When the adoption process gets you down, Draw an Elephant!

Not sure what to make of the news I got today from the Bring Our Children Home website. Evidently the USCIS is now going to start requiring DNA tests for orphans and their birth parents. Here is a portion of the info from the letter:

Effective immediately the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offfice in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has determined that any prospective adoptive parent(s) seeking to participate in the "Orphan First" program for the adjudication of Petition to Classify an Orphan as an Immediate Relative (Form 1-600) will be required to submit a DNA test in order to establish a relationship between an abandoning parent and a prospective adoptive child. USCIS also recommends the submission of a DNA test to any prospective adoptive parent(s) who are not participating in the Orphan First program. USClS is taking this step in response to concerns regarding the adoption process in Vietnam and to ensure that all abandonment adoption cases are valid. The DNA matching test will confirm that the prospective adoptive child is matched with the birth parent who voluntarily consented to the adoption.

To read the rest see BringOurChildrenHome.com

I am unsure what to make of it because it seems like they are adding more barriers in the adoption process by stating that parents that abandoned the children must be identified and take a DNA test. I hope they mean relinquished, because usually it is not possible to find parents who abandoned a child. The speculation is that they are trying to reduce the amount of possible fraud or stolen babies by identifying the birth parent or parents and having them sign away their rights. True, this does seal everything beyond a shadow of a doubt as legit, but most of the time a pregnant mother abandons a child because she does not want to be found. I just hope that this does not have a negative affect on adoptions and the adoption process. It has been said quite a few times that the US imposes their will on Vietnam in ways that other adoptive countries do not. This makes Vietnam less likely to want to deal with the US, thereby negatively affecting us, the prospective adoptive parents and ultimately, the children in orphanages waiting for us, just like we are waiting for them - apart instead of united.

One thing's for sure, and that is I have decided that all of these frustrations, delays, paperwork, and more paperwork sure are preparing me to be a patient, organized, and mostly: A GRATEFUL parent!

So when I get sad like this, I hold onto hope and know that our little girl is out there and we will meet her someday real soon. I know it, its just hard waiting.

A few things can cheer me up and help pass the time while we wait. This is one of them: