(PICTURE: A random chart that came up when I googled adoption.)
While waiting in line to check in for my flight on Friday, Huyen and I quickly noticed something -- we were surrounded by newborn babies. Usually being on a plane with lots of infant children is a flying nightmare. However, this plane was the opposite -- it was a dream flight for about 20 families. You see, we were surrounded by European couples all with their newly adopted Vietnamese babies.
Seeing the new families was quite an interesting experience. You could see a range of emotions on all of the parents' faces. I know the process of adopting is a long and frustrating one. However, the end result is obviously priceless for the families. For Huyen, adopting is a strange concept. In Vietnam, people don't usually adopt children...let alone foreign children.
Do any readers know if American can adopt from Vietnam anymore? Last year I received an email from a woman who had adopted a Vietnamese baby in the past and was saddened that the US had stopped allowing Vietnamese adoptions.
3 comments:
Hi Ben, We are actually considering adoption right now and were considering Vietnam after my trip there in 2008 when I met you and Huyen. I know just a little about this.
There was an agreement between US and Vietnam allowing intercountry adoption but it expired around the end of 2008. Until a new agreement is put into place no new adoptions can take place between US and Vietnam. However, if you were referred a child by that date in 2008 the process has continued so there are still some families in this process, I think.
For some reason Vietnam isn't part of the Hague Adoption Convention so this agreement I mention was an agreement that was placed as a temporary 'fix', if you will. I THINK, and please don't take this as gospel, that a big part of the issue is verification of many things is questionable because there have been many cases where documents, reports, agreements, etc are given by the orphanage and were found to be false.
Here is a good site that I have bookmarked that is pretty informative - http://www.jcics.org/vietnam.htm
Hope this helps you to find clarification.
Hi Ben,
I don't know all the details of the Hague Agreement, but Maria is right that the adoption agreement between the US and Vietnam expired in 2008. My husband and I were lucky enough to make it in under the wire, and adopted our son from Binh Duong in October 2008. I would think that, at this point, all US families who were matched with children in 2008 have their children at home now. For most provinces, it took 4-6 months from referral to being able to travel and pick up your child.
Also, don't hold me to this, but I think Americans can still adopt from Vietnam, but they must be willing to live in Vietnam for several years. I'm not sure if that's still the case.
I hope your flight wasn't too painful. I still feel sorry for everyone on our flight back to the US from Hanoi. As happy as adoptive parents are, the children are usually still grieving when it's time for them to travel to their new homes.
Thanks Maria, Jess and Joe. Your comments were definitely very informative. Maria, good luck with the adoption process!
Jess and Joe, thanks for your story!
Ben
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