Ugandan Adoptions

We had a few meetings this week to discuss adoptions in Uganda. As you may have read, adoptions have screeched to a halt in Uganda in the last year. There's a lot of information (and misinformation) about why that happened. As best I can, I'm going to try to describe what happened as we now understand it.

`

Uganda has a law that in order to adopt a child, you must live in Uganda for three years as the child's guardian prior to a final order of adoption. In the past, the courts were entering guardianship orders for non-Ugandan parents who took those orders to their embassies and got visas. Once back in their country, they adopted the child. At some point, one of the ministries in the Ugandan government called the Canadian and U.S. embassies and told them that issuing visas was skirting Ugandan law (the three year requirement) and they should stop. In respect of Ugandan law, the U.S. and Canada stopped issuing visas, thus effectively stopping adoptions. The U.S. suggested to the Ugandan courts that if they included certain language in the guardianship order, adoptions could proceed. For example, including "guardianship with the intention to adopt" would make clear Uganda is aware that when the family left together, they would adopt and fore go the 3 year residency. That way, the U.S. could feel okay about proceeding with the visas. The Ugandan courts took offense to being told by the U.S. what to do and now we are at loggerheads.

`

The adoption attorney we met with told us that there are several proposals to fix the holdup. In the meantime, one judge is issuing orders with the U.S.-requested language and visas are being issued. The other judges will not follow suit. But all of the judges will enter adoption orders for children with medical challenges or other special circumstances. The entire situation needs prayer. Prayer for the Ugandan government and prayer for the U.S. state department. There are thousands of children waiting for homes, many of them already matched with families. We need to get them home! Shortly I will be posting a list of names and addresses for letters that we were told might help. Please write. I will post a sample.