Another thing to be thankful for...

I copied a few paragraphs below from an email we received from our former adoption agency. We are still on the distribution for all communications and updates about the current adoption process. I don't know why I still subscribe. I guess I like to see how the changes in the adoption process affects families waiting. It's been apparent for quite some time that the adoption referrals have slowed down significantly and Vietnam is cracking down hard on policies and procedures. We really do feel bad for the families who are waiting. Believe me, we have paid our "dues" and we know what it feels like having to wait to hold your child in your arms.

All I know is that I thank my lucky stars every single day that we were able to get Ava out when we did. I think if we hadn't acted as fast as we did in the beginning of the adoption process, we wouldn't have Ava today. My heart goes out to all the families during this holiday season and to all the babies out there. I don't want to get into the "politics" of adoption agencies integrity and moral values. That would open up a whole discussion I'd rather not revisit and it wouldn't change things anyway.

"All the changes within Vietnam are causing many families to lose faith
but I am receiving encouraging news from Vietnam daily. While things
are not moving as swiftly as we thought they would due to new laws in
HCMC regarding how long children must remain in the orphanage before
they are available for international adoption and the new paperwork
procedures, there does seem to be light at the end of the tunnel.

All families with completed dossiers in Vietnam have their paperwork
either at the translator or it has been submitted to the DIA and is
processing. If you have been contacted regarding translation fees
then your dossier has completed this stage and has moved on to the
DIA. Once the completed dossier has been accepted by the DIA the
clock essentially stops on the expiration of documents, although
families will still need to have a valid home study, fingerprints and
171-H or 797C in order to travel.

Children who entered HCMC orphanages at the time that the new law was
passed stating that they must remain in orphanages for 6 months before
they are eligible for international adoption will be ready to be
referred to families in January or February. So we are looking
forward to the New Year when we believe that referrals will once again
be able to be handed to families for children in HCMC. We are also
receiving promising news about our expansion into other provinces. We
should have our license to work in a 2nd province in a week or so also
opening up referral possibilities from that province. This 2nd
province does not have the 6 month law but children will still need to
have announcements made, medical and police clearances which take
approximately 2 months from the time they enter the orphanage. We
look forward to working in this new province in 2008. "