Recent Restrictions in Ethiopian Adoptions

We continue to receive emails from the agency that we used for Abera and Mehandis's adoptions.  Typically they are letting us know of webinars for continuing education, picnics for celebrating children/families, post-placement information and updates within the Ethiopian Program.  The last few messages shared significant changes that Ethiopia's Ministry of Women, Children and Youth have planned. 

What follows is a bulletin from a link received within today's email -

"As was stated in the March 9, 2011 Adoption Alert, the Department of State received information on the announcement made by the MOWCYA (Ethiopia) regarding the planned reduction in workload processing.
MOWCYA planned to implement a reduction of case processing from approximately 50 cases reviewed per day to no more than 5 cases reviewed per day.

MOWCYA has stated that this reduction is to improve screening of adoption cases while also devoting existing resources to other priorities on vulnerable children.

MOWCYA reviews each adoption case at two points in the process: after the match with prospective adoptive parents and after the final court decree to approve issuance of new birth certificate and passport for child.

MOWCYA has not announced any implementation guidelines on how reduction in processing will affect each stage of the process

If only 5 cases are reviewed per day, delays could be significant. Calculations based on rough estimates of cases in process (around 1000) indicate delays of one year or more.

Department of State defines ‘cases in process’ as those whose dossier has been accepted up to those cases that have received the final letter approving issuance of passport and birth certificate."
 
I am saddened by this decision by MOWCYA on many different levels.  It is hard for the children who have been matched (after thorough review of the validity of their "orphan" status) to wait potentially an extra year long for placement into their "forever family".  While international adoption has brought much monetary "resource" to Ethiopia, there is minimal money for government assistance for those children, women, men and families and need via Ethiopian resources alone.  I am sad for the nannies, medical personnel and related businesses that found an opporunity to care for others and/or support their own families due to the funds brought about by the "adoption business."  Families, and close friends of ours, who have waited several years for a child to be matched via CHSFS Ethiopia Program are now being strongly encouraged to look into other options/countries.  It is hard to know that the popularity of the ET program resulted in dozens of agencies opening their doors likely with more dollar signs in the forefront of their mind versus continuing the open and clear cut ethical standards that were upheld by original agencies.  Very complicated on many levels as well, of course. 

So today I  look at our most recent addition, arriving only 6 months ago, with a more acute sense of gratitude and glee... tinged with a bit of guilt.  It is amazing how we never know where our path may lead us and how many times we don't know if we should continue following it.  It continues taking me places that I never before envisioned being part of.