Look before you leap

We see them on the news. Their faces stare at us from adds on the Internet. From peoples blogs and e-mails from aid organizations. Haiti's orphans, suddenly thrust into the spot light of the world. And who would not want to help them? They are alone and hungry. Their homes reduced to rubble, their families missing (maybe dead, maybe not). Rumors travel quickly that many may be available for adoption. There are petitions to our government to bring them to the states to find them new homes. Even in our small town there are people going around taking down names of families who would be willing to adopt one of the many orphans. They are assuring people it will only take 6 months and cost $5000.

My mothers heart want to scoop them up and take care of them. However, lurking behind the exterior of this story is a complex issue that is not new. Haitian orphans are not a new issue. 11 years ago I spent a month working there and believe me it was no picnic before the earth quake.

When Craig and I decided to adopt Haiti was one of the fist countries I looked into. It did not take long to see that it was to for us. There were a long list of regulations that we did not meet as well as a donting 2-3 year process that was anything but structured. Mind you this was before the government buildings collapsed and the country went into an uproar. Why people think it will be easier without a governments up and running is a little disturbing.

I whole hearted supported the unites states expediting the visa process of the children in the process of being adopted by US citizens. I can not even imagine what it must have been like for those families when the earth quake hit. But now people are talking about bringing other orphans here. Well meaning people sign petitions to their congressmen and senators trying to get the kids here. After all, they need families, don't they?

What these people don't realize is what it would mean if we do this. To send out people to gather the lost and scared children with no one around to help, to load them on a plane headed for another country where they will be distributed to families has a name. Pre-earth quake it would have been called kid napping. Another name for it would be human trafficking. You simply can not take a child from their country when their government is not looking because you deem yourself able to give them better care.

If you were injured or missing or even dead would you want the government of another country to come a take your children away? Why does it seem so crazy that these children may have people who love them still living. In the wake of disaster and loss these children need a little familiarity, at the very least people who speak their language. Adoption is a very traumatic thing for children. To pile trauma onto trauma could be so damaging to these very, very vulnerable children.

Please don't get me wrong. I love adoption. When a family who wants and loves a child is united with a child who truly needs a family it is a wonderful thing. Many of the new and old orphans in Haiti may fall into that category. I hope and pray that in time the Haitian government and the many aid workers in Haiti will figure out which ones need families and do their utmost to do what is best for each child.

I would be thrilled if the US took this opportunity to make adoption from Haiti more efficient. But, to think that the US government has the right to take any child from another country when the government is down and there is no regulation in place would be catastrophic. To assume that everyone who would take advantage of this opportunity has good intentions is very naive. There is a well established sex trade in Haiti. If those trying to help throw out regulation it will swing the doors wide for those who seek only self gain at the expense of the very children we are trying to help.



I do not want to discourage anyone from adoption or from helping Haitian children in a time of great need. If you truly want to help I recommend going to Heart line Ministries and reading up on the best way to help. If you are truly interested in adoption do lots and lots of research before you get started. Adoption is a long hard road and if you get an offer that seems to good to be true, it is.