news on the recent MOWA happenings

Nothing new at the end of the day.............
Thanks for the tips on new info. I know we all appreciate the pooling of resources.

Paper for parents from WACAP can be read here. 

mowa news

I am encouraged by the participation by the adoption agencies. There are many who have willingly and unwittingly participated in questionable and outright unethical actions. I am encouraged that they are willing to buck up and make the changes needed. There is some indication that things could change once the agencies are applying themselves diligently to ethical practices. For some this will mean things as usual, for others this will mean major overhaul, for others there will be slight changes.
There are no mentions of the 20 letters per day..... soooo...... we still wait on public confirmation for this. Who knows. 


Here is the latest from the state department
http://adoption.state.gov/news/ethiopia.html

Here is the latest from two agencies. The fact that two are stating similar things is encouraging. Both of these are good agencies. One i know more about than the other and they are one of the top agencies in ethics and longevity in country. I expect there are more we just did not know about them. Thanks for the tip from a friendly reader:

From agency 1

Families~
We know you have been waiting, as we were, to hear about what took place at the
meeting today. Unfortunately, there are still many unknowns, but this it what we
have been told:
-The chairman of the agency network committee had a phone call with the minister
of the adoption unit at MOWA prior to the meeting. We do not know when this
phone call took place. The meeting was with all the agency reps, not with MOWA.
Apparently, the minister had too big of a workload to meet; this is why the
phone call took place.
-The minister (of MOWA adoption unit) told the chairman (of agencies) that there
is evidence of wrong doing by agencies. If agencies work hard at correcting this
a reversal may be considered.
-The agency reps came up with a "code of conduct" and have a specific committee
put in place to hold agencies accountable.
-The agency reps decided to have the network committee write up an appeal asking
the minister to reverse the decision urgently.
-the minister ordered the MOWA adoption workers to clear the back log of court
cases within 10 days. This applies to anyone who has a court case scheduled and
might even apply to any case that has been submitted to court, waiting for court
date.
-the time line is not known for any of this

Although we were really hoping for a concrete positive decision to be made or
announced today, we do feel that it is a positive sign that the minister seems
to know the importance of clearing up the current backlog of court cases. We
also feel it is a positive sign that the minister appears to be open to changing
this new process of 5 letters, provided agencies follow through on what they
have been told to do.

We have a conference call with all agencies later today and are hoping to get an
idea about what other agencies are feeling right now. If we have any new
information after that call, we will be sure to post it.

from agency 2

"According to information provided to Dove's attorney at the March 16, 2011
Network meeting, the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MOWA) plans to process the
approximately eight hundred (800) files that they currently have in their
offices. All families who were assigned a court date prior to March 10, 2011
are expected to be included in this group.

MOWA anticipates completing the review of the approximately eight hundred (800)
files in their offices within ten (10) to fifteen (15) days. Dove cautions
families to expect delays and a possible revision to this timeline. While we
are all hopeful for a quick resolution, an ethical review may take longer than
anticipated. As a reminder, MOWA must complete the review of the file and issue
the required letter to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) prior to the courts
granting custody of a child. Prospective parents who have been assigned a court
date should still plan on traveling to Ethiopia to give their testimony on their
assigned date.

After completion of the eight hundred (800) files, Ethiopian officials will
determine what course of action to take; this may include increasing the number
of files processed on a daily basis. For now, families who are adjourned
(assigned a court date) on or after March 10, 2011, will likely be processed
according to the new, five (5) file per day rule. As this new regulation may
cause delays, we also believe that it could result in an even stronger, more
ethical process.

We have also been told that a Code of Ethics is being implemented by the Network
and several government agencies. On March 16, 2011 all adoption agencies
working in Ethiopia approved this code and submitted their revisions to the
Ethiopian government. This code will provide additional support to adoption
agencies who are working to provide ethical services in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia remains open for adoptions. Dove is continuing to receive referrals for
children and adoption files are continuing to be processed in Ethiopia. We do
not know, nor can we predict the impact this will ultimately have on adoption
cases. This requirement could result in a temporary delay for some files, a
minimal delay in future adoptions or a more significant delay. As we continue
to obtain information and wait for MOWA to processes current files, we ask that
you join us in praying for Ethiopia, the adoption process and everyone
involved."

news on the recent MOWA happenings

Well, one reader found good news on an adoption agency site. It goes well with the information I have been getting from other sources as well. So, as they say it so well............ I will post so you can go read it for yourself.
http://adoptedbydesign.typepad.com/blog/2011/03/ethiopia-update.html

news on the recent MOWA happenings

Confirmation of the MOWA informal allowance to process 20 letters per day rather than the official notice of 5 letters per day.I got this a few days ago.
This is the second adoption agency I have heard of stating this.
http://adoptian.blogspot.com/2011/03/good-news-out-of-ethiopia.html

Joint Council is also confirming that they received this news but are waiting for a more formal statement before embracing it as a ruling. They are cautiously optimistic, as we all ought to be.  I am still optimistic. I am also still waiting to hear more on the meeting yesterday...... anyone find some news? Please comment!

news on the recent MOWA happenings

A new article, NO new information. Of course this is in panic mode........... again, which I feel is unnecessary and does not show any sort of trust in the ability of those at work to solve the problem of unethical practices and still continue adoptions. I believe they are able and will do the best job they can to right the system. I believe they are working for the child.
You can read the article here. A bit dramatic, but that is what makes news.
http://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/2011/03/13/ethiopia-washington-times-article-by-andrea-poe/

Another agency post their take on the conference call:
http://www.westsandsadoption.org/ws/state-department-conference-call/
Again, I still maintain my hopeful belief, that things are going to work out for the better. I see a lot of working on it and a lot of belief in the need. There is no guarantee. Still we pray and wait with hopeful hearts.

Kat shares many of my feelings and thoughts and so I would like to link to her posts on this topic because I feel they add to the discussion and thoughts on the recent happenings: 
Momentum 1
Momentum 2

There are two bloggers who do personal blogs that I like the posts they have written on this topic. How they feel about it and their own personal ideas on the topic. They both take the side of being more interested in the ethics of the thing than in the slow down itself. Read them if you are interested.
The Watershed
Gracelings

MOWA court news //encouragement for PAP's

I just want to take a post to encourage all of you waiting PAP's out there. I have watched the program in Ethiopia for three years now. We brought home our two sons in 2008. There have been numerous changes and statements issued and all sorts of new things put into place in that time. Each time there was 1. a statement (which is a more formal level but comes after a lot of talking and informal statements in country, so, not out of the blue as it seems to us), 2. a panic by all sorts of invested parties, including much action and waiting 3. a discussion within country as well as with those invested parties, 4. an alteration and a more formal statement of new practice, 5. and things settled back into a good balance and adoptions continued. Changed, but still moving. Slower and slower, but safeguards are good to ensure the continuation of the program.
I know that this is similar. Maybe a bit more drastic change will come but really, I think it will not be as drastic as it is being made out to be right now. Drastic things have been proposed before and a more moderate version has taken effect. Ethiopia recognizes the need for adoption and that there are not many good options for the children in country. They know the extent of the issue and they are willing and wanting to continue adoptions. They are working hard, very hard, to maintain the program and to make it ethical. It is really hard to do this and they are working at it.
I am not saying this won't slow things down or change things. I am saying it may not be as bad as it looks right now. Things will settle. If you are in limbo to commit. Wait to see what comes of this. Maybe a few weeks. Then decide if you are willing to go for it. If you are waiting for a referral this will slow things down some. No agency can tell you how much right now. We will all know more in a few weeks. If you have a referral and are waiting court. The thing that will be slowed down is the letter from MOWA. I *suspect* that if a child is waiting to pass court after having not passed they will continue to try to work those out a bit quicker. I am also guessing that a special needs child (however they choose to define that) will move a bit quicker too. If you have passed court, this should not effect you at all.

So, IF things go as they have for the last three years we should know more about how this is really going to actually play out some time in early April. I am just guessing, but it is based on the last three years. So, lets all pray hard, sign the petitions, send our letters and wait.

looking for news on MOWA court processing cuts

I just want to report that a family with our agency who is IN Ethiopia right now for court has sent back this report:

1) The MOWA official, who was apparently behind much of this, did indeed step down.
2) They have now decided to write 20 letters/day.More than the proposed 5 per day but fewer than the 50 per day. So, it is better but not as fast as before.
3) their court proceedings were not slowed due to this event at all. They did not get the MOWA letter but the judge is assuring them it should be there Monday. Of course this remains to be seen. But, hopeful.

I would like to note that the slow down is again, NOT a cut. It is a drastic slow down even at 20. However, it sounds like it is in the letter writing department. That means that they have done what research seems needed on the child and is now willing to write the letter. I can see that this research that they need to do on each child is important in determining the ethical status of each adoption. This is great news. I also am anticipating hopefully that more good news will come that they are able to hire more people to do this work so that it can keep up with the need and remain ethical.

Conference call with US Dept. of state MOWA cuts

Well, the Conference Call with the US Dept. of state did not reveal any new or useful information.
You can read the report:
http://www.ethicanet.org/adoption-stakeholder-call-department-of-state
http://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/notes-from-dept-of-state-ethiopia-call/

Nothing has yet substantiated in public news the possible 20 vs 5 cases a day yet. I know the person who stated this and he has a reliable source for this info. I would not question him. We will see what comes along about it in the next several days. A big meeting on Monday the 14th is scheduled in country. Please feel free to post anything you find.

Conference call with US Dept. of state MOWA cuts

The U.S. Department of State invites you to participate in a conference call regarding recent developments in Ethiopia adoptions. The call will be held from 10:45-11:30am Friday EST, March 11, 2011.

The discussion will focus on what information the Department has on the Ministry of Women's, Children's and Youth Affairs announcement regarding a planned reduction of cases processed each day.

Call in information is as follows:
1-888-363-4749
Access Code: 7139389

In the event you cannot participate, or have a question during the call that does not get addressed, please feel free to forward questions or concerns to AskCI@....Please be sure to include in your subject line "Ethiopia Adoptions Conference Call March 11th Follow-Up."

news on the recent MOWA happenings

I have just received news that the Ethiopian government has potentially raised the limit per day from 5 to 20. That is good news. Things still slower, but much better than 5.

That is all I can say about that, we can wait to see what the media is reporting. I know there was a big meeting in our overnight. So, we will see today what has come of that.

More on the development

Well, watching carefully and maybe a bit obsessivly all the news I can find on the MOWA situation in Ethiopia.
I will share all I get with you. Please feel free to comment and add anything your agency is sharing with you, etc.

I want to note a bit of an interesting twist too. I note that most, if not all articles are stating cut the adoptions. However, no where has it said anything more than they are cutting how many they do each day. That means that a child can still be adopted but it will just take, what five times longer..... ok, totally disheartening, but they are still adoptable, not cut out of adoption all together. Anyway, I have hope that this will last only a short time as everyone who is of any status in this field is on it to get things regulated in a more satisfactory way. I am glad they are acting in this manner rather than turning around and saying shut it down.

Here are two more articles on it.
An article out of a news page called Sea Coast online:
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ETHIOPIA_ADOPTIONS?SITE=NHPOR&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

 The latest from Joint Council:
http://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/ethiopia-update-31011/

news on the recent MOWA happenings

This is a great article that sums up the statement from MOWA and what the responce has been . Check it out here. https://www.adoptioncouncil.org/images/stories/documents/030911%20ncfa%20issues%20statement%20regarding%20ethiopia%20adoptions.pdf

survey for WAITING PAP's and other ways to help.

Here is another option. Different take but a great way to go about it as well. Read the article from Ethica concerning ethics and adoption and how to help with this new situation.
To read the entire post go to : 
http://www.ethicanet.org/ethiopia-become-part-of-the-solution
Here is the part specifically geared toward you who are waiting. Please fill out this survey to help get a number of people who are waiting and being directly effected by this new information.

If you have been referred a child to adopt from Ethiopia, but have not yet adopted, please consider participating in this survey to help determine collectively the number of children who are in process, as well as the rate that referrals that continue in the wake of MoWA’s announcement.  This data is non-identifying, will be collected publicly, and will be used in our advocacy efforts in the U.S. and within Ethiopia.

https://www.adoptioncouncil.org/
A few sites (Joint Council and Rainbow Kids) monitoring this have expressed that there seems to be some hopeful or good news coming soon. So, stay tuned.

looking for news on MOWA court processing cuts

Well, there is nothing conclusive..... nothing. No one knows exactly what is happening, but they are working on it.
I have noted these articles out there though.

There are several good posts here on this site about the issue and latest developments Be the Answer a site of Joint Council. http://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/emergency-campaign-for-ethiopia/

This one on Red Letters is interesting and thought provoking, but not informative-yet, you can see all three of Tom's post and future posts on this in the side bar of his linked blog: http://blog.beliefnet.com/redletters/2011/03/ethiopia-adoption-cuts-rumors-human-rights.html

Ethica
Great information on what is going on.

Joint Council
This is a great site. They issue the original statement (below), and a statement from them on this as well as all they are doing to work for a solution. You can be part of the solution too.

http://adoption.state.gov/Government of Ethiopia Plans Major Slow-Down in Adoption Processing
March 9, 2011
Citing the need to work on quality and focus on more important strategic issues, the Government of Ethiopia’s Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth Affairs (MOWCYA)  will reduce to a maximum of five the number of adoption cases it processes per day, effective March 10, 2011.  Under Ethiopian adoption procedures, MOWCYA approves every match between prospective adoptive parents and an Ethiopian child before that case can be forwarded for a court hearing.  The U.S. Embassy is working with Ethiopian government officials and adoption agencies to learn more about this change in procedures.  We will continue to share information as it becomes available.
Given MOWCYA’s current caseload, the U.S. Embassy anticipates that this change could result in an overall decline in case processing of some 90 percent.  If this change is implemented as proposed, we expect, that parents who have begun the process of adopting from Ethiopia but have not yet been matched with a child could experience significant delays.  It is not clear if this change in procedures would have any significant impact on cases in which MOWCYA has already approved matches.
Prospective adoptive parents should remain in close contact with their adoption service provider to obtain updates on individual cases.
The Embassy’s Adoptions Unit can be reached at consadoptionaddis@state.gov.
Please continue to monitor http://adoption.state.gov/ for updated information as it becomes available.

Concerned about the issues going on with MOWA right now? Joint Council has formed a response team and initiatives. You too can be part of this. Check out their site: http://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/

 

Five Things You Can do to Help!

1)      Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi – and pass it on!
http://www.gopetition.com/petition/43714.html
2)     Have you adopted from Ethiopia? Please send us up to 3 photos and 50 words or less with what you would like the Ministry to know about your child – we’ll compile the information and send a book to the Ministry of Woman’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs.  Send your photos and stories by Sunday, March 12, 2011 to be included.  Please note that sending photos and stories gives Joint Council unrestricted right to use the information you provide. UPDATE: we’ve received so many emails in support that our email server has crashed!  We’ve set up an alternative email account – please start emailing your photos/stories to emergency4ethiopia@gmail.com.  Thanks for your amazing support!

3)      Share…Please send this Call to Action to family members, other adoptive parents, and everyone you know!  Post, forward and share your adoption stories via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.  Make sure you include us in your posts so we can all hear your stories!  Here’s links to our pages: Facebook, Twitter and our blog.

4)      Stay informed: Get up-to-date information regarding the situation in Ethiopia by signing up to receive information from us:  click here to do so, make sure you choose “country and issues specific information” and “Ethiopia.”  And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and our blog!

5)      Help ensure our advocacy can continue: Joint Council is a non-profit and receives no government funding.  Please join us in ensuring more children live in safe, permanent and loving families.  Donate today!

Adoption news and information

Ok, you have all head the rumors. Ethiopia is reducing adoptions and will only hear 5 cases a day instead of 40. If you have been around long enough you will have lived through several of these types of announcements. You will know it is not time to panic -yet, but time to pray for the officials and the decisions. It is typical for Ethiopia to issue statements of things they are considering, and to make it sound like it is a done deal. It could happen and it could change. Both things have happened so often that I personally am hesitant to take this sort of thing to heart too quickly. Wait and see is more my speed. As of yet none of the reliable ETHIOPIA Adoption news sources have issued anything on this statement including the Department of State..... .still waiting to see what comes up. Of course, notices and alerts have been put up plenty in the past just to be taken down again. So, again, wait and see. Pray not panic.
Sure there is need for reform and they are working on it. I was encouraged by the reports given in February regarding the meeting (in January) with Ethiopia regarding adoption reform and continuation. See that post here.
None of this limiting adoptions so drastically was mentioned. The thought is that this may be a way of saying that they need more hands to do the job and are working on that. We would all agree with that. Who knows, a speculation.
So instead of panicking, it has not yet been confirmed, pray and ask your agency if they have heard of this. Then wait and pray. We will know more in a few days what is the meaning and purpose. Keep your eye on the State Dept. for official news as well as PEAR,  Ethica, JCICS, Current News for Ethiopian Adoptions.  Right now none of them have posted anything and if it is true, they WILL.

Ethica post on US Department of State Meeting - Ethiopia Adoption: Solutions into Action

This article is re-posted with permission from Ethica. This is an awesome site for information regarding adoption ethics. There are pages for all countries engaging in international adoption. Check them out at Ethica. 

Ethica’s notes from U.S. Department of State meeting – Ethiopia Adoption: Solutions into Action

January 28, 2011

On Monday, January 24, 2011, the U.S. Department of State (DOS) hosted a meeting for stakeholders in Ethiopian adoption. Ethica will post the official DOS minutes as they are available.
Ethica was present at the meeting. The following are Ethica’s notes from that meeting.
Ethiopia Adoption: Solutions into Action – January 24, 2011
Overview:
*Adoptions are mostly from two regions of the country.
*80% of the adoption cases are relinquishment cases, majority relinquished by one birthparent.  Most have siblings.  In the earlier phase of adoptions from Ethiopia, the youngest children in a family were relinquished; increasingly it is the middle and older siblings in a family.
*40% of the children involved are under the age of two; 25% are between 2-4 years old, and 35% are over the age of 4.
*90% of the cases handled by the U.S. Embassy call for further investigation for clarification of facts.  The kinds of abuses they are seeing relate to misrepresentation of facts and concealment of facts in hopes of making the process going more quickly, including a false perception that if there is no birthparent reported that the case will move more quifathersckly (so will say that they are uncles, for instance).  The problems in Ethiopia begin at the local level long before the children reach Addis.
*There are 22 licensed US ASPs (Adoption Service Providers) in Ethiopia, but over 70 who operate there.  There is a lot of umbrella-ing.
*The top 10 ASPs account for 67% of all adoptions from Ethiopia.
Vulnerabilities:
*There is no central mechanism for referrals for children.
*There are three different parts of the Ethiopian government that have jurisdiction over adoptions:  Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MOWA), and Charities and Societies, which registers NGOs and ASPs
*MOJ evaluated 200 orphanages; recently indicated that they were planning on closing 50 of them due to malfeasance
*MOWA has an office of 5 people to review all adoption cases; the process requires two reviews of adoption cases.
*ASPs choose orphanages to work with, orphanages choose ASPs; there is neither transparency nor regulation in this process
*Irregularities are found after the adoption is finalized and the child is legally the child of American parents.
*Expediting the process means that there is not enough time for due diligence
*There is no standardization of fees, no standard fee structure
*Lack of monitoring at the local level
*At one point, it seemed that there was some movement toward Ethiopia becoming a Hague Convention country, but it does not appear to be on the agenda now.
Investigation of children’s backgrounds:
ASPs are inconsistent in their due diligence in investigating children’s backgrounds.  In one example, a 6-year old child was found abandoned at a bus station and kept in an orphanage for 1.5 years.  The first time the child was asked about his biological parents was during his visa interview at the Embassy, and he told the officials the name and address of his biological parents.  This information could have easily been procured prior to this point.
Some adoption agencies do more due diligence than others, with social workers and investigators operating in the best interests of the child.  Some ASPs create lifebooks as an investigative tool so they have more information on the child prior to court.  The life book includes video interviews of the parents, neighbors and others involved in the case, and they document evidence of the child’s background, how s/he came into care, and provide timelines.  Other agencies are passing along paperwork that the agency has failed to look at themselves which show discrepancies, missing information and clerical errors; one example provided was a document that stated in one place that “father unknown” and in another place, “tried to call father; no answer.”
The Transparency Survey administered by Ethica can provide some information into the different practices of agencies (found here).
The US government is increasing scrutiny and increasing field investigations based on fraud markers they’ve observed.  They continue to collect detailed tracking information on all cases to detect patterns.
Hague accredited agencies are not necessarily operating in a transparent and ethical manner, either.  Most agencies are not investigating kids’ histories across the board, Hague accredited or not.
Part of the problem is umbrella-ing.  It is necessary to examine the connections between all organizations and determine whether those relationships are appropriate.  They want to become more rigorous in their investigations.  It was also suggested that reputable agencies will broadcast clearly the problems that are happening in Ethiopian adoptions. We encourage families to register their complaints with COA about problem agencies if those agencies are Hague-accredited.
Current situation in Ethiopia:
*As the number of children coming out of Ethiopia increase, there are increasing concerns about their well-being, particularly in a country that lacks the infrastructure necessary to support the numbers.  There are increasing attachment issues in children coming from Ethiopia.
*There is a dichotomy in agency practices:  on one end of the spectrum, agencies that go into the village, interview leaders in the village, families.  On the other end of the spectrum, child is not asked about their circumstances and paperwork is suspicious.  There are significant concerns about how children come into care.  There are also concerns in the fact that the children now stay in the government orphanage before coming to transition homes.
*There are significant development projects in Ethiopia as a result of adoption agency involvement that affect far more than the children who are adopted.
*Adoptive parents’ entitlement are one of the most damaging issues in Ethiopian adoption.  There have been reports of parents hitting their children, yelling at their children.  This is extremely harmful to newly adopted children and has serious consequences for the future of the program.  This is why APs are now required to stay in guest houses.  There needs to be a real change in the way parents behave in country.
Speed of the process: 
*From the USG perspective, it is fairly expeditious.  If the agency provides appropriate and reliable paperwork, and the Embassy knows that the agency did its due diligence, they can act more quickly.  The delays are often on the Ethiopian side, especially because of the limited resources of MOWA and MOJ.
*One big issue is that the USG is often seen as the “bad guy” when they have to disclose to the AP that the child being referred has two living parents who want to parent.  This is not the fault of the Embassy.
“The way forward” panel
*PL 109-95 mandates a consistent, coordinated, effective approach to helping orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC).  It includes 7 US government agencies and PEPFAR.  One can find all of the USG projects to address OVC here (this is mandated by PL 109-95).
*There are significant concerns about coercion, paperwork irregularities.  The increase in adoptions from Ethiopia did not coincide with an increase in family options, which is notable and concerning.
Take-home messages for adoptive parents:
1)  Agency selection is critical for prospective adoptive parents.  Select an agency that has a solid track record of investigating children’’ histories and knowing their facilitators and the situations in which children come into care.  PAPs should avoid agencies that umbrella and sign only with Hague-accredited agencies that are legally allowed to operate in Ethiopia.  It is highly advisable to join adoption agency research internet groups to fully vet one’s agency choice.
2)  Adoptive parents should seek out pre-adoptive education on child development and attachment.  They should check their attitudes when in-country, but more than that, realize that practices such as hitting, smacking, or yelling at children are extremely harmful for both the children themselves and the future of the program.
3)  When a Hague-accredited agency presents inconsistent paperwork or the adoptive parents have ethical concerns about their adoption in the process of completing their adoption,, PAPs and APs are strongly urged to report the behavior to the Department of State here.  If it is a non-accredited agency that behaves unethically, the Department of State would still like to hear about it; families can email askci@state.gov.  For questions about making a complaint, families can email Ethica at ethicainfo@gmail.com.
4)  It cannot be overstated that we urge adoptive parents to use only Hague accredited agencies and ask many questions about a referral once it is made about the circumstances surrounding the child’s history.  For more information or help determining whether an agency is Hague-accredited, contact us:  ethicainfo@gmail.com.

You can also check out the article on the same event from PEAR Parents for Ethical Adoption Reform