Closer to Answers

On Friday we met with AWAA, after deciding that we were interested in adopting from either Rwanda or Ethiopia.  While Ethiopia is one of the largest countries for international adoptions to the United States, Rwanda is relatively new.  They are both countries with immense need, having large number of orphanages that still can not even handle the full number of abandoned or orphaned children, struggling economies, and have been ravaged from HIV, TB and other diseases.  However, from an adoption standpoint they are very different.  Ethiopia has a well structured and regulated adoption program and accredits agencies to work within the country.   The adoption process, requirements, and timelines are therefore fairly well understood.  Rwanda has only recently become more open to international adoption, and does not allow, regulate, or accredit adoption agencies in the company.  Effectively, AWAA and other agencies operating in Rwanda are assisting in the facility of an independent adoption between the parents and the government directly.

Our meeting with AWAA went very well and we were comfortable with them as an agency.  Through our research and exchanging emails with other parents who have adopted we have learned there are no perfect agencies.  Some agencies are large, professional and impersonal, while others are tiny, doing only tens of adoptions a year.  For Mary and I, ethics, references and successful outcomes were very important in our decision while speed, pre and post-adoptive services and getting the lowest possible cost were not as large of concerns.  Through our research and the interview we felt they are working in these countries in a God honoring way that addressed some of the concerns we had based on our research into issues with international adoptions.  Being located here in Northern Virginia ends up being a bonus, and we are still going to talk to at least one more agency before we make our decision.