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.