Additional information received from our Senator’s office stated:

U.S. citizens with pending adoption cases in Haiti are requested to contact the Department of State at AskCI@state.gov for information about their adoption case. In your inquiry, please include: full name and contact information of parents, full name(s) of child(ren), date(s) of birth of …child(ren) [if known], and the name and contact information of orphanage. Your constituents can find additional information about adoptions in Haiti at http://adoption.state.gov/news/Haiti.html#.

We will post more as available.

More to come!!!

Second, we are excited to announce that we are currently working on a User Forum where our visitors can help answer questions or offer advice to other visitors.  Keep checking back, and in the mean time, feel free to e-mail us your thoughts or suggestions.

If you are, or will be completing an intercountry adoption, make sure to keep good records of your expenses.  After your adoption is finalized, you may be able to take a tax credit for qualifying expenses paid to adopt an eligible child (including a child with special needs). The adoption credit is an amount subtracted from your tax liability. Although the credit generally is allowed for the year following the year in which the expenses are paid, a taxpayer who paid qualifying expenses in the current year for an adoption which became final in the current year, may be eligible to claim the credit on the current year return.

To find out more, or to link to the appropriate forms, click here!

We left home last night around midnight for the long drive to the airport, and have since spent the last several hours traveling to our destination.  A relatively small guest house, where the people are friendly, and the night is full of relaxation.  We have assembled this week to work on the dining hall (and other needs) of the orphanage we have grown so close to.  I am the only member of this team that has had the blessing of adopting from this country, while the others have once again given of their time and finances to care for orphans some are meeting for the first time.

And, while this website is dedicated to providing information for those interested in international adoption, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of those who give of their time, regardless of their reason.

Thank you.

Make sure to check out the Department of State’s Accredited Agencies listing prior to agreeing to an agency’s service.  There, you will find adoption service providers that have been accredited/approved/temporarily accredited through either the Council on Accreditation (COA) or the Colorado Department of Human Services (CO). Only those adoption service providers who have been accredited, temporarily accredited, or approved by either COA or CO will be able to provide adoption services for Hague adoption cases. The Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption entered into force for the United States on April 1, 2008.

Adoption service providers will be added to the list on the Department of State website on a rolling basis as they are subsequently accredited or approved. Some may be removed if they are found not to be in substantial compliance with the Hague regulations and subject to adverse actions.  You may also check out the list of Adoption Service Providers Denied Hague Convention Accreditation/Approval.

Questions or concerns related to the accreditation or approval of specific adoption service providers should be addressed to the Council on Accreditation or the Colorado Department of Human Services as appropriate.

Nearly three years ago when we began our own adoption journey, we had no idea where to start.  We knew that we had found our son in Haiti, but little did we know that Haiti was one of those third world countries where the governmental ways of doing things could change on a daily basis and the hold ups and delays came with no reason.  We also didn’t realize that because of various issues, Haiti didn’t offer as many agencies and support as some of the more popular countries.  Therefore, we began on our own.

Noah

The first step in our independent adoption process was to gather as much information as we could, and map out the steps and stages of the process.  We found this tedious and difficult.  There were numerous books that helped, but nothing that seemed to paint an easy picture all in one place.

Thus, the Adoption Dashboard was born.  An idea to try and incorporate an easy to follow and understand method of international adoption information.  Here you will hopefully find the information you are looking for, in the very place it should be.

Over the past three years, we have had the priviledge of helping old and new friends in their adoption process, and through the Dashboard, we hope to help you as well.

Be Blessed!

Jeremy

I can’t wait to see their faces again, but not just ours, all of the children. One thing I have found to be a constant among international adoptive families is the fact that you can’t help but fall in love with all the children. “Papa Zeromy” as I’ve come to be known is a favorite sound that continuously beacons me to this 3rd world land. Scheduled to fly out Friday afternoon, I’ll have a couple days to enjoy with the 40+ children that cling to you as soon as you walk in the door.

This truly has been a wonderful journey, and filled with blessings along the way. When we started this adventure, we had no idea where it would lead. Now, we look back and are so grateful for the numerous other families we have seen form during this time. The bonds that have formed are only the beginning, and we look forward to years yet to come.

I’m reminded of an image that sits on my desk, many of you may have the same one. Funny how life tends to bring new meanings to things.

“PRIORITIES - A hundred years from now, it won’t matter what titles I’ve held, or how much was in my bank account. What will truly matter is that I was important in the life of a child.”

We wish you well on your personal journey.