Forbidden Family

While I have been unable to find my own words since the earthquake in Haiti because suddenly there are orphans, orphans, everywhere orphans, or so-called orphans, I have found comfort in the words of others. This is why I have directed my readers to other bloggers who have written about the adopt-an-orphan craze that is sweeping America and parts of the world.

At the time the earthquake hit, I’m dealing with medical, legal, financial and emotional fallout from my adoptive mother in and out of the hospital and nursing home. I should be on top of the world — the book I spent the better part of the last seven years writing is now published! Instead, I’m sunk in depression.

Also, it just so happened that a few of my online friends have had inspirations, but with  no blogs of their own, they have asked me to guest-post their works. I am happy to do so.

And, to my surprise, another avenue of correspondence led to yet more postings from afar: the United Adoptees International, a worldwide adoptees news group, sent me Press Releases to post on my blog. Many of my readers are adoptees and first parents who circulate through our known blogs and websites, and, many of my readers are adoptive parent organizations who do not want adoptees’ birth records open to us, and who are foaming at the mouth to adopt those poor Haitian orphans who actually want to stay in their own home country with their families. So, as a comfort to me, and as a service to those who have asked me to post their material, I have posted material from others.

The United Adoptees International, based in The Hague, The Netherlands, is especially dear to me. I will close this quickly written post with this quote from an email  received this morning from the media director:  ”… is ok to post our messages on your blog. The more people read our signals the better.” Usually, my correspondence is with the Director of the UAI, but as he was out of office, I corresponded with someone else.

The messages are clear and direct: while do-gooder people have the intention to help Haiti or other poor countries by taking their children to a “better” place with more money, etc, those foreign-born adoptees grow up and feel isolated from their homeland. It is far more important for the message to get out and to be read by people I know are reading my blog because they don’t like the messages here, than for me to have long stretches of time between my own posts. Writers do have other obligations in life so I am happy to post the words of others in between my own works. As the owner of the website and blog, that is my choice.

Joan M Wheeler, BA, BSW, author of Forbidden Family: A Half Orphan’s Account of Her Adoption, Reunion and Social Activism, Trafford Publishing, Nov 2009.

I am relieved that representatives from my profession (Social Work) have made a formal statement to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, concerning Haitian children and adoption. The following letter was forwarded by Mirah Riben, and in another email by Etta Lappen Davis. 

Hello All,

 The attached open letter to Secretary Clinton was sent on 2/4/2010, and was shared with all major news organizations, NASW & CSWE.  Signers are sharing the open letter with other professionals and would appreciate your support in the form of e-mails, letters or phone calls to Secretary Clinton’s office. 

You may contact Secretary Clinton at:

U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington , DC 20520  

Main Switchboard:
202-647-4000
TTY:1-800-877- 8339

 Web-base e-mail access:  http://www.state. gov/secretary.  (Click on the “contact us” button in the top right hand corner of the page, and then click on the “e-mail a question or comment” tab) 

 Feel free to pass on.  Thanks.

 Etta Lappen Davis

Etsky Consulting

www.etskyconsulting .com

etta@etskyconsultin g.com

http://www.linkedin .com/in/ettalapp endavis

… … … …  

February 4, 2010

Dear Secretary Clinton:

On February 2, 2010, there were very good opinion pieces in the New York Times about the Haitian Orphan crisis (http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/haitis-children-and-the-adoption-question/). We, as professional social workers/human service providers and social work scholars support this discourse, however in the immediate situation we want to underscore a pressing concern. Many of the children who are coming to the USA for emergency medical care are arriving on humanitarian visas and in crisis. We ask that you consider the following:

Some of these children have uncertain identities and in time, determining their family connections will be difficult therefore DNA should be a part of the procedures so that they may be returned to their parents or extended family, when possible.

The USA medical facilities where these children are being treated have the capacity to take tests and, in addition a centralized DNA database must be developed and managed by a party that has no financial interest in intercountry adoption.

The visas that are being issued by the Department of State can be coded as to identify such a child (example: humanitarian/medical/minor Haitian). Coding in this manner would be a second data point for the aforementioned database, insuring that the whereabouts of these children are clear so that they may be returned to their families if and when that is possible.

It is our position that such management of information is necessary so that the best interests of the child are honored and the prevention of child abduction is assured.

All of the above points are explained in greater detail at Americas Quarterly http://www.americasquarterly.org/haiti-orphans

As social workers, we further support the position statement of International Social Services which is found at: http://www.iss-ssi.org/2009/assets/files/news/haiti_position%20CIR_ENG.pdf

Finally, the news reports indicate that a US-based faith group has been arrested in the Dominican Republic for an illegal airlift of children. We implore the US government to cooperate with international law enforcement to clarify this incident—determine if it was indeed child trafficking and act accordingly. Our nation’s commitment to the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, set forth to prevent abduction and trafficking of children, requires that we act responsibly in law enforcement related to such alleged activities. Even if the Convention does not apply to Haiti , it is our opinion that we must act according to these values to insure the best interests of the child .

If and when adoption of Haitian children re-opens as an option, managing this system ethically will be essential to insure human rights of peoples who have already been so devastated.

Sincerely,

Karen Smith Rotabi, PhD, MSW, MPH
Assistant Professor, School of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
ksrotabi@vcu.edu

Kathleen Bergquist, LCSW, JD, PhD Associate Professor, School of Social Work
University of Nevada at Las Vegas

DeGuerre Blackburn, ACSW

Executive Drector Voices for International Development and Adoption
Hudson,NY

Mary Katherine O’Connor, PhD
Professor, School of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond , VA

Jini L. Roby, JD, MSW , MS
International Child Welfare Consultant
Associate Professor
Brigham Young University
Provo , UT

Denise Gammonley, PhD, LCSW
Associate Professor
Hartford Geriatric Social Work Faculty Scholar
School of Social Work
University of Central Florida

Carmen Monico, MSc, MSW/PhD student
School of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond , VA

Rosemary J. Link, PhD
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
Simpson College
Indianola , Iowa

John Cosgrove PhD, Professor Emeritus
Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service
Chair International Special Interest Group, New Jersey Chapter
National Association of Social Workers

Jenny Jones, PhD, MSW
Associate Professor, School of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond , VA

Humberto Fabelo, PhD, MSW
BSW Program Director
Associate Professor, School of Social Work
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond , VA

Ruth McRoy, PhD
Research Professor and Ruby Lee Piester Centennial Professor Emerita
School of Social Work
University of Texas
Austin , TX

Etta Lappen Davis, MA.Ed.
Principal & Child Welfare Consultant
Etsky Consulting, Bolton , MA

Karen Smith Rotabi, PhD, LMSW, MPH
Assistant Professor
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work
1001 West Franklin Street
Richmond, VA 23284-2027
(804) 828-5411 (office)
(804) 828-0716 (fax)