There was a lot of information in the latest update. I will briefly describe the highlights. A meeting was held last week in VN between the DOJ and representatives from agencies operating in VN. VN stated that they will accede to the Hague Convention and become a Hague country in 2009 or 2010. They also said that since they are not a Hague country yet, that they are not legally required to revoke licensure of agencies who are not accredited by the USICS as a Hague agency.- The next order of business was the question in regards to what will happen to dossiers logged in VN when Sept 1 gets here and there is no new agreement. Both the US and VN were made aware that 2000 families would be affected by their decision. VN voiced their desire to complete any dossier logged in by a specific date. What date? May 1, June 1 or possibly Sept. 1 (when the agreement expires) were discussed but no date was for sure. Agency representatives felt as though VN should do Sept 1 and felt as though this was the date VN was leaning towards. Our agency will therefore still forward dossiers for families willing to take a chance that this will become policy. It sounds as though a definition of "in-process" will be any logged in dossier. This is what we have all hoped for but we will have to wait for an official announcement on this and any topics discussed at this meeting.
I am fearful of VN stand on not revoking unaccredited agencies licensure. This was the US's idea in order to ensure the legality of adoption practices and to standardize adoptions from Vietnam with the US. Without this safeguard in place and no new agreement in place, how will adoptions be ethical and safe for the children and adopting families?
The update also spoke of finishing the paperwork to operate in another orphanage and so we should be receiving referrals from this new orphanage soon. They are also securing the 5 referrals which have been slow in getting processed up to the step of matching them with a family. Things in general are getting pretty promising. We are logged in (July 2007) way before any of the possible cut off dates of May-Sept 2008. Our agency should be receiving Hague accreditation in the near future so regardless of how the US wants to go we will be Hague accredited. So we'll see.
"Two different lives, Shaped to make yours one....... One became your guiding star, The other became your sun...... The first gave you life, And the second taught you how to live it........ The first gave you a need for love, And the second was there to give it." --MOTHER'S BRIDGE
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