Colombia’s Siblings
When Tim and Judy Herrera, along with their two teenage daughters, left for Pereira, Colombia, they were a family of four. The Herreras, of Rosebud, Missouri, returned home on March 4, a family of seven.
One month later, 11-year-old Hannah and her 9-year-old sister Emma, were peering down the long concourse at Lambert Airport, hoping to catch sight of their parents, Ed and Patty Farley of Belleville, Illinois. The Farleys were returning home from three weeks in Bogotá after adopting three sisters.
The Herras and the Farleys are part of the growing number of Children’s Hope families all over the United States adopting siblings from Colombia.
"I love placing sibling groups," said Julie Eagleson, the director of Children's Hope Colombia Program. "It’s chaos initially for the families. But since the children already have a bond with one another, they seem to bond easier with their new parents."
Eagleson also said it is satisfying for the agency to place children who are more difficult to adopt.
Since 2001, around 150 of the over 200 Colombian adoptions through Children’s Hope were groups of brothers and sisters. Children’s Hope has placed five sibling groups of three or more to families in the metro Kansas City area alone. In 2004, one Kansas City, Missouri couple adopted five siblings.
After a little over two month in their new home, Daniel, 8, Angie, 7, and Andres, 5, are “doing great” as new members of the Herrera family. Judy Herrera home-schooled Daniel and Angie for a few weeks until they showed a desire to attend the Owensville elementary school. Meanwhile Rebekah, 17, and Lindsay Herrera, 15, have been adjusting to sharing not just bedrooms but their parents.
Before families are allowed to adopt sibling groups from any country CHI serves, Children’s Hope social workers educate the parents on the huge adjustments for them and their new children. Since adopting older children can create many more challenges than adopting an infant, families are advised to talk with other CHI families who have already adopted a sibling group.
"We are realistic with our families. It is going to be difficult at first," said Nichole Deal, CHI Director of Social Services and Colombia Program Coordinator. “Language differences bring out a lot of that frustration.”
Deal adds that the support of the extended family and friends is important in any adoption but especially for a multiple sibling adoptions.
Paula Farley agrees, and said, “Everyone was so supportive of our decision. We know we have a lot of issues to adjust to.”
As Emma Farley and her new 4-year-old sister, Lucia, held hands on the way down to the baggage check-out, the first issue to tackle, was how to fit all their luggage and seven family members into their mini-van.
