Update on the adoption front - Update over de adoptie

So, what is happening for us, and others regarding adoption ?

Let's start in Kenya.
Next week there will be a convention about the future of adoption in East Africa, organised, amongst others, by the LAN (Little Angels Network).
This is the local, Kenyan Agency that Stichting Africa and the Belgian Agency works with.
This East African Convention in Nairobi will be proceeded by smaller meetings with National authorities for different agencies from different countries, we know this through our Dutch Agency Wereldkinderen.

There are things changing in the procedures, which was clear from the Minister disbanding the NAC, National Adoption Committee, which does not have to be a bad thing in itself.
What is a problem however is that Immigration at Nyayo House is now not giving out any passports or visa's to adopted children even though the court procedures in High Court have finished.
Practically this would mean you have legally adopted a child but are not able to leave the country due to having no travel documents for your child.
(there is also a rumour that the Childrens Department does not give the COC anymore, this is not confirmed to us, and not all parents breed this document anyway)

What we understand at this moment (middle of November 2013) is that the Government is looking for 2 things:
- to simplify and improve all the adoption procedures (including International)
- to increase domestic adoptions and improve the procedures for parents and children regarding kinship adoption and fostering

This is, for me anyway, clearly illustrated by the fact that our agency is invited to go to Kenya to discuss the International Adoption Procedures.

As far as I can understand from several contacts there is no 'overall plan' against, International Adoptions or even foreigners as yet.
Yes, the government is discussing less financial involvement in NGO's from abroad, but this seems to be not directly related to adoption, but more about the ICC.

Kenya, or more to the point the Government nowadays headed by Kenyatta and Ruto seem to be determined to turn away from the International Criminal Court and any Human Rights organisations that have international funding.
The ICC is based in the Hague in the Netherlands but has no other link to our country (the Netherlands) by any other direct means.

The "the Hague Statue" for laws about the International Adoption of Children and Childrens Rights has no connections to the ICC in any way.

So, the fact that the men in power do not wish to be prosecuted by the ICC has no connection to International Adoptions whatsoever.

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For ourselves, we had a 'disappointing' moment yesterday when we received a letter from our Dutch lawyer.
We hoped it would contain the news that Kieran's adoption according to Dutch law was finalised...
But is was merely to say that the case has been before the judge and the court has to wait for a period of 3 to 6 months to make a final decision.
When we receive the final decision (not before next year obviously) we will be able to proceed the request for a Dutch passport and therefore will be able to travel freely with Kieran.

We started this proces in June, so soon it will be 6 months...
Possibly these proceedings will be longer even than our time in Kenya!

Anyway, we will keep you posted through this blog, All the best to all readers, to be continued.

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Nederlands volgt snel.