"This email is being sent to AIAA families who are in the home study process for a referral of a child from our Korean Program. We want to update you on the current situation with our counterpart agency in Korea, Social Welfare Society.
The Korean Government has established “quotas” for the number of children that the four Korean agencies place for international adoptions. Each year for the past few years, they have reduced the number by 10% with the goal of eventually phasing out international adoptions. Most years, SWS reached their quota in the Fall.
In 2011, intake of children had increased from previous years. As a result, more referrals were made in the first four months of the year. I was just in Korea last week and was told that SWS had reached their quota for 2011. This means that AIAA will not be receiving any further referrals until late Fall of 2011 and the children will not be ready for travel until 2012. Also, we anticipate that there are no guarantees that the babies will be under the age of 12 months at time of referral.
We know that this is disappointing to you in your pursuit to adopt from Korea but, at this point, I have no reason to believe that children will not continue to be placed internationally in the foreseeable future."
Yesterday our caseworker came over for our home study. We only needed a home study update so the home study this time around only consisted of one visit. Our caseworker told us that our home study will not be sent to Korea until "sometime" this fall. After that little is unknown as to when we will even receive a referral and little is unknown that once we do receive a referral how long until travel. SO, with that information all we can do is put this process in the hands of God and wait. I guess things happen the way they do for a reason. In the end, we just want our little Annie. So if the wait is longer and she is older than we originally hoped for, we are just fine with that.
Until then we will enjoy our time with Ryan and enjoy our new home.
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I'm sorry you have this frustration. You have such a good attitude and I am sure that will get you through (that and that sweet little boy). Hang in there.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry. Try and stay positive even though everything looks tough right now. Let that adorable little boy help keep your mind off all the unknown waiting!
ReplyDeleteBehind 9 out of 10 adoptions, there is an unwed Korean mother. Ms. Choi talks about struggling against the adoption agency to get her son back after she was coerced into illegally signing away her parental rights. Her son is 4 years old and has her smile: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6sIQhREltk
ReplyDeleteJust wondering if you have gotten any fall updates on referrals from SWS? Are you anticipating traveling in 2012?
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