Families Through Adoption is offering to start home studies for Southwest MI families interested in adoption of Haitian orphans

From an email announcement on February 2, 2010 by Char Lanning, Executive Director of Families Through Adoption:

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Thank you for your willingness to help the children of the earthquake in Haiti. It is an encouragement to see so many people express concern and dedication to make a difference in these children’s lives. I will try to highlight the ever changing information with you and update you on Families Through Adoption’s plan to help provide loving care to children in need.

The media is reporting on a case where children may have been removed from the country without proper documentation. The Haitian government had already had concerns that children could be separated from their families. This concern has led them to currently close the door to all adoptions until the reunification process can be completed. The children who have been moved to the United States were already identified as orphans by both the Haitian and the United States Government and had been matched with their families.

In the best of conditions reunification is a difficult and lengthy process, and given the state of the country we do not know when adoptions will resume. Current estimates by Non-Government Organizations are about 2 years. Families Through Adoption is committed to help in the process when it has been determined that legal and proper procedures are in place to move known orphans into new families. We will work with only programs who have well established connections in Haiti and who are committed to providing ethical and responsible services to the children and to our families.

In order to be prepared to move quickly once approval is given Families Through Adoption will maintain a waiting list of prospective adoptive parents. We will also ask that families prepare the home study background paperwork while waiting. This agency will not charge any family until they begin the home study process.

Families Through Adoption is willing to start home studies for families who know that they want to adopt, and if the opportunity does not present itself in Haiti they will complete an adoption in another country. We will help you determine where you are qualified to adopt from if you need that assistance.

Once we are given the approval to start home studies the plan is to do an orientation meeting for prospective families to review the overall process complete background checks and explain the dossier requirements. After this meeting, Families Through Adoption will host a required risk counseling day. It will be a day long event with information, education, panels, and experts working to prepare families not only for the initial placement but to be ready to parent these children through adulthood. Families will also be required to read the book The Connected Child by Karyn Purvis. I am reporting this to you now so that you may plan and be prepared to move quickly once the opportunity presents itself.

Again, Families Through Adoption would like to thank you for your interest. If you would like to be on our waiting list we will be setting up a registration form on our website www.FamiliesThroughAdoption.org by February 8, 2010 or contact us at 616-242-9696.

We look forward to working with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Char Lanning
Executive Director
Families Through Adoption