Tag Archives: Haiti earthquake

What is Humanitarian Parole?

My last blog spoke of hundreds of orphans whose adoptions were in progress at the time of the earthquake being granted “humanitarian parole”. Humanitarian parole is a temporary admittance to the U.S. granted on an individual basis when immediate travel to the U.S. is believed to be necessary to “ensure the care the individual requires”. Perhaps we are most familiar with the term applying to children who need medical treatment unavailable in their home countries, whether they are in the process of being adopted or only seeking to be in the U.S. while under medical care. As I mentioned in … Continue reading →

For Families Adopting from Haiti, Quake Brings Devastating Uncertainty

Only now is information about the 254 Haitian children who are being adopted by U.S. citizens beginning to trickle out of Haiti. Some of these children have already been legally adopted by U.S. citizens and are just waiting for their passports and travel visas. Some of them have been known by their adoptive families for months or years. Almost all have been visited by their adoptive parents at least once. A Washington State couple appeared on Thursday morning’s Today Show and spoke with Meredith Viera about the eight-year-old girl and six-year-old boy they are adopting. The adoption has been completed … Continue reading →