In part I of this article I gave reasons to consider International adoption and Haitian adoption, in particular. The argument was made that when investigating international adoption, Haiti should be considered for several reasons; it is very close to the U.S. for easy travel, it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with nearly 200,000 orphans, voodoo is the dominant religion and commonly victimizes children, and Haitian children are very loving and lovable. Now I will discuss some of the inevitable pitfalls that exist when considering international adoption with particular emphasis on Haitian adoptions. Difficulties can be due to communication issues, legal issues, money issues, and finally simple cultural issues. I will attempt to explain each of these further.

International adoptions can be very challenging because the person or organization collecting the necessary documents for the child’s dossier may not speak your language. Communication between the foreign adoption coordinator and the adopting family can be very difficult through email or through telephone conversations. Many orphanages may not have regular electricity or phone service. Oftentimes language differences make for very basic communications with frequent miscommunications. It can be very helpful to work with a liaison hired by the orphanage to answer questions and update adoptive parents.

By far the biggest obstacle for completing an international adoption is obtaining the required documentation needed for the adoption. Although there are differences from country to country, generally, the necessary documents for the child’s dossier are: child’s birth certificate, biological parents birth certificates and IDs, death certificates of parents, relinquishment certificate, social history, psychological evaluation, medical exam, and required lab results. Some countries request a baptismal certificate also, but this is culturally dependent. The required documents may vary depending on whether or not the child is a true orphan or has one or both biological parents. Collecting these documents is very time consuming. If there is no one in-country specifically working on document collections, then it is very difficult to accomplish in any reasonable timeframe. Unfortunately, in Haiti the person working on the adoptions may be the same person trying to keep the orphanage operating. It’s hard to rationalize trying to locate a particular document when the children have no water to drink. Many times the orphanage director is consumed with just providing food, water and shelter for the children not to mention dealing with personnel issues, security issues, and money issues. Collecting documents in Haiti is quite difficult and time consuming. There is no computerized system so all documents are recorded by hand and filed in various locations. Tracking down the papers and correcting errors can take weeks.

Certainly acquiring the necessary documents is not going to be simple, but there are other difficulties as well. One of the most frustrating issues is that bribery is rampant. Many times it is actually customary for a clerk at an office to hold out for bribes before providing the requested document. This is essentially one of the clerk’s “job perks”. If he can get more from you then he is entitled to try. Early on in the process we made the decision to not pay bribes in an attempt to avoid the “slippery slope” that would affect future adoptions from our orphanage. If you pay a bribe once, you set yourself up and others after you to be expected to pay bribes many times over throughout your adoption process.

The many cultural issues that effect Haitian adoptions cannot be fully expressed in one article. However, there are several issues that commonly arise and merit mentioning. Birthparents often expect ongoing perks from adoptive parents. They may feel entitled to financial support, medical care and more from the adoptive parents. Unfortunately, the innocent children often become bargaining chips for the desperate birthparents.

Another cultural issue that will inevitably be cause for stress during the adoption process is the concept of “Caribbean time”. Haitians are in no hurry because tomorrow will certainly bring the same challenges and obstacles as today. Thus the common Haitian proverb; “There are mountains beyond mountains.” What is an easily remedied problem to Americans can take days or weeks to overcome in Haiti.

Although these issues make Haitian adoptions difficult, they are still very doable and well worth the effort. There are hundreds of thousands of children in Haiti who need and deserve good, loving homes. Haiti has one of the least expensive adoption programs. Haitian children are without any government assistance programs and are many times left to beg on the streets, become prostitutes, be sold into slavery or be victimized by voodoo. And possibly most importantly, Haitian children are very loving and lovable. Modern technology has made our world smaller and we can no longer ignore the needs of children in other countries. Educate yourself. Do a Google search about Haiti and International adoption. If that does not convince you and you profess Christianity, then read James 1:27.

Finally, as I sat down to type this article, my three-year old Haitian daughter ran up to me and climbed into my lap. She gave me a big hug and a kiss and said, “Daddy, I love you so, so much. Suddenly all of the toil and struggles of Haitian adoption faded into a distant memory.