VIETNAM PROGRAM UPDATES
At the beginning
of this month, six families learned of their travel approval and
scrambled to obtain visas, plane tickets, and pack for HCMC to
adopt from various orphanages. Three other families arrived in
Vietnam to adopt on January 19. We do not expect any more
families to travel before the Tet holiday on February 17, 2007.
Congratulations to our traveling families!
We do expect to
receive more referrals in the next few weeks, as the children
are currently having their medicals and blood tests completed.
The wait time is
getting longer for adoption of boys and girls. For girls the
wait time is 18-to-24 months and for boys 12-to-15 months. I
know everyone is very conscious about the wait and anxious to
get referrals as quickly as possible. Please know we are here to
support you during the long wait. Once you receive your referral
and travel you are in the best hands possible. Our in country
staff is the best and our families are not having problems in
country like many other agencies are. Please know that the
Children’s Hope staff is here for you while you wait!
DECEMBER NEWS
2006 was a very
good year for the Vietnam program. For starters, Vietnam
re-opened to US adoptive families allowing Children’s Hope to
complete a grand total of 60 adoptions in 2006!!!! This is more
adoptions in one year than we have ever done in the history of
our Vietnam program. The total number of adoptions from Vietnam
to families in the United States from all agencies was 163 last
year.
Out of the 60
children placed, 28 of them were from our waiting children
program (older or special needs). That is almost half of the
adoptions completed. Of the 78 referrals, 54 were for healthy
children and 24 of them were for waiting children.
