DOS Adoption Alert: Haiti Earthquake and Intercountry Adoption

January 15, 2009

Haiti Earthquake and Intercountry Adoption : Where Final Adoption Decree Or Grant Of Custody has been Issued

We have received numerous inquiries from American citizens whose Haitian adoptions had already been completed by the Haitian Government. We understand the deep concern these prospective adoptive parents feel about the welfare of these children, and we are actively working to identify available options in light of the recent tragedy.

• DHS’ U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs have already begun defining possible ways to expedite these pending cases. DHS is actively considering expedited Humanitarian Parole for pending adoption cases in which the Government of Haiti previously issued a final adoption decree or granted custody to U.S. citizen adoptive parents for the purpose or emigration and adoption in the United States. As soon as there is a plan in place, we will provide details.

• As you know, the U.S. Embassy is focusing its efforts to assist U.S. citizens in Haiti directly affected by the crisis.

• The State Department continues to make adoptions a priority and we are continuing to work on adoption cases.

• We are working closely with the Department of Homeland Security to determine how pending adoptions should be handled.

• At this time, local phone lines are down and the Embassy has no way of contacting orphanages or adoption service providers. Once lines are up, the Embassy will be contacting them.

• U.S. citizens with pending adoption cases in Haiti are requested to contact the Department of State at AskCI@state.gov for information about their adoption case. In your inquiry, please include in the subject line, Haitian adoption Information. The inquiry should include the full name and contact information (including e-mail address) of parents, full name(s) of child(ren), date(s) of birth of child(ren) (if possible), a brief summary of the status of the case, and the name and contact information for the orphanage.

• We draw parents attention to the Department of State’s latest travel warning on Haiti at: http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_4632.html

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/