We just received this update via email. It’s written by Tami Stewart, Adoption Program Director at DOVE Adoptions.
Dove has been blessed with excellent timing over the years and this past March was no exception. Several changes will be implemented this spring. Fortunately, multiple Dove staff members were in attendance for key meetings with SOS EE and the US Embassy otherwise, these changes may have felt daunting for not only our staff but our families. Below is an overview. Additional information will be produced and sent to families to further explain the following:
The Ethiopian courts are currently scheduled to close on Wednesday August 5, 2009. All documents must be lodged into the courts at least fifteen (15) days prior to the closing date and will be heard subject to available court dates as determined by the Ethiopian courts. Documents submitted after the deadline will be ratified after the courts reopen in the fall of 2009. Currently two judges are presiding over adoption hearings, due to the increase in adoption cases a third judge is scheduled to be added this spring.
The facilities at SOS EE have been undergoing changes over the past year to increase capacity for children and to plan for the upcoming loss of Toukoul II. The property at Toukoul II was rented with the option to purchase; but it was determined that instead, purchasing property on the southern edge of Addis Ababa and building new larger facilities was a better use of resources. The Akaki center is currently scheduled to open in two phases, the first group of children should move this May and the final group should move in September.
New guest houses are currently under construction in Akaki and should be completed by January 2010. These facilities will continue to provide families with a relaxing space to begin bonding with their child. Dove is in the process of preparing a more detailed description of the Akaki Center and Guest House for families that will include pictures of the building process.
The US Embassy has implemented two noteworthy changes. The first affects scheduled appointments for all adoption agencies; as of April all agencies will have assigned appointments every other week rather than every week. This change was necessary due to the increase in adoptions to US families from Ethiopia without an increase to the Embassy staff. This change should not affect time lines to travel after court, Dove estimates that families will continue to travel four to six weeks after a ratified court date.
The second change at the US Embassy was implemented by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). As of March 23, 2009 all immigrants to the United States from Ethiopia must test negative for Tuberculosis. This protocol has been instituted in several other counties and the goal is to have this protocol implemented worldwide. Information provided by the US Embassy in Addis Ababa about this procedure can be found at the US Embassy in Ethiopia website. We were able to discuss these changes with the US Embassy staff and the medical staff at SOS EE and feel that this will not create a problem for our children and families. TB testing is standard for all children prior to being matched with a family, additionally the SOS EE medical staff are familiar with the CDC approved clinic that must be used to meet the US criteria to obtain an immigrant visa.
Due to the changes at the US Embassy we must make minor updates to our travel packet, families who currently have a packet should still refer to current information as the majority of the packet will remain the same. We will be adding some fun new information that we hope will help all of our families.
It is amazing what can be done thanks to technology, we truly live in a global community that will continue to become more diverse and interconnected as time goes on; yet nothing can replace human contact. Thank you to all of our families for understanding when staff members attend training sessions, conferences or work from our offices abroad. We know that this can cause some minor temporary disruptions but the ultimate goal is to provide your family with the best support during and after an ethical adoption process.
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