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Showing posts with label DRC Adoption. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DRC Adoption. Show all posts

Jump In: Help Bring the Children Home from DRC

Andrea | Tuesday, November 11, 2014 | 0 Comments

Legally adopted, not able to come home.  Babies, toddlers, and school-aged children, unable to be with their families that love them with every fiber of their being.    To anyone involved or touched by this horrible situation, this is daily life, the daily ache of not having a family member home to share life events with.  

About two hundred members of the US Congress signed a letter addressed directly to the Senate and the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  http://www.cornyn.senate.gov/public/?a=Files.Serve&File_id=1ddba82d-6c32-43a5-9a08-18f8180fff63

This direct reach-out to fellow lawmakers in DRC is powerful, and important for all adoptive families. Lawmakers in DRC are a small, elite group in an extraordinarily poor country.  However, they ALL have families members and friends  studying, living, and working in both Europe and North America. Many have significant business and personal concerns in European countries and the United States.  This means relationships with U.S. lawmakers matter both personally and professionally.

Here is the link to locate and contact your lawmakers who signed. http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/

If your Senators or Representative signed it, please call, e-mail, and write with your heartfelt thanks.  Substantial work has gone into this effort, and in order to keep attention on this cause, sincerest thanks must be given.  These children are stories and faces to them now, and they must remain in the forefront with their assistance.

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DRC Announces Stricter Scrutiny of U.S. Adoptive Families’ Applications for Visas

Little Miracles International | Wednesday, April 30, 2014 | 0 Comments
April 29, 2014

The Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Washington informed the Department of State on April 24 that applications for visas to travel to the DRC from U.S. adoptive families may be refused “in some cases.”  Congolese officials state that adoptive families should be prepared for increased scrutiny of their visa applications as well as possible refusal of the visa citing the following:  

Reports of children adopted by U.S. families being taken without proper documentation out of the DRC:  The DRC Embassy informed the Department of State that the DRC government is aware of five U.S. families who removed their adoptive children from the DRC without exit permits issued by the Congolese General Direction of Migration (DGM).  The DRC Embassy stated that those cases are raising doubts about U.S. families’ intentions when requesting visas to visit the DRC. 

Intercountry adoptions purportedly do not conform with Congolese laws:  The DRC Embassy stated that many U.S. families have adopted or attempted to adopt from the DRC even though they already have more than two children in the home and have adopted or sought to adopt more than three Congolese children, contrary to Congolese law.  Additionally, Congolese authorities claim that some adoptive parents were attempting to go to the DRC to retrieve their adopted children without first having attended all of the Tribunal pour Enfants (Children’s Court) hearings as required by Congolese law. 

Congolese officials have said that the discovery of such irregularities, among others, is part of the reason the suspension must stay in place while they review the adoption process.  The Department of State notes that adoption cases are not always required by Congolese authorities, and in particular, the Congolese courts, to meet all Congolese legal standards.  As far as the Department of State understands, the requirement to attend all Tribunal pour Enfants hearings is new.  The Department of State’s page on adopting from the DRC presents the steps regarding Congolese legal and procedural requirements.  Requirements can and do change, so we recommend prospective parents check regularly for updates concerning the legal and procedural requirements for adoption.

The Department of State regrets that U.S. families and their Congolese children are in this predicament.  We remain committed to seeking a resolution as quickly as possible so that adopted children can join their families in the United States.  However, as noted in the Department of State’s April 16 Adoption Notice, intercountry adoption is a very sensitive subject for the Congolese people and government, and Congolese authorities have reacted negatively when pressured on the subject.  We strongly encourage U.S. adoption service providers and adoptive families to adhere to best practices and all aspects of Congolese law. 

Please direct questions related to this notice, or a specific adoption from the DRC, to the Department of State, Office of Children’s Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States.  Email inquiries may be directed to AskCI@state.gov. 
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Adoption Alert: Democratic Republic of Congo

Little Miracles International | Friday, September 27, 2013 | 0 Comments

Alert: Democratic Republic of the Congo Immigration Authorities Suspend Issuance of Exit Permits to Adoptees

This alert updates the Department of State's May 2 adoption alert regarding the suspension of issuance of exit permits to adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents.

On September 27, the Congolese Ministry of Interior and Security, General Direction of Migration (Direction Generale d'Immigration, DGM) informed the U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa that effective September 25, 2013, the DGM suspended issuance of exit permits to adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents. The DGM reports the suspension will last up to 12 months. This suspension is due to concerns over reports that children adopted from the Democratic Republic of the Congo may be either abused by adoptive families or adopted by a second set of parents once in their receiving countries.

The suspension of exit permits for adopted Congolese children applies to all intercountry adoptions and is not limited to adoptions by U.S. citizens. These exit permits are required in addition to U.S. immigrant visas in order for children to travel to the United States.

The DGM has not indicated whether adoptions in process may continue during the suspension period. The U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa is seeking clarification on the impact this will have on cases where adoptions were already completed, or completed and an immigrant visa issued. We will post new information as it becomes available on www.adoption.state.gov.

Please direct questions related to this alert or a specific adoption from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the Department of State, Office of Children's Issues at 1-888-407-4747 within the United States, or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States. Email inquiries may be directed to AskCI@state.gov.
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Welcome Home from DRC!

Andrea | Wednesday, November 28, 2012 | 0 Comments
It's amazing to welcome Little Miracles home every time.   Yes, after 8 years of working for LMI, this never gets old :).  This family traveled over Thanksgiving to bring their little girl home from the Democratic Republic of Congo!  This adoption was a very smooth process, 18 months exactly from application to meeting.

After settling in, the family met their newest daughter and her foster mother.   I received a text, "She is the sweetest little thing, and is fitting right in!" They were safe, secure, and warm with their newfound love.

The question I've received all week:  Is it safe to adopt from DRC?  We're dealing with a country that is war torn in some areas.  It's heartbreaking, and the impact to the Congolese is enormous.  Here is a link to news today: http://news.yahoo.com/congo-rebels-begin-slow-retreat-masisi-141714419.html. 

Thankfully, there is a retreat.  Our family never felt in danger in Kinshasa -  none have.  The team takes extraordinary care, and LMI parents have been so impressed with the foster care their children receive.

Please join us in welcoming Kendi home.  I had the privilege of receiving her "Bonjour!" on the phone.    Bienvenue à la maison, little one!

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