Families for Orphans Act” out of committee this week and on to the floor of the Senate for a vote.   Among other elements, the bill would establish a specific office in the State Department to focus on adoption and to advance policies that work to find permanent homes for orphans.

For many Christians stirred by Haiti’s pain, the most significant response will be one that lasts beyond the current crisis.  Every available resource should be focused on emergency care for now—but a deeper test of our concern will come over months ahead.

Individuals who want to how ordinary people can make a lasting difference for orphans—in Haiti or otherwise—may have no better opportunity than Summit VI in Minneapolis, MN on April 29-30, 2010.

More than fifty workshops will deliver practical know-how for building adoption, foster care and global orphan care ministry in local churches.   Keynotes will include nation champions of orphan care and adoption, such as John Piper, Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman, Tom Davis, and Al Mohler.  Compelling voices of the global church will join as well, from Africa and Eastern Europe to the First Lady of Guatemala City.

For those desiring to make their response to Haiti more than just a one-time gift, Summit VI will offer the tools for long-term response.  Click here to register.

Over the weeks ahead and beyond, we can expect a rising conflict over the issue of adoption and Haitian orphans.

On one side will be those emphasizing large-scale models of response to human need led by government and globe-spanning NGOs.  While affirming international adoption in theory (at least as a “last resort”), these groups often quietly work to make these adoptions as difficult and rare as possible.  On the other side of the issue will be smaller groups, agencies and advocates championing adoption and emphasizing the importance of a permanent home and family for the well-being of children.

An article in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune hints at this conflict over international adoption, which has, in fact, been simmering for years—mostly out of the public eye.

In this time of heart-rending pictures, potent emotion and unforgettable stories about newly-made orphans, those who wish to affirm the importance of adoption have a dual call.  We must stand for the conviction that every child needs a family.  At the same time, we should do all we can to avoid the sensationalism and reflexive responses that adoption critics rightly point to as highly problematic.  It’s important that we consistently affirm:

1)       Our first focus after disaster like Haiti’s earthquake needs to be on ensuring basic necessities of food, water, shelter, medical care and security for all those affected—not merely airlifting out a small percentage of those impacted.

2)      After basic needs are met, aggressive efforts should be rapidly engaged to reunite apparently orphaned with their parents or extended families.

3)      Only after this process has been completed should children be considered for adoption.  The search process should be as thorough as possible.  However, it is unacceptable to relegate countless orphans to institutional settings for years (the UN recommends at least 2 years) for this purpose.

4)      Finally, adoption advocates must affirm clearly that adoption will almost certainly never come close to meeting the needs of every orphan.  Thus, we must articulate and show by our actions that we are serious about finding the best, most nurturing and most permanent care possible for every orphan.  Emphasis should be placed on a continuum of options that place every child in the most permanent and nurturing environment available.  To the fullest extent possible, this should be with a family via adoption—in country if available, and international if not.  When adoption is not possible, permanent, family-like options should be consistently preferred to large, institutional settings.

Advocates for the adoption of orphans should do all they can to make common cause with others who care for orphans, even when they disagree on the best way to approach care.   At the same time, we have every reason to be bold and unequivocal in standing for the proposition that every child needs a family.

Martha Osborne at Rainbow Kids created a helpful synopsis of a call today hosted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), Department of State (DOS) and other government agencies on the situation in Haiti related to orphans and adoption.

A key excerpt:

During the meeting today, it became apparent that discussing the hundreds of thousands of orphans without ties to the US was not on the agenda. “We are still 2-3 weeks from processing the last child in our current categories” stated one DOS employee. For children on the ground in Haiti, the focus must be on creating safe-havens where they can receive shelter, clean water, and an environment free of fear.

For the full text of Osborne’s notes, click here.

NPR’s Talk of the Nation today focused on Haiti’s orphans in an interview with our friend, Tom Difilipo, who heads the Joint Council on International Children’s Services.  The show, titled “Where will All the Haitian Orphans Go?”,  addressed a number of important questions, including somewhat indirect references to an issue that is often a quiet  but powerful tension within international aid operations:  should children that appear to have been orphaned by disaster be adopted internationally?

Difililipo did a good job of affirming two equally important realities:

First, in the short run, the disaster response needs to be on meeting emergency needs locally, not shipping kids overseas.  Even as order is restored and first-wave needs are met, it is vital that full time and diligent effort be allowed to ensure that each apparent orphan truly has no extended family or other local homes willing to take them in.

Equally important, though, once a child has been clearly identified as an orphan and local home options exhausted, government and aid organizations should progress as rapidly as possible toward adoption—wherever that option may be available.

Some groups (see “Earthquake Appeal:  Do Not Adopt Earthquake Orphans”) are so vested in their model of humanitarian program, so passionate about the idea of preserving a child’s birth culture, and so resistant to the idea of international adoption  that they find an endless number of reasons to keep children in institutions and other non-family settings indefinitely.  We respect and value such organizations’ desire to care for orphans, but would respectfully disagree with this approach.  Certainly, there are times when group care is necessary.  But the simple truth is that the very best place for a child is a permanent, loving family.  When such homes are available, after extended family and local homes have been shown in a timely manner to not be options, children should be given the opportunity for a permanent home.

From the NPR Transcript:

Difilipo: …So we’ve learned those lessons over the past decade, so when things happen like the tsunami, just about every credible aid and relief organization, UNICEF, Save the Children, Joint Council and others, we all said the same thing. Let’s wait until we can determine that these children are true orphans. And then if they are, then aggressively use international adoption or other local solutions.

Certainly, we support local solutions before international adoption, but they should be used aggressively once you’ve determined the child is, in fact, an orphan. One of the problems with this that some have is the reunification efforts, reunifying the child with the parent is (unintelligible) can sometime take years. And we don’t support that either.

We’ve had instances where children go in the refugee camps. They live there 10 years. That’s not healthy for a kid. Two or three years is not healthy for a kid. There should be an aggressive move, very aggressive to get these kids reunited, so we can determine their status.

For interview link and full text, click here.

The AFP is reporting that US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has promised the US government will do all it can to increase the speed of adoptions from Haiti “that had been underway before the earthquake struck a week ago.”   Said Clinton, “[We will] do all we can to expedite the travel of children who were in the line for adoption who have a legal permanent home, guardianship, waiting for them.”

The Indiana State Department of Child Services released the following statement today following rumors that hundreds of Haitian orphans would be airlifted to Indiana:

• Rumors are circulating today that orphaned children from Haiti are headed to Indiana. These rumors are not true.As the terrible news from Haiti became known, Governor Daniels directed the Department of Child Services to learn more about how the state might assist. Meanwhile, indications of interest have come from good-hearted Hoosiers offering to help.

  It is far from clear that any more children will be permitted to leave Haiti. Approval from both the United States and Haiti governments would be necessary.

  When there is additional information to share, we will provide it. For today, we want to address the growing rumor: There are no Haitain children headed to Indiana nor are any arrivals imminent.