Five Things You Can do to Help!
1) Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi – and pass it on!
2) Have you adopted from Ethiopia? Please send us up to 3 photos and 50 words or less with what you would like the Ministry to know about your child – we’ll compile the information and send a book to the Ministry of Woman’s, Children’s and Youth Affairs. Send your photos and stories by Sunday, March 12, 2011 to be included. Please note that sending photos and stories gives Joint Council unrestricted right to use the information you provide. UPDATE: we’ve received so many emails in support that our email server has crashed! We’ve set up an alternative email account – please start emailing your photos/stories to emergency4ethiopia@gmail.com. Thanks for your amazing support!
3) Share…Please send this Call to Action to family members, other adoptive parents, and everyone you know! Post, forward and share your adoption stories via Facebook, Twitter, and blogs. Make sure you include us in your posts so we can all hear your stories! Here’s links to our pages: Facebook, Twitter and our blog.
4) Stay informed: Get up-to-date information regarding the situation in Ethiopia by signing up to receive information from us: click here to do so, make sure you choose “country and issues specific information” and “Ethiopia.” And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter and our blog!
5) Help ensure our advocacy can continue: Joint Council is a non-profit and receives no government funding. Please join us in ensuring more children live in safe, permanent and loving families. Donate today!
betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com 
I support ethical adoptions. The agencies and individuals that are unethical should be removed from the system. There are, however, plenty of agencies that are completely ethical and put the children and birth families first. Children that do not have birth families to turn to still deserve to have families that love them.
Many (maybe the majority) of adoptive parents and perspective adoptive parents have a very real interest in helping Ethiopians in-country. For instance, many APs and PAPs sponsor a child so that the child can remain with their family and get an education thus helping future generations.
Here is my question:
Can International Adoption AND aid to Ethiopians in-country coexist?
I believe they can.
They definitely co-exist! After adopting our daughter (she was 9 at the time) from Ethiopia we really fell in love with the country and people of Ethiopia. Because of our adoption we decided to sponsor a child in Ethiopia and also started sponsoring 3 other children in other parts of Africa. Adopting our daughter was the best experience of our lives. She is thriving here! I can not imagine life without her. Our adoption experience really opened up a whole new world and perspective on everything to me. There are so many ligitimate orphans and ethical adoptions that I hope and pray that all these agencies and MOWA can find a way to get the children that really need homes to be able to be placed quickly. It’s sad that the children are caught up in all of this, when all they want is to have a family and to be loved. Whether it’s placing these children in homes in America or Ethiopia I just want to know they are being cared for and taken care of.. Not just waiting in orphanages..
[…] I am re-posting the information below from the Joint Council via their blog called “Be the Answer for Children.” Please sign the petition and pass this information along. The petition and more information can be found on the Joint Council’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/JointCouncil […]
Please don’t close the adoption for these poor Ethiopian children!
Keep it going, they can be placed with loving, and stables families..
As a grandmother-in-waiting for an adoption to be completed, I implore the governments to not reduce, but increase the number of adoptions and to reduce the length of time for these children to go from “not having a family” to having a family who is waiting with open arms.
Please reconsider.
As a nana (also waiting) I am in full agreement with your reply. We have been waiting for 2 years already, and pray that soon our granddaughter will join her family.
I too am a “Gigi” in waiting for two little boy brothers to come home to their two sisters who have been praying for them for almost a year. My daughter and her husband’s court date was to be mid April. We are so saddened by the possibly delays and children who will not be united with adopotive families. Please consider the impact this will have on so many orphan’s lives.
As another Grandmother, I am also waiting with open arms. Goverments need to help these children come to very loving and caring homes.
It is unfair to the Ethiopian children who need homes, love, and parents to delay adoptions. The longer they go without a family, the more difficult their adjustment and bonding journey will be. Reconsider please and give these children “forever families”.
It is very unfair for the children of Ethiopia who are legitimately waiting to be adopted to be made to suffer because of this process. There must be a way to work on improving ethical practices and using more oversight without blocking good, healthy and life saving adoptions for these beautiful children.
-Sarah
I support ethical adoptions. I understand if increased scrutiny and longer time frames are needed to ensure an ethical process,then so be it. Children need forever families
and birth parents need to know the truth. I hope a slow down does not mean a shut down. Praying for the children of Ethiopia.
My brother is adopted (transracially) – thank God he didn’t have to wait in an institution for years before he came home! Thank God there was foster care to provide love to him before he came home! Ethiopia does not have foster care in place, the pressures from Unicef and other organizations to slow IA put the children last at this point in time. Reform of the current model may be needed, but a slow-down in processing adoptions of kids who are waiting, is equivalent to throwing out the baby with the bath water.
Can you tell me what sources have said that this is true other than the Voice of America article?
I have heard that VOA is not a reliable source, and that the only official reason given by MOWA was due to being short staffed. Today there is a rumor circulating that the head of MOWA, who was chummy with UNICEF (who had long advocated against adoption) was fired and replaced by someone with no UNICEF ties.
I’d love to know if you have sources that confirm the validity of the VOA article.
Missy,
I have heard this rumor too, that people were fired and replaced. Has anyone else heard this? Where is this information coming from? Just wondering what to think.
Thanks!
Please see our most recent update: https://betheanswerforchildren.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/ethiopia-update-31011/
What on earth is the point of sending stories & photos to MOWA? They already get our post-placement reports and photos.
Dear Jay, groups are stronger than one report at a time. Adoptive families joining as a group will send a positive message. I would imagine that your annual post placements have yet to even be read.
I am a grandma waiting for our second grandchild. Our first granddaughter came home from Ethiopia in 2008 and she is the joy of our lives. We are waiting with open arms for our next grandchild. Please do not delay the process. There are loving families waiting patiently. We also sponsor a little girl in Ethiopia through World Vision in honor of our little granddaughter.
As one of the ‘family and friends’ awaiting adoption/delivery of a child, I admonish anyone with any power to increase the speed with which these children who have been approved for adoption to be delivered to the loving parents and families who wait for them. What can the benefit be to have a small child waiting there and a loving family waiting here? Please do all possible to unite the two parts to make a whole family.
Help this be about saving children s’ lives, not red tape.
Lavonne
My husband and I have been patiently waiting for a referral for 19months now. It is agonizing. But we know that a child out there is ours and we will continue to wait, dream for the day she/he comes home to us. There is no reason to make this process any harder than it is already.
Good luck to everyone expecting a child.
IT WOULD BE TERRIBLE TO RESTRICT THE PROCESS…THESE CHILDREN NEED GOO D HOMES..PLEASE LET THE PROCESS CONTINE………..
LARRY
I personally know of several families that have adopted the sweet children of Ethiopia and they are so happy to have the children and be able to love them and give them good homes. Please do not close the adoptions. Think of the children.
My sister and her husband are patiently waiting for their child from Ethopia. Its been a long wait and journey for them. I hope and pray that they will get their beautiful child soon. Also praying for the many other families patiently waiting. These children need good homes…slowing down the process is not the answer.
Everyone deserves a lifetime. Without adoption some children do get that chance.
Everyone deserves a lifetime. Adoption provides life to a child.
I know that there are many loving homes available for homeless Ethiopean children. Please keep that option open.
Praying for the best for all the little ones.
Having three children through International adoption I whole heartedly support adoptions.
All children deserve a family. It is a win win situation for families wanting a child and the child needing a family.
Please keep the adoption of Ethopian children available to all families wishing to adopt.
What sad news to hear of pending reductions of adoptions. With the tighter rules of adoption in China, the closing of adoptions to US families in Vietnam, Basically Ethiopia got flooded with applications. They simply can not handle the requests, keep adoptions ethical, training in country staff NOT to cut corners, NOT to “create” documents that are missing like birth certificates. NOT to give false stories of hope of reunions to birthfamilies ect.. The standards must be kept, staff trained, a central “matching” department. If it takes extra time but increases adoptions to assure that all blood realitives and Ethiopian families are offered orphans 1st,. Many many children are waiting, living on dirt floors, in the streets, aging out of the system. There is much abuse in all areas not just Ethiopia. I would suggest that Ethiopia MOWA considers a mirror adoption policy such as China currently has, granted not every program or policy is error free, but China does have a good program. Whenever orphans, and poor are involved corruption with exist, this is history of life. Greed,
[…] Ethiopian Adoption Emergency – Petition to Ethiopian Prime Minister […]
[…] Emergency Campaign for Ethiopia Five Things You Can do to Help! 1) Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi – and […] […]
To whom it may concern,
Please don’t close the program. There are many kids in a need of a loving family. We need Ethiopia as much as Ethiopia needs us. Please do not punish the good agencies. There are good agencies with high ethical standards.
Judith
I would certainly hope that children who need home would be allowed to be adopted.
Dear Waiting Families, Please keep the hope that you will adopt a child, when one door closes another window opens, Find new programs, jump onto any new change of path, please fall in love with the idea of adoption and not just going to a certian country. We have adopted 3 times, each adoption had its own turns and change of plans, mostly out of our control, but there is hope for thoses that do not give up….but open up to other options, International adoption is for a strong willed, strong hearted person…when all is said and done, you will get a child in HIS timing. Hard to hear now, but trust me. After many many tears, panic attacks, searching the chat rooms, searching the internet for any glimmer of hope…when you least expect it, everything will come together and your pains in time will be replaced with happiness.
Every child deserves a home. Don’t take their chance of finding one away.
As a “Mimi” to two adopted children from Ethiopia I would implore the government to reconsider reducing the adoption of children in need of a home. Americans adopt for reasons of love and ability to provide. If adoptions are reduced more children will not given a chance to thrive and be educated. Another thought is that my grandson wants to succeed so that he can return to Ethiopia and help his people. You are looking at a generation of kids that could return and make your country greater.
[…] the Joint Council on International Children’s Services petition to be submitted to the Ethiopian […]
I am in support of enabling parents to adopt needed ophans and an opposed to limiting. God grant good and safe homes for his children of every race.
These children are in need of loving homes. I would regret it if they were not allowed to have them.
It is my prayer that this country would see to put their children first and allow them to be adopted.
I do not understand why this policy would even be passed. There are so many children that need homes and many people willing here in the U.S. to provide that. I pray that policies will not change and that families can be a hope to the hopeless orphans in Ethiopia.
stop trading these children’s for your financial profit! They are being sold by many adaption companies located in U.S.A AND OTHER WESTERN NON ETHICAL MONEY HUNGRY HAYNES. ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS MONEY! LIVE THEM ALONE, I DON’T CARE IF YOUR MILLION DOLLAR PROFIT FROM THIS CHILDREN CRASHED. YOUR CANISTERS DID ENOUGH SELLING HUMAN BEING ARE SLAVING FOR 4 CENTURIES. YOU CAN NOT SELL CHILDREN IN THE 21 CENTURY. YOU ALREADY DID MANY DAMAGE BY SELLING OUR CHILDREN’S ABOARD. DO NOT REPEAT THE SAME MISTAKE LIKE YOUR GRATE GRAD SLAVE MASTERS DID. STOP SELLING ETHIOPIAN CHILDREN FOR YOUR DAMN PROFIT. I HOP GOD WILL HELP THE PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA AND STOP ADAPTION ONCE AND FOR ALL.
I pray that your hattred for adoption someday will change in your heart, as Jesus was adopted by Joseph. God does place Ethiopian children in loving caring families. Adoptive families are heartbroken to see the conditions of the orphans of Ethiopia. I have been to orphanages where a single potatoe is shared as a meal between 3 toddlers. A fact of life, adoptive families bring much needed aid and yes money to orphans that otherwise would grow up without a loving family enviroment. As for buying children, this simply is NOT true, Adoption is very very expensive, airfare is over $5000, police background checks, payments for foster care to the children, medical exams that the adoptive families much endure. Not to mention the immediate medical attention that families give to their new family member upon return home. I personally saw beautiful children sleeping , playing on dirt floors, begging for attention, but yet full of smilies. Ethiopians will not adopt these children, children with medical conditions, such as heart issues, cleft palets, difformed limbs. Adoptive families provide reports to the Ethiopian goverment every year until the child reaches 18 yrs old. I am sorry for the few corrput that do see children as profits, why should a few rotten apples ruin adoption for the sincere at heart? There is no perfect system, inculding adoption in the USA or even China, human do the best they can. Peace you to and keep the orphans and goverment officials in your prayers as they try to refine the process
Joseph didn’t adopt Jesus he married the mom. Please leave Jesus out of of this and stop using God for your convenience like what you used to pull with slavery. What you’re doing is child trafficking and it’s NOT something Jesus would do.
Amen .may Egziabher the God of our father avenge the wrongs you have done to Ethiopian people.By trafficking and Harvesting her children.they want to twist Ethiopian people’s arm it’s such a shame. 15 years ago we didn’t know what adoption is. Enough is enough.there are 70 mmultimilion American companies which are running Ethiopian babies marketing business. Ethiopians have lost their culture. Meles Zenawi , shame on you. This is great leadership on behalf of Ethiopian children! Congratulation!
stop adaption once and for all. you western non ethical adaption companies sold our children’s already and make millions and millions of dollar. it is better they stay in Ethiopia. it is not as much bad as it is shown in the media. They are Ok in Ethiopia. I live in Ethiopia and i am Ethiopian. I know you corrupted money hungry western money hungry slave master minded evils. Leave the people of Ethiopia alone as my brother said. do not mislead people out here, you only care about the millions of dollars profit that you are going to miss if the adaption stop but not for these children’s at all. this western adaption companies did what they did already. you sold our children’s. leave as lone unless, I am crying right know. adaption from Ethiopia has to stop once and for all. we might be powerless but God is on the side of powerless. you can not sell as any more!!!
These children deserve a chance. There are good people here in the US that want to adopt these children and will give them good homes.
It is my hope that this policy does not pass. Every child deserves a safe, loving and nurturing home and there are many families in the US that would love to provide this to these children. Please don’t deprive the orphans in Ethiopia
of the help and hope they need.
My wife and I are hoping to adopt in the future and are also hoping this policy does not passing so that it gives these kids an even better chance at a better life…sooner.
Praying for a solution to the problem that will help the children…not hurt them as this new policy will do.
Please don’t let this decision affect these defenseless children! Thank you for listening.
Give the children a chance at a better life. However I would love the proper investigation to be done to ensure the children are really orphans in a timely manner.
I must admit it sounds nice and simple solution when reading, but I’m 200% sure it will be complicated for most of users anyways.