4/7/11 - Conference Call on Ethiopian Adoptions with AWAA

First, I am so blessed by an agency who is not only an advocate for families, but an advocate for orphans at large!  
I loved hearing the opening of the call up by telling us that each and every morning the staff gathers to pray for the Ethiopian program and for the families on the journey!  There is such a peace knowing that they go to him FIRST!  


Notes on the call:


This week the USCIS held a conference call on the findings from a joint trip of USCIS and Department of State officials to Ethiopia in January 2011. A hand out from this meeting can be found through the following link here. Our adoption agency held a conference call yesterday to go over the status of adoptions in Ethiopia and the findings of the USCIS and DOS visit.  

It was a long call here are the highlights:

• The Ethiopian government, judges and MOWCYA are all committed to international adoptions.
• The infrastructure is not there for the number of international adoptions taking place. They are doing the best they can. They are committed to ethical adoptions and working to make the process more fluid.
• MOWCYA is not stating the number of letters it is writing each day, but it appears to be processing a good number per day.  AWA has seen many families pass court in March and April which means their recommendation letters were present.
• Our agency is hearing conflicting reports on whether or not the number of MOWCYA letters will be impacted for families whose court dates were issued after that date - March 8, 2011.  They should know more in the next few weeks.
• The court is being more meticulous with the documentation needed to complete an adoption. In some cases judges have asked for additional documentation. While this can be frustrating to adoptive parents, AWAA supports this as the judges are trying to make sure all adoptions are ethical. 
• USCIS and the Department of State has reviewed the process and adoption program. They did some baseline analysis based on 4000 cases. They were looking for abnormalities. Generally, they did not find fraud but some paperwork was not 100% complete. The process may need some refinement and they are working with the Ethiopian government to put those practices into place.
• Currently, the embassy does it's investigation of a child's file AFTER the family has passed court and before Embassy clearance.  This seems upside down.  They are looking into a new process that could be done as a "voluntary" option that would have a child's case submitted for "pre-approval" prior to court date.  If put into practice, AWA would highly suggest this for all families.
• The Department of State sees some weakness in the processes. They have proposed a voluntary option (this is not in place now and no dates were given) that was described above, which would allow the Embassy to do it's investigation after the referral but prior to the family's court date. This may slow the issuance of a court date but could make the court to Embassy visit faster as a child's case would already have been reviewed and a "pre-approval" given prior to passing court.
• AWA stressed that they feel Ethiopia is still a strong program and option for families in International Adoption and looking into adoption.  AWA stressed that both the Ethiopian Gov't and our State Dept. are working together to put into place appropriate staffing and processes to ensure that all adoptions are in the best interest of the child/ren and families.
• AWA stressed that their is a great need in Ethiopia and they have a government who desires for IA adoptions to continue as an option for children.  
• AWA mentioned our strong relationship with the Ethiopian gov't with our Director, Duni (who is in country) and our founder, Brian Luwis (who just returned from meetings in country).  AWA strives to be a leader and is doing much work in Ethiopia, including a domestic adoption program in country for children that IA adoption is not an option.    
• AWA stressed when asked, that Ethiopia has no intention on closing the doors to IA adoption.

Overall, the call was positive and AWA is optimistic of the future of Ethiopian adoptions.  



The call ended in a prayer time.  What a blessing to be a part of an agency who not only informs us of everything they know ... and do not yet know ... but gathers us to pray in his name.  I was listening to the call on my speaker phone as I picked up my kids from school.  As each person began to pray, my sweet children's eyes lit up.  I explained to them the heart of our agency and why we continue to work with America World both in our own adoptions but also in serving as Texas Associates for them.  What a testimony to be able for them to see that first hand.