New Requirement for Ethiopia Program

From our caseworker at WHFC:

Dear Families,
Happy New Year! Coming into the new year, our Ethiopia program is continuing to run smoothly. It certainly is growing and our Ethiopia team is working hard to maintain the process. Although we have been working in Ethiopia since March 2003, we are still evaluating the program for improvements. Most recently, we have added a new requirement that we hope will aid families as they go through the adoption process.

As you surely have ready about, Ethiopian people are incredibly loving and caring toward children. While it is expected that most orphaned children will have experienced conditions of poverty and emotional losses, purposeful abuse and neglect appear to be rare. Community involvement in caring for orphaned children is the norm. It is possible that birth relatives of the child may be documented and available for contact. If you adopt a child who has known birth relatives it is likely that you will have the opportunity to meet your child's birth relatives, if you travel to Ethiopia. Wide Horizons encourages families to be as open as possible to this experience. Families entering the Ethiopia program should expect this proposal in their process. Also, families adopting from Ethiopia are now expected to write an anonymous "Dear Birth Relative" letter, which will be delivered to the birth parent or relatives at the time of travel if birth relatives do exist.

Families may also put together a small photo album to go along with this letter if they would like. This new requirement is reflected in the revised program papers.

No matter where you are in the process---thinking about the Ethiopia program, gathering paperwork for the application, waiting for a referral, waiting for travel---meeting the birth family could be an ongoing thought in your mind. What will that be like? What will/can I say?

It is unique that the Ethiopia program offers adoptive families an opportunity like this. By meeting the birth family, you can learn a little about where your child came from. Wide Horizons recognizes that this can be a highly emotional encounter on both sides and believe a "Dear Birth Relative" letter is a wonderful tool and starting point. There aren't established rules or a format to follow, but Wide Horizons is able to provide suggestions or starter points, if needed.

I think this is a good idea. We are looking forward to the opportunity to meet our son's birth relatives if possible and have already prepared small photo albums. Hopefully we can provide some measure of comfort to the birth relatives and also find out more information about our son's history. I don't quite know what I will say in the letter. Maybe I can get Steve to write it. . .