My Haitian Girl: November 2013

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Two years ago we went to Haiti to live with Daphnica till the adoption was finished. She has grown so much. I still think back to how tiny she was. She was wearing size 24 month. I now understand why they say growing like a weed.

Our Adoption Timeline

Our Adoption Timeline
January 21, 2010 got e-mail from Eric and Leslie Ludy about earthquake and Danita's Children

January 25,2010 sent application to Danita's Children to go to Haiti

February 10,2010 Got new passport

February 10,2010 signed up with Foundation for Children in Need to go to Haiti

March 4,2010 I Left Nashville for Haiti

March 5, 2010 I Arrived in Haiti

March 12, 2010 Came home from Haiti forever changed

April 20, 2010 Talked to ABI about adopting and using them as our agency

April 29th till May 21st 2010 Chris and I go to Haiti for him to meet the girls

June 10, 2010 I talked to Diana Boni

June 16, 2010 we talked with Diana Boni

June 22, 2010 application sent ABI

July 1, 2010 formal application sent ABI

July 14, 2010 education and formal interview at ABI

July 25, 2010 started sending off for police reports and certificates

July 29, 2010 homestudy at our house

August 12, 2010 1-600A done and mailed

August 12, 2010 Business agreement with ABI signed and mailed

August 13, 2010 online adoption Education finished

August 13, 2010 Got our dossier paper work

August 24, 2010 Dossier finished and mailed to ABI

August 29, 2010 Homestudy approved

September 7, 2010 I 797C Action in the mail

September 18th till 27th 2010 Haiti trip

October 12, 2010 Finger printing at the FBI

November 15, 2010 Dossier sent to Haiti

Dec 15th till Jan 16th 2010/2011 Haiti trip

January 11, 2011 went to court in Petionville, Haiti to see the clerk/judge

January 24, 2011 started papers for I-600

January 27, 2011 we entered IBESR

February 16, 2011 sent papers in for I600

May 2nd to 17th 2011 Haiti trip

May 14, 2011 Letter from Visa center I-600 is approved

June 24, 2011 out of ISESR

July 11, 2011 Out of Parquet Court

July 17th till 27th 2011 Haiti trip

July 20, 2011 we went to see the Dean

September 29, 2011 we got an update saying we have been in MOI for 2 weeks

October 6, 2011 Us Consulate appointment

Novemver 9, 2011 came to Haiti waiting and waiting for our papers to be done

December 25, 2011 Got a e-mail from Katelyn's Fund saying we got a grant

January 10, 2012 Refingerprinted at the US Embassy in Haiti

February 14, 2012 Haiti green card renewer so we can stay in Haiti for 3 more months

March 12, 2012 new death certificate, and Achieves Extracts for both parents, the hold up for the past 4 months

March 21, 2012 extracts back from legalization,

March 22, 2012 back in MOI

March 26, 2012 out of MOI

March 28, 2012 Went to Passport office

March 30, 2012 Passport Done

April 2, 2012 Medicals

April 4, 2012 Medicals went back for TB test

April 10, 2012 Medicals finished

April 13, 2012 USCIS Done

April 26, 2012 IBESR Exit letter done

May 10, 2012 Tickets for home bought

May 15, 2012 VISA APPT and printed

May 18th 2012 We are home. Thank you GOD. We made it.

Current Haitian Adoption Law

The current Haitian constitutional law and its interpretation by IBESR (Haitian social services) allows families which meet the following criteria to adopt:

Married couples with both parents age 35 or older and

ten years of marriage or seven years of marriage and a minimum of three years cohabitation

OR

infertile married couples (adopted children are accepted)

ten years of marriage or seven years of marriage and a minimum of three years cohabitation and at least one parent over age 35

OR

single women age 35 or older

The Hatian Adoption Process

Pre-IBESR
Before an adoption case can be presented to IBESR the adoption facilitator must gather all of the following documents:

Passport pictures of the child
Birth Certificate
Attestation of signature on Birth Certificate or extract from the National Archives
Legal relinquishment of custody from the biological family to the orphanage from the local judge
Psychological evaluation
Medical evaluation
Laboratory tests
Social history
Proces Verbal (A court process in which the biological family grants the creche the right to place their child with your family specifically for international adoption. Can only be completed after your dossier is in Haiti.)
IBESR and Dispensation
Your dossier can now be submitted to IBESR. If your family does not meet the criteria of the law of 1974, your dossier can be pre-approved for Presidential Dispensation and delivered to the Presidential Palace by IBESR. Dispensations are published in the Haitian legal journal Le Moniteur. Following Dispensation, IBESR will sign off on your dossier and grant an Authorization of Adoption.

Parquet Court
The 'step' we refer to as Parquet court is actually a very complex series of steps and processes involving multiple offices and repeated trips between them.

Attorney addresses a Request for Judgment to the Chief Justice of Parquet Court
Birth parents are interviewed in Parquet Court
Parquet Court signs off on "approval judgement for adoption
Facilitator takes approval to DGI for stamp of authorization
Back to Parquet for enforcement of the approval judgement
Authorization and redaction from the Civil Registrar Officer for legal Adoption Decree
Verification in Parquet of the adoption documents by the Civil Registrar before signing the adoption decree
First Legalization of the Adoption Decree, in Parquet Court
Second Legalization of the Adoption Decree, at the Ministry of Justice
Third Legalization of the Adoption Decree, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Obtain attestation of Adoption Decree from the National Archives
Ministry of the Interior
All international adoption cases are reviewed by the Ministry of Interior. In order to obtain authorization to request a passport, the following documents must be submitted for each child:

Four passport sized pictures
Birth Certificate
Attestation for the Birth Certificate
Extract from the National Archives for the Birth Certificate
Relinquishment
Proces Verbal of adoption
Adoption approval judgement
Adoption Decree
Attestation of the Adoption Decree
Power of Attorney for creche director and/or attorney
Stamp from DGI
Notary letter for the passport
Identification card of facilitator and/or attorney on the case
Biological parents' identification cards
Adoptive parents' MOI form, identification, and passport photos

The Ministry of Interior will grant authorization to submit the dossier to Haitian Immigrations for a passport.

Haitian Immigrations
The facilitator will submit authorization to apply for a passport to Haitian Immigrations. This is generally a quick process - one to two weeks, if all equipment is working properly.

US Immigrations
Note to international readers - US Immigrations performs the most rigorous investigation of international adoptions. Other nations' Immigrations process are different. Please check with your agency to learn about the process for your home country.)

Parts of the US Immigrations process can occur concurrently with the Haitian process, however USCIS cannot sign off on the case until they have verified the final Adoption Decree and the child's passport. DNA may be requested at any time.

American families are advised to work closely with their agencies to ensure a smooth and efficient US Immigrations process for their child.

Approximately three to four weeks following completion of all USCIS investigations and adjudication of the I600 for the child, the case will be forwarded to the Department of State for issuance of a Visa. The Department of State also has the right to request DNA testing for birth parent and child. Adoptive parents need not be present for the Visa appointment.

Parents who can prove that they visited their child prior to the issuance of the Adoption Decree by Parquet Court will be issued an IR-3 Visa. Their children will be automatically granted full US Citizenship upon arrival in the US.

Families who did not visit their children prior to the date of the Adoption Decree must file for citizenship for their children. Failure to file for citizenship will leave the child as a legal immigrant and unprotected by the rights of full citizenship. Please refer to the USCIS website for form N-600 and instructions on how to file.

Side note
These steps were provided by Margarette Saint Fleur of BRESMA orphanage, and taken from the blog of All Blessings. http://kashaiti.blogspot.com/