iCARE & Other Updates

I just wanted to post an update about some exciting developments. I am going to be writing a law review article about international adoption, UNICEF involvement specifically on Haiti over the next six months. Right now, I am in the research stage of the project.

One of the professors who is assisting me with the law review article feels that I should select a more narrow topic. He is encouraging me to focus the article on the different adoption laws in the different countries that adopt from Haiti. However, I feel passionate about the rights of children to have the opportunity to grow up in a loving family, no matter whether that family is of the child's nationality or race. That is why I keep coming back to the topic of UNICEF involvement in Haiti's adoptions.

UNICEF's stance is that all children should stay in their home country and be cared for there. In theory, I agree with that opinion whole heartedly... but there is a difference between theory and reality. Reality is that there are no foster homes for children in Haiti for children to be taken care of internally. The majority of orphanages are faith based and funded by churches. A foster home or an orphanage home are not substitutes for a "real family" --- a forever family.

When writing a law review article about this topic, I have to stay very research based and analytical all backed up with facts and quotable sources. I found one law professor at Harvard who has done a lot of work in this area. She is amazing! Her name is Elizabeth Bartholet, I have been in email contact with her and she is assisting me with my quest of writing this article.

Here is a link to some of her articles:
www.law.harvard.edu/faculty

Then click on her name and then look at her biography.

Also, my friends have been asking me about my upcoming church wedding and future plans. The date is December 29th and unfortunately, there will be about a two-year wait time until Johnny has a visa for him to live in the U.S. Unfortunately, since September 11th, 2001, the process to obtain a visa is so long and dragged out. It will be a difficult two years, but we can make it.

iCARE - international coalition of adoptive rights & equality

We need to do more with our grassroots group of iCARE. I welcome any ideas of how to become more of a voice for adopted children and children in the process. Right now, we have "membership" from the U.S., Canada, Holland, and France.