On my ‘trip around the world’ this month, I have to admit this is probably my favorite stop. The reason is very simple. I have a great feel-good story that was released regarding adoption from this area. Three adoptive families received the best Christmas present ever when their long-awaited adoptions were finalized. Yay! This is such great news for these families in particular and adoption from this country. We have been waiting for some sign of movement.
I mentioned that these families received this great Christmas present because these adoptions were processed on Christmas day. I love this. The article that I read states that two of the families were just getting home after spending five weeks in Vietnam. These two families were returning home with their children. The third family will not get home until a little later. The article went on to say that these families waited over three years to complete their adoptions. They finally enlisted the help of a local Senator. Somehow, that involvement resulted in the children being released.
As you know, Vietnam is in the process of completing certification for Hague Convention. It has been a long journey for them to receive this accreditation. They have had to make a lot of changes to their adoption program and agency requirements. These changes have not been made public but should be released in the near future. Vietnam continues to negotiate with the United States on an acceptable agreement for both parties. We have been expecting an announcement at any time. I do not think that the release of these previous adoption cases signifies Vietnam’s re-opening but it definitely is a step in the right direction and should offer hope to all who are waiting. Nick Leroy father of one of the adopted children was quoted saying, “I now believe in miracles.”
Vietnam is party to the Hague Convention but does not have an agreement with the United States. They are working to finalize their agreement currently and will re-open when that occurs.
~Angie
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