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Rwanda Adoption & 1st Day of Pre School

Well, I need to get out there (for those of you who use my blog for information about adopting from Rwanda) that for now Rwanda has closed its doors to adoption (This happened on Wednesday). On so many levels, this is so sad for so many families, but on so many more levels, this is a super thing! They have closed temporarily in order to become compliant with the Hague Treaty. This is a treaty that was signed to help protect orphans from sex trafficking and from other illegal adoptions. It is a fantastic thing to have in place and if used correctly, I believe that every country should be required to abide by its regulations in order for adoptions to take place. However, for many of the families "in process" this is a very sad blow that I can relate well to.

Here is the skinny: if your dossier is in Rwanda by Monday, then you are safe. They will process your dossier in the same manner they have been processing adoptions in the past. I have heard that if your dossier was in the US Embassy in DC by today that you will be safe, too. However, they will not be accepting any more dossiers until after they are completely Hague compliant and I'm not sure how long that will take. . .I would think a while. Once they are Hague compliant, that will mean that there will be no more independent adoptions from Rwanda; only adoptions through Hague certified adoption agencies (and I highly recommend America World Adoption www.awaa.org).

If you are in process and missed this cut off, I am so sorry. I do know and feel your pain. We started the China process in October 2005 and got our dossier to China in 2006. At that point it was a 7 month wait for a child. We are still waiting almost five years later with about three more years to go. On the very bright side, and I really want all of you grieving mothers-to-be to hear me. . .look who God brought us through the heartache: Gabby and Tiki! I never would have imagined either one of them, but I adore them and I don't know what I would do without them in our family. Take heart.

In other, more happy news: Gabby started Pre School yesterday and she LOVED it! She has been watching the kids go to school and wanting to join them forever and now she is big enough and she couldn't have been happier! When she got home yesterday she was glowing! It was so cute!


And in other school news, Dax didn't let me walk him in today--he just wanted to be dropped off. Oh my! My little guy is growing up and I'm not sure if I like that!


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