Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Chinese New Year Celebration
I'm finally posting pictures from the Chinese New Year Celebration we attended in February. It was great fun....lots of adopted Chinese girls were there. After the celebration, we ate lunch at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant.
Prom #2
Here are pictures from Lisa's second prom in Purcell! Her date is Orlando, and other pictures include Eddie (Dad) and Ramon (Cousin).
Floppy Dog
Here's a picture of us with "Floppy Dog." He was Lisa's favorite stuffed animal growing up. We found him when we were cleaning out the attic! Unfortunately he was moldy....so we took a picture to commemorate him!
China Adoption Video
Check out the video on this blog:
http://www.thefamilyborg.blogspot.com/
It's about ten minutes long and shows a couple's journey to adopt a Chinese daughter. You'll need a kleenex!
http://www.thefamilyborg.blogspot.com/
It's about ten minutes long and shows a couple's journey to adopt a Chinese daughter. You'll need a kleenex!
Monday, April 28, 2008
Vietnam is closing
It's official: Vietnam is closing to adoption from the United States. They will give out referrals until September 1st, so we should be okay unless something changes. Please pray with me that everything is ethical with our adoption (and nothing will happen to make it fall through). See the article below that explains all the bad things that have been happening. We're still hoping for a referral this week!
HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnam is ending a child adoption agreement with the United States after being accused of allowing baby-selling and corruption, officials said Monday. The agreement was being considered for renewal but the two sides remained far apart over revisions, said Vu Duc Long, director of Vietnam's International Adoption Agency. The agreement is due to expire on Sept. 1.In a letter sent to the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi on Friday, Vietnam said it will stop taking adoption applications from American families after July 1 but will continue to process applications of families who are matched with babies before September 1.
The decision was made following a report from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi that was first obtained by The Associated Press, alleging pervasive corruption and baby-selling in Vietnam's adoption system.The report lists cases in which infants were sold or birth mothers were pressured to give up their babies. In some other cases it describes brokers going to villages in search for babies who could be possibly put up for adoption.It also says some American adoption agencies have been paying orphanage directors for referrals, and some others have bribed orphanage officials by taking them on shopping sprees and junkets to the United States in return for a flow of babies.
In an angry response, Vietnamese officials denied charges, calling the U.S. side's allegations "unfair.""They can say whatever they want, but we are not going to renew it," Long said.The decision also will lead to the closure of 42 U.S. adoption agencies operating in Vietnam, Long said.The U.S. Embassy says it respects Hanoi's latest decision but is confident about the accuracy of the report."The government of Vietnam has made their own decision, but we believe that our report speaks for itself," said the U.S. Embassy's spokeswoman, Angela Aggeler.
U.S. Embassy officials began raising questions last year after their routine investigations turned up widespread inconsistencies in adoption paperwork.They also noticed a suspicious surge in the number of babies listed as abandoned on adoption papers. That makes it impossible to confirm the infants were genuine orphans, or that their parents had knowingly put them up for adoption, as required by U.S. law.In adoptions before 2003, 20 percent were abandoned babies. Since they resumed under tighter rules, that has risen to 85 percent, the embassy report says.
Vietnam suspended all adoptions with foreign countries in 2003 as part of its efforts to improve the legal system by centralizing adoption to prevent rampant corruption. A bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Vietnam was resumed in 2005.Since then adoptions from Vietnam have boomed. Americans — including actress Angelina Jolie — adopted more than 1,200 Vietnamese children over the 18 months ending March 31. In 2007, adoptions surged more than 400 percent from a year earlier, with 828 Vietnamese children adopted by American families.
While China remains the most popular overseas country for adoptions, a growing number of Americans had been looking to Vietnam, which has had fewer restrictions. The wait for adoption approval also has gotten longer in China after authorities there tightened rules.
HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnam is ending a child adoption agreement with the United States after being accused of allowing baby-selling and corruption, officials said Monday. The agreement was being considered for renewal but the two sides remained far apart over revisions, said Vu Duc Long, director of Vietnam's International Adoption Agency. The agreement is due to expire on Sept. 1.In a letter sent to the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi on Friday, Vietnam said it will stop taking adoption applications from American families after July 1 but will continue to process applications of families who are matched with babies before September 1.
The decision was made following a report from the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi that was first obtained by The Associated Press, alleging pervasive corruption and baby-selling in Vietnam's adoption system.The report lists cases in which infants were sold or birth mothers were pressured to give up their babies. In some other cases it describes brokers going to villages in search for babies who could be possibly put up for adoption.It also says some American adoption agencies have been paying orphanage directors for referrals, and some others have bribed orphanage officials by taking them on shopping sprees and junkets to the United States in return for a flow of babies.
In an angry response, Vietnamese officials denied charges, calling the U.S. side's allegations "unfair.""They can say whatever they want, but we are not going to renew it," Long said.The decision also will lead to the closure of 42 U.S. adoption agencies operating in Vietnam, Long said.The U.S. Embassy says it respects Hanoi's latest decision but is confident about the accuracy of the report."The government of Vietnam has made their own decision, but we believe that our report speaks for itself," said the U.S. Embassy's spokeswoman, Angela Aggeler.
U.S. Embassy officials began raising questions last year after their routine investigations turned up widespread inconsistencies in adoption paperwork.They also noticed a suspicious surge in the number of babies listed as abandoned on adoption papers. That makes it impossible to confirm the infants were genuine orphans, or that their parents had knowingly put them up for adoption, as required by U.S. law.In adoptions before 2003, 20 percent were abandoned babies. Since they resumed under tighter rules, that has risen to 85 percent, the embassy report says.
Vietnam suspended all adoptions with foreign countries in 2003 as part of its efforts to improve the legal system by centralizing adoption to prevent rampant corruption. A bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Vietnam was resumed in 2005.Since then adoptions from Vietnam have boomed. Americans — including actress Angelina Jolie — adopted more than 1,200 Vietnamese children over the 18 months ending March 31. In 2007, adoptions surged more than 400 percent from a year earlier, with 828 Vietnamese children adopted by American families.
While China remains the most popular overseas country for adoptions, a growing number of Americans had been looking to Vietnam, which has had fewer restrictions. The wait for adoption approval also has gotten longer in China after authorities there tightened rules.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Another update....not our week!
Just got an email from our agency.
They did in fact get a few referrals this week--all girls! I don't get it...this is like 26 girls in a row (or something like that) with no boy referrals. Hmm....
She said they hope to get a few more referrals in a couple of weeks. So I'd say late April is the first possible time....more likely May. Boo hoo =(
They did in fact get a few referrals this week--all girls! I don't get it...this is like 26 girls in a row (or something like that) with no boy referrals. Hmm....
She said they hope to get a few more referrals in a couple of weeks. So I'd say late April is the first possible time....more likely May. Boo hoo =(
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Brief Update
We got a brief update from our agency.
They're expecting no referrals this week (they actually haven't had any in two weeks, I think). This may be because their Vietnam representative is busy getting ready for other families to travel.
Our case worker says that hopefully referrals will come next week. She said that if several weeks go by without referrals, that there is usually a big batch when they finally do come. So cross your fingers that next week will be our week!
They're expecting no referrals this week (they actually haven't had any in two weeks, I think). This may be because their Vietnam representative is busy getting ready for other families to travel.
Our case worker says that hopefully referrals will come next week. She said that if several weeks go by without referrals, that there is usually a big batch when they finally do come. So cross your fingers that next week will be our week!
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
China babies
Check out this website for cute pictures of China babies being adopted!
http://chinaadopttalk.com/2008/04/04/babies-10/
China gives out referrals once a month. It won't be our turn for several years, but it's fun to look at these in the meantime.
http://chinaadopttalk.com/2008/04/04/babies-10/
China gives out referrals once a month. It won't be our turn for several years, but it's fun to look at these in the meantime.
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