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 my last blog, the U.S. government is granting humanitarian parole to Haitian children who were in the process of being adopted by American citizens at the time of the January 12 earthquake.
Families whose children come to the U.S. on humanitarian parole will need to follow up closely with their adoption agencies and the federal CIS (Citizenship and Immigration Services) to ensure permanent status for their children.
The following information is summarized and condensed from the Department of State website. Adopting parents should contact the state department and their adoption professionals for updated advice and specifics.
Two categories of children are eligible for humanitarian parole. The first category is children who were a) legally confirmed by the Haitian Government– prior to the January 12 earthquake– to be orphans eligible for international adoption and b) in the process of being adopted by American citizens prior to Jan. 12, and c) show evidence of eligibility for adoption by either a formal Haitian adoption decree, a Government of Haiti grant to the prospective adoption parents for the emigration and adoption of the child, or “suitable evidence in lieu of the above”. Prospective adoptive parents also have to show “suitability for adoption” through at least one of the following: approval of form I-600A (Advance Application for Orphan Processing), current FBI fingerprints and background security clearance, or physical custody in Haiti along with a security background check.
The second category of eligibility is children who were a) identified by adoption professionals (prior to Jan. 12) as eligible for international adoption, and b) matched with prospective U.S. parents before Jan. 12, and c) can show significant evidence of a parent/child relationship and parental intent to complete the adoption. The “significant evidence” might be: proof that parents have visited the child in Haiti, parents’ signed Acceptance of Referral Letter, or evidence that the would-be parents had initiated adoption proceedings before Jan. 12, such as a completed homestudy, filing the I600 or I600A orphan immigration forms, or contacts with an adoption service provider. Child availability for adoption may be determined for Category 2 cases by approval of the Haitian adoption authority, or documentation of legal relinquishment by birth family, or court decree awarding custody to an orphanage, or “secondary evidence in lieu of the above”. Parental suitability for adoption may be determined in Category 2 cases through either I-600A approval or current background security clearance including a current fingerprint check.
It is encouraging that so many children have been granted humanitarian parole.
In fact, some families adoptive had their children with them within ten days of the earthquake—potentially months earlier than their pre-earthquake expectations.
However, the Haitian government has recently added some new steps in the process which increase families’ waiting time. Families worry that documentation will be hard to find since so many government buildings in the capital of Port-au-Prince were destroyed and so many workers killed, injured or homeless.
Please see these related blogs:
For Families Adopting from Haiti, Quake Brings Devastating Uncertainty