meeting at Parquet with IBESR present and about 20 creche directors
Adoption News
5 February 2009
Yesterday, there was a meeting at Parquet with IBESR present and about 20 creche directors. It is disappointing when only 20 directors out of 67 creches come to these meetings. One reason the turn out was probably low was that Mme Yva Samedy's, director of one of the Haitian orphanages, husband's funeral was taking place at the same time. He was kidnapped and killed in PAP last week.
They could not tell us about the dispensations. They said that this was for the Minister of Justice's office to give us word on them. Everyone expressed their concerns and the problems we are having. Nothing was resolved. It is the same thing at every meeting. They told us the moratorium on accepting dossiers that did not meet the 1974 law was finished. We said that it never really was in place. All of the dossiers that should have been covered with the moratorium were returned to us and are now in dispensation. What was the moratorium for if not to pass through these dossiers that have been in process for such a long time?
Finally, the commissioner over Parquet in PAP came in and said that since there seemed to be so many problems with Parquet and IBESR, he asked that those present at the meeting write a letter to Parquet and they would work with IBESR to find resolutions to the problems.
These same discussions have been going on since Commissioner Gassant was head of Parquet. Two years ago July, we had meetings with the same end results...nothing changed!
I suggested having an office where we could take families and have them actually talk to a representative of IBESR and Parquet at the beginning of the process. This would eliminate trying to find parents after the children are in the orphanage 1 to 2 years. Sometimes, parents do not come to visit! Then we have to hire an investigator to go out and search for the parents. Even that does not work sometimes.
But this would be too simple, too practical, and might actually work! So we continue to work with the system that we have in place as chaotic as it is!
For those of our parents waiting for a referral, I have lots of baby boys that have come in and will be giving lots of proposals in the next week. I have not had many little girls come to the orphanage lately. There is a long waiting list for girls. Please be patient and we are praying for a baby for you.
27 January 2009
NOTICE: Room and Board for all adoptive parents staying at GLA is being raised to $50 USD per night. This includes 3 meals per day. There is also a $100 USD per person fee for Security, and a $25 USD per family (not per person) charge for transportation/fuel cost.
15 January 2009
Effective immediately all adoption fees will be increased to $10,500 USD per child. The first deposit of $5000 will not be refundable. This increase allows us to continue to provide the quality of care that we have always provided to the children. These rates are comparable to other orphanages who have the same high standards as GLA.
We find that non-adoption related donations have fallen off this last year, due to the economy, making it impossible to run the orphanage on the former adoption fees. The children are staying at the orphanage an average of 20 months. The adoption fees are not covering the costs, and the non-adoption related donations used to make up the difference. This is no longer the case.