So, you want to adopt in Uganda?

Be Respectful. Please.

2011-08-29T11:10:00.003-04:00

How you behave matters. I think I've said that one before. It's true. I promise. While you are in Uganda, you are a guest. Uganda has a different culture, a different feel, a different set of unspoken rules. As does every different country. In America we often don't wait long for food or for services. Our society is fast paced. Things move a little slower in Uganda. While you are in Uganda, enjoy Uganda. It was so nice to sit with a new friend and chat for an hour or so while waiting for a meal. Take the time to slow down. It will allow you to embrace the time you get to spend in Uganda. It is such a privilege to spend time in your child's birth country. The time we spent was so short, only six weeks. That isn't a lot of time to soak up Uganda. We are grateful to the country, to the people, to those we met. They have blessed our family in huge ways.

Parenting can be tiring and frustrating. If you are in Uganda and you are tired and frustrated, vent those things in private. That doesn't mean in a guest house with Ugandans in the next room who can hear you. That means in your room, in private, to your spouse.

Traveling in a different country can be so stressful. I'm sorry. I know it's hard. I felt it myself. If you need to release that stress, please do so respectfully.

Waiting for paperwork, waiting for appointments, waiting for passports, waiting for food, waiting for your clothes to dry during rainy season, waiting for court documents.... the waiting can be overwhelming. While we should be pros because we've waited on the homestudy, waited on the I-171H, waited on the referral, waited on the court date, waited, waited, waited, waited already.... waiting is one of the hardest things. In our American drive through, get what you want, instant gratification culture, we don't get trained to wait well. But please, while in Uganda, do everything you can to turn that frown upside down and be proud of the way you wait gracefully.

How you behave in Uganda matters.

If you are

patient, kind, gracious, above reproach, loving, caring, funny, honest, light hearted, gentle, joyful, reserved, loyal, witty, humble, cooperative

you are going to be showing Uganda the respect it deserves.

And shouldn't you be proud to show respect to your child's birth country?

Uganda Adoption Q and A: VISA

2011-08-24T07:04:00.001-04:00

The US Embassy in Kampala is on Gabba road. There is no parking. You will need to be dropped off as close as you can to the Embassy and walk. There are plenty of spots. Pack light. You will have to drop your phone, camera, electronics, etc with a guard in front of the lockers. It is safe. Your stuff will be fine. The guard will lock everything up in front of you. There is an outdoor waiting area, you then go through an indoor security area. Smile! Just do what they say and ask. Then it's back outside and then back inside to the cleanest waiting room with actual toilets and toilet paper! It's so exciting!!! There is no food or drink allowed. This is really tricky when you have little ones and you are there for four hours. Eat and drink before you go!

Adoption Processing Appointments are held on Monday and Wednesday's only. You may drop off paperwork or pick up the needed medical form at anytime. Well, as of today that's the way it's done. It changes often, so make sure and check closer to the time you will arrive in country!

You will need all of your paperwork which includes:
Form I-600 Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
2. Form DS-230 Application for Immigrant Visa Application
3. Form DS-1981 Affidavit Concerning Exemption from Immigrant Vaccination Requirements (I know vaccinations are a controversial topic. We chose to not do shots in Uganda because our schools won't recognize them, either will our health dept. So if we got them in UG, we would have had to re do them all once in the states. No fun.)
4. Form I-864 Affidavit of Support or I-864W if a full and final adoption has been completed in Uganda
5. Most recent tax returns, 3 years back
6. The child’s:
a. Birth certificate
b. Passport
c. Irrevocable release from the person/entity that had previous custody
d. Four 2” x 2” photographs
e. Court ruling with petitioner’s name
f. Adoption order with petitioner’s name
g. Care order from probation officer

Once an appointment has been finalized, the prospective adoptive parents should make sure to bring these documents as well to the interview:
1. Evidence of the petitioner’s identity
2. Orphanage file if the child came from a home
3. Death certificates of the biological parent(s) (if deceased) or the presence of the person(s) who had previous custody at the time of interview
4. Immigrant visa application fee ($404)
5. I-600 petition filing fee (not required in all circumstances)

The U.S. Embassy is closed on U.S. and Ugandan holidays. Prospective adoptive parents should keep this in mind when trying to schedule orphan interviews and immigrant visa appointments.

Email kampalaadoptions@state.gov to receive your initial appointment and to inquire that your I-171H approval cable has indeed been received by the embassy. Please inquire about the I-171H being in Kampala BEFORE you leave for Uganda. Several families have arrived to find out their approvals were wrongly sent to Kenya. And they had to wait for it to be transferred. You don't want to wait on this approval to be transferred!

Oh yeah, and don't forget to bring your folder. With originals. And extra copies. Notarized. With blue ink.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Loss In Infant Adoption

2011-08-16T07:56:00.000-04:00

There seems to be a debate over those who have adopted infants and those who have adopted older children. I haven't ever adopted an infant. I am quite certain every adopted child feels loss. Perhaps it's not in the first month home with an infant, but the loss is there. I can't give you first hand information with infant adoption. So let's listen to Dr Karyn Purvis, shall we?

PS.... Today we celebrate another adoptiversary! And we'd like to thank Micah Pattisall for sitting through the hugging, smooching and tears.... and then the peeling off of children so he could take us to the airport!

Children from Hard Places from Tapestry on Vimeo.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Loss

2011-08-15T07:45:00.001-04:00

Adoption and loss go hand in hand. Sadly. Today I am going to tell you a story of loss our family experienced. I often hear people say 'my child' once they have a referral, but before they go to court to adopt the child. That is a slippery slope. Once you get that referral picture it is hard to not fall head over heals in love... all in. I know from experience.

In April 2007 we saw a picture on an agency photo listing of a 6 year old girl. For the next six months her picture was our screen saver. We had been actively pursuing adoption for almost four years through the foster system. Looking at photo listings became a daily activity for me. We were at a point where the closed doors just kept coming and we decided that perhaps those closed doors were not bumps in the road, but for real closed doors. Yes, we are slow. We were trying to figure out the whole international adoption thing. Selecting a country was harder than we thought. Keith came home one day and said, 'Liberia'. I didn't know where Liberia was. I was laughed at when I started looking for it in South America. Keith picked up the globe and turned it to Africa. We had no clue the child who became our screensaver was from Liberia. We soon found out once we started finding out more about the face we had been looking at all those months.

On October 2, 2007 we accepted the referral of a six year old girl in Liberia. Her name was Jenneh. Pronounced like my name, but spelled differently. I fell head over heals in love with little Jenneh. I called her 'my child'. I prayed for her just like I prayed for my bio kids. I cried myself to sleep over her often because I wanted 'my child' home so badly. I showed her picture to everyone who would look. We dreamed of the day she would come home to us. We planned for our future together as a family. We were desperate to bring 'our child' home.

If anyone followed Liberian adoptions in that time frame you know things pretty much shut down in January of 2008. We buckled down for a long journey to bring 'our child' home. We would wait it out. That was 'our child' after all. We were sad to have to wait it out, but that's what you do when it's 'your child'. On Memorial Day weekend our agency director called us. She was very honest, very truthful and to the point. We had officially lost 'our child'. We cried. We mourned the loss. I still see her face every time someone says 'Jena'. Which is a lot. Since it's my name.

This was the second loss of a referral we experienced. When we decided to adopt in Uganda while waiting it out in Liberia, we were referred a boy. Once we accepted his referral, they took him for a medical appointment. He was found to be HIV+. We were told we could not adopt him. We told them HIV+ kids didn't worry us. We still wanted 'our child'. They said no. We could not convince them to let us adopt 'our child'. Was it fair? No. But when you sign up to adopt in a third world country (well any country for that matter) you don't make the rules. But you are bound by them. And by the way, nobody lists the rules for you. It's just the way it goes. Any guesses on who the first child we saw when arriving at Kendric and KaiaRose's village? The little boy who was HIV+. The one we thought was 'our child'. My heart stopped. I wanted to scoop him up too.

So why all the details? Because there were so many things that we felt were God orchestrated, yet didn't end up with 'our child' home with our family. It taught us a very important lesson. These children are not ours. They are God's children. And He loves each of them more than we could imagine. He has a purpose for each child's life. We don't know how the story ends for all these kids who desperately need a family. But we know God cares for them and knows their name.

Make no mistake. God brings 'your child' home to you. Please don't think I am saying not to jump in and fall in love with that referral picture. People ask us all the time why we don't celebrate our 'Gotcha Day' the day we met Kendric and KaiaRose. It's because in Uganda, we never felt like we could say 'this is our child' until we had those visas in hand!

Many people have experienced the falling in love with a child they thought they would bring home. It's so hard when it doesn't happen. Loss is not fun.

Uganda Adoption Q and A:Fundraising

2011-08-14T07:55:00.001-04:00

I feel uncomfortable asking anyone to help us pay for our adoption"

You do?

Why?

Why would you not want to give others the chance to be a part of this child's story?

Why would you want to make them miss out on the blessing you receive when you give?

Why wouldn't you want to use fundraising as a way to advocate for the orphan?

Fundraising can be used as a great opportunity to share your heart for adoption, orphan care and caring for the vulnerable. USE IT AS SUCH!!

Yard sales. Pancake breakfasts. Spaghetti dinners. T-shirt sales. Sell something from your future child's country. Daddy/Daughter dance. Movie night. Carnival. Raffles. Auctions. The list is endless.

Fellow adoptive mama Julie Gumm wrote this fabulous book. She takes you through many ways to raise the money required to adopt.... from tightening the purse strings to great adoption fundraisers. Read this book!

Many people aren't called to adopt. But we are all called to do something to help vulnerable people. One way to jump into orphan care is to financially help those who have been called to adoption. So below, check out what others are doing to answer their call to adopt. And if you can, help someone. Help one. There is a big difference in becoming overwhelmed at the big picture and realizing that we are only so big. We can't help everyone. We can most certainly help one. Focus on the one.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Travel

2011-08-12T07:54:00.001-04:00

We used Carlo with CBY Travel (773)478-5381 for our adoption travel. We loved the experience. He was able to get us a humanitarian fare which allowed us to take 3 bags and return with 2 bags. Our flights were changeable with British Airways. Which came in handy. As we changed our return tickets not once, or twice, but FIVE times. You just don't know when you will complete the in country process. And he was kind and polite all five times. We were never charged a penny for changing our flights. This is huge people!

We highly recommend Erica Shubin. She is a fellow adoptive parent who can also get you amazing rates. She works fast and is so nice to work with. Bonus? You also get, for free, an amazing prayer warrior added to your family! You will love working with her and getting to know her! Erica can get you the same great stuff Carlo got us.

erica.shubin@gmail.com

I think the small extra fee to make your flights changeable is the way to go if you are traveling for the court process. If you are making a visit ahead of time, or making your way through the process in two trips changeable flights aren't that big of deal.

Humanitarian flights with extra baggage allowance is a great way to go as well. This will allow you to bring donations. You do not need three suitcases to pack your clothes.

Let's talk about packing

*If you want an item in the first three days, pack it in your carry-on. I'm not saying your luggage will not arrive. I am just saying Keith and I packed very differently and only one of us had clothes for court!

*In your carry-on pack your handy dandy notebook with all the notarized in blue ink originals and copies. Also, at least two changed of clothes with one of them being nice enough to wear to court if your court date is within the first couple days of arriving, medications, allowed toiletries, an outfit for your little one/ones, did I mention the notebook yet? Please, please, please do not pack your notebook in your suitcase. I know it's big. And heavy. It's okay. It's worth the bulk!

*You totally don't have to pack like this, but after 5 trips to Africa since our adoption, it's the way we roll. We pack for ourselves in our carry-on. We pack for others in our suitcases. You just don't need a lot of clothes. Really. You don't. We pack 5-7 outfits.

*Our outfits are in the darker color groups. There is orange dirt in Uganda. If you wear white or light khaki pants, they will turn orange. You may want to change the light colored shorts and pants for darker khaki's/light browns. Skirts that have patterns are great. Then the orange just blends in. I had bloody knuckles trying to get our light colored clothes clean via hand washing. Just trying to save your knuckles!

*Think about bringing medications you would have on hand at home. Children's tylenol/advil. Diaper rash ointment. Cold/flu medications. Sour tummy medicine. Sunscreen. Insect repellant. Band-aids. Cortisone cream. Neosporin. You can get medicine there, but you may not be able to read the ingredient list!

*Where you are staying and what you are doing will also determine what you should pack. If you are working in a babies home, you may need some extra shirts as babes may leave presents down your back! If you are visiting villages you may want to pack something besides flip flops. If you are speaking at a church you may want to bring your fancy pants.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Dressing for court

2011-08-11T07:09:00.001-04:00

Dressing for court.

Always ask your attorney what they suggest. Then do what they say! Here are some basic tips for dressing for court.

Kids.

Do bathe them.

Do lotion them up.

Do dress them in comfy Sunday best.

Do bring a sweater. Trust me. When it hits 75 Ugandans think it's cold. And if it hits 75 degrees and you don't have a sweater for your little one you will get the evil eye. Like we did.

Do stuff any pocket with a little trinket they can play with.

Do put shoes on them.

Our little lady kindly sat down in the judges quarters and threw her shoes off, but at least the judge knew we cared enough to give her shoes! You don't have to make them look like the fanciest kid at the party, but have fun playing dress up for their special day!

Ladies.

Do cover those shoulders.

Do wear a skirt or dress that covers your knees when sitting.

Do be modest.

Stuff little toys/trinkets and snacks in your purse to help pass the time for your child.

What is that? You don't own a dress or skirt? Hit Goodwill sister!

What is that? Your luggage didn't make it and all you have is the sweat pants you wore on the plane? Beg the lady down the hall in the guesthouse to borrow something, or tell your attorney and have them lend you something, or go shopping!

Is wearing pants really that horrible? Well no, but out of respect for the way Ugandans do things, show off your girly side.

Men.

Do shoot for business attire.

Do iron that shirt.

Do shave or trim that facial hair.

Have a pocket? Stuff those pockets with anything you can think of to keep your little one quiet in court!

Do you really want to take up half your suitcase bringing a suit? You can. Or you can wear slacks, a button down and a tie. Perhaps throw in a suit coat.

Above all, look modest, professional and tidy.

And don't forget the pocket stuffing. Court days can be long days. Bring anything you can to make it as pleasant as possible!

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Court

2011-08-10T06:51:00.001-04:00

Once you are given a court date by your lawyer, the real excitement starts. You may have 8 days notice like us. You may have two months notice. Uganda adoption is not a cookie cutter system. Things vary. A lot. Wish I could tell you at day 68 this will happen, at day 72 this will happen. I can't. She can't. He can't. They can't. It just doesn't work like that. Enjoy learning all about flexibility!

You will attend two court hearings. Usually.

Remember your handy, dandy notebook. BRING IT! And all those extra notarized in blue ink copies! If you sent it to your attorney, you should also have a copy (or three) in your notebook in your hands in court. Yes..... notarized. In blue ink. Everything. Even the copies.

Some other things that have been asked for you may consider sliding in that notebook. Bring documents certifying pre adoptive training or classes you took. If you are adopting a child with special needs you may want to take a couple classes or get some special training.... and include this documentation. Have pictures of your home, the adopted child's room, your family. Have copies of your diplomas. Have copies of your social workers diploma. Post placement reports if you have previously adopted. Proof of health insurance. Some people are asked for a couple of these things. Some are not. I would not stress if you don't have these things. I would just suggest you consider going the extra step so if you are asked, you are extra prepared.

Court hearing #1: You will arrive at high court at the appointed time your lawyer instructs you to arrive. You will have your belongings searched. You may be asked to show ID. You will walk up stairs. While you wait to be called for court you will wait in the outdoor waiting area or breezeway. You may wait a short amount of time or a long amount of time. Be prepared. Be flexible. Typically 'court' takes place in the judges chambers. There is a desk, chairs, perhaps a couch. It reminded me of an office. It may be a good idea to bring someone who can wait outside with the child if they should cry or cause too much noise in the judges chambers. The clerk will be there taking notes like a court reporter would here in the states. Your lawyer will talk for you. The judge may ask lots of questions to your attorney, to you, to the orphanage director or anyone else present. The judge may not. Be ready for anything. Remain silent unless spoken to. If you are asked questions, simply answer them honestly. The judge is not there to find every possible thing wrong with you. The judge is there to hear your appeal for legal guardianship. The judge is there to rule in the best interest of the Ugandan child. The judge wants each Ugandan child to have what they need to be raised with loving care and support. The judge wants what is best for the Ugandan children. You'll know if the judge has questions! At the end of court hearing #1, the second court date, the ruling, will be scheduled.

Common questions:

Do both potential parents need to be present? It is advised, but not required.

Do we bring the child? Yes.

What do we wear? Check back for a whole blog post on this one!

We are trying to gain legal guardianship of biological siblings, will the judge hear the cases at the same time as if it were one child. Other people in this circumstance have said each child may be scheduled back to back with the same judge.... very similar to a single child.

We are trying to gain legal guardianship of two unrelated children, will the same judge hear both cases. Sometimes, sometimes not. This was our situation and we had two different court dates with two different judges about 5 days apart.

Court date #2: You will arrive when told and wait the same as the first time. You will usually be called into the judges chambers, just like the first time. Our judges both read the ruling and granted us legal guardianship. It was a short visit with the judges.

Common questions:

Do both potential parents need to be present for the second court date? No, but it's way fun to hear the judge say you are granted legal guardianship. You should totally do everything possible to have that experience! And if the judge does not think having this child join your family is in the child's best interest... wouldn't you both want to be there to support each other?

So what is next? Next you wait for the written ruling (one ish page document stating the judge grants you legal guardianship) and the written order (similar to a court deposition).

How long did it take for you to get these papers? With one child we had the documents the next morning. With one judge we waited 15 days. While I realize waiting is hard, I encourage you to use that time of waiting to jump into Ugandan culture as well as continue getting to know the newest member of your family! Uganda is filled with incredible people. Enjoy every moment you are privileged to spend in your child's birth country.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Adoption vs Legal Guardianship

2011-08-09T06:35:00.000-04:00

This is going to be long. The information below is written by Freda Luzinda- US Dept of State. And it's good. Grab a cup of coffee and read it all. I was going to just cut and paste a couple parts, but decided on keeping it in it's origianl form. Enjoy! So thankful for her time researching and her care and dedication for the children of Uganda.

Information found http://www.thewayforwardproject.org/

Our instructions are to advise on any other laws or regulations other than the Children Act pertaining to child welfare, domestic or inter-country adoption, foster care, guardianship, family reunification or preservation. I have examined the laws of Uganda enacted in the year 2000 and amendments thereto. I have also examined laws of Uganda enacted from the year 2001 to 2011. My findings are divided into subsets examining laws relating to child welfare, adoption and foster care, guardianship and family reunification or preservation.

1. CHILDWELFARE

In considering child welfare, we have analyzed provisions relating to the general well being and safety of children.

a) The Constitution of the Republic of Uganda 1995

i. Article 17(c) imposes a duty on every citizen of Uganda to protect children and vulnerable persons against any form of abuse, harassment or ill treatment.

ii. Article 31 (4) provides that it is the right and duty of parents to care for and bring up their children.

iii. Article 34 provides for rights of children generally and relates to various child related welfare issues namely;

 Basic education which is the responsibility of the State and the parents of the child.

 Entitlement to medical treatment, education or any other social or economic benefit by reason of religious or other beliefs.

 Protection of children under the age of 16 from social or economic exploitation employment in work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with their education or to be harmful to their health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

 Child offenders kept in lawful custody or detention must be kept separately from adult offenders.

 Special protection of orphans and other vulnerable children.

b) The Maintenance Orders Enforcement Act Cap 17

This Act facilitates the enforcement in Uganda of maintenance orders made in England and Northern Ireland and the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland. Also under the same Act, maintenance orders made in Uganda can be enforced in England, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland

c) Succession Act Cap 162

Under Section 38, Court may make an order for maintenance of a child from the estate where a deceased person leaves a will that does not provide for the child‟s maintenance.

d) The Prevention of Trafficking in Person Act 2009

i. Under Section 5 it is an offence of aggravated trafficking in children which bears the maximum sentence of death. Aggravated trafficking involves;

 recruitment, transporting, transferring, harboring or receiving a person, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation or engaging that person in prostitution, pornography, sexual exploitation, forced labor, slavery, involuntary servitude, death bondage, forced or arranged marriage;

 use of a child in any armed conflict or commission of a crime;  removal of any part, organ or tissue from the body of a child for

purposes of human sacrifice;

 abandoning a child outside the country;

 use of a child or any body part of a child in witchcraft, rituals and related practices.

ii. Section 7 extends the offence of trafficking to affect any person who promotes it by;

 recruitment, transporting, transferring, harboring or receiving a child for any purpose without authority of the parent or guardian

of such a child except whether it is done in good faith and in the interest of the child.  abandoning a child. in circumstances likely to cause fear, isolation, injury, pain or other harm; or to facilitate the trafficking of that child. Upon conviction, an offender is liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred and twenty currency points or to imprisonment for five years, or both such imprisonment and fine, and on subsequent conviction for the same offence, imprisonment of seven years without the option of a fine.

iii. Under Section 9, failure to disclose a trafficking conviction when applying for employment which places one in a position of authority or care of children or offering or agreeing to take care of or supervise children is an offence carrying a punishment of a fine, not exceeding three thousand currency points or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years or both.

iv. To protect the child victims of trafficking, proceedings of the court are conducted in camera, outside the presence of the media as per Section 13 (2).

e) Penal Code Act Cap 120

Within the Penal Code Act, there are various offences related to child welfare as detailed below.

i. It is a misdemeanor under Section 156 for a parent, guardian or any other person having the lawful care or charge of a child less than fourteen years of age and being able to maintain such child, willfully and without lawful or reasonable cause desert the child and leave it without means of support.

ii. Under Section 157, child neglect is a misdemeanor. This offence involves failure by a parent, guardian or any other person having the lawful care or charge of a child of tender years to provide sufficient food, clothes, bedding and other necessaries for such child, so as thereby to injure the health of the child.

f) Public Health Act Cap 281

i. Under Section 38, it is mandatory for parents or guardian of every child born in Uganda shall, within twelve months from birth to cause the child to be successfully vaccinated by a public vaccinator or medical practitioner.

ii. It is an offence under Section 50 for a person who, while suffering from any venereal disease in a communicable form, to accept or continue in employment either as an employee or on his or her own account in any place in any capacity entailing the care of children. An employer also commits an offence if they knowingly employ such a person or had reasonable means of knowing or suspecting that the person was suffering from the disease.

g) Local Governments Act Cap 243

Within the local Government Council‟s child welfare has been decentralized and is handled at both at District and lower local government level as provided in Section 16, 25,47 (2)(b)

Further, the roles and responsibilities of District Councils include child welfare services as evidenced in the 2nd schedule part 2 clause 2 (c), 5 (v), 7, 13, 23 and 28(d).

h) Succession Act Cap 162

The Succession Act through various sections provides for the protection of children‟s welfare in the event of death of their parents or guardians.

i. Children‟s advancement is taken into consideration during distribution of an intestate‟s property. Section 33 provides that where a share in the property of an intestate is due to a child or any lineal descendant of a child of the intestate, no money or other property which the intestate may, during his life, have paid, given or settled to, or for the advancement of, the child to whom is due shall be taken into account in estimating their share.

i) Food and Drugs (Marketing of Infant and Young Child Foods) Regulations Statutory Instrument No, 278-1.

This Act generally governs and regulates marketing of foods to parents and guardians of expectant mothers and parents with a view of maintaining children‟s health.

2. DOMESTIC AND INTERCOUNTRY ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE

Adoption and Foster care in Uganda are governed by the Children Act Chapter 59. The Children (Adoption of Children) Rules- Statutory Instrument 59-1 provides for the procedural requirements for making applications for adoption.

In order for a non- Citizen to adopt a child, they would have to have stayed in Uganda for at least three years and fostered the child for at least 36 months. This provision may be waived in exceptional circumstances however the exceptional circumstances mentioned as a requirement are not specified in the law and have been left to the court to determine.

3. GUARDIANSHIP

There are no laws in Uganda that specifically relate to guardianship. Guardianship orders are applied for under section 3 of the Children Act and paragraph 1 (b) of the First Schedule to the Children Act Cap 59 which relate to the welfare principle. The principle is that in making any decision concerning a child, the welfare of the child is of paramount importance. Once it is in the best interest of the child, Court can appoint fit and proper persons as legal guardians. It is also a requirement before any dealing in land registered in the names of a child, that a legal guardian is appointed by Court to act on behalf of the child in that regard. Even the child‟s parents whether biological or not, must obtain a guardianship order before any such dealing.

The crisis with Guardianships in Uganda is that the Act lacks clear provisions on the procedure for one to follow in acquiring guardianship status and does not specifically provide for jurisdiction in matters of acquiring guardianship. In granting custody of children, the Children‟s Act provides for three circumstances: - fostering of children by relatives, fostering of children by families of people resident in Uganda whether citizens or not and adoption of children by families for have stayed in Uganda for at least three years.

4. FAMILY REUNIFICATION OR PRESERVATION

The following provisions relate to family preservation;

i. The Constitution

 Objective 19 of the National Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy Constitution provides for the protection of the Family.

It provided that the family as the natural and basic unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

 Article 31 generally provides for the rights of the family. Children may not be separated from their families or the persons entitled to bring them up against the will of their families or of those persons.

 Under Article 34, children shall have the right to know and be cared for by their parents or those entitled by law to bring them up.

ii. Penal Code Act

Under the provision of Section 159, it is a felony punishable by 7 years imprisonment for any person who, with intent to deprive any parent, guardian or other person who has the lawful care or charge of a child under the age of fourteen years of the possession of such child—

 forcibly or fraudulently takes or entices away, or detains the child; or

 Receives or harbors the child, knowing it to have been so taken enticed away or detained.

Comment on recent developments in the High Court Family division: In relation to children being taken to the United States for immigration and adoption.

As stated above, Ugandan Laws stipulate that in order for one to fully adopt a child, they must foster them for 36 months; this fostering period is too long and impractical for prospective adoptive parents that do not live in Uganda.

Because the United States recognizes Guardianship orders and has a Visa Category enabling the child to immigrate for adoption, prospective adoptive parents that do not live in Uganda, are following this route to adoption. This has worked for the most part particularly in the last one year because the Courts had started to provide explicit language in their orders allowing the children to immigrate to the USA for adoption. However, because Uganda statutory law does not explicitly provide for guardianship and inter-country adoption, the Courts are relying on common law in making their decisions. I therefore find it crucial to give an update on the recent decisions made by the family Court in Uganda because they do have an impact on future decisions. The Judges are becoming thorough, explicit and elaborative in their rulings, in a recent case; the judge pointed out the flaws in the Uganda orphan or abandoned child- placement procedures. The child had been abandoned at two weeks old and placed in an orphanage of repute. He lived there for four years until he was matched with an American family for adoption. Unfortunately, the child had never been advertised as abandoned until he was identified for adoption which meant that even the photograph that was used was four years old and there would be no hope of finding his parents. The Judge made it clear that he was not convinced that in placing the child‟s photograph in the newspaper as abandoned, the orphanage intended to find the child‟s birth parents or relatives but only did so to show the Court that they „tried‟ in vain to find the child‟s relatives. The photograph that was in the newspaper advert was for a four year old child yet he had been abandoned at approximately 2 weeks old, surely because children change so much, any efforts to identify them four years later would be useless. Also, a probation and social welfare officer had never visited the child throughout the four years he was at the orphanage and only did so because the courts required it for the Guardianship application. Cases like this one bring it to our attention that Uganda still has a lot of work to do when it comes to record keeping and putting measures in place to protect children. The Judge however made a positive ruling and stated that Uganda had failed to play its part in protecting this child and furthermore that by denying the Guardianship application, the only party that will suffer will be child because he would miss the opportunity of going to the US with people that seemingly loved him.

For those children that are adopted and taken abroad, the Uganda Government is not doing enough follow up on them, despite adoptive families‟ willingness to provide updates on the children regularly. As such the courts are now weary of issuing guardianship orders to non- citizens. Over the last 6 weeks, 3 American families have had their Guardianship applications denied and have been ordered by the Court to return the child/ren back to their orphanages. In one of the cases, the Judge is cited to have ordered that the child be immediately returned to the orphanage and that if the prospective adoptive parents love him so much, they should provide for him while he stays in the orphanage.

Recently, the deputy Justice in the Family Court came up with a report about the plight of “a needy child enjoying benefits (i.e. immigrating with adoptive parents) but with no assurance of protection” in his report he cited the relevant Laws pertaining to Child protection. His concern was that issuing Legal guardianship orders enables the taking of children abroad to jurisdictions which allow for immediate adoption. He says, “... the children are needy and stand to benefit from the promised love, care and maintenance in a family setting but courts are impotent and cannot impose any conditions for the protection of children taken outside Uganda. There is a wave of applicants for legal guardianship orders who have no connection with Uganda at all. They seek to take the children to their countries of origin where they can adopt them without any previous fostering. These strangers who profess deep love for Uganda‟s vulnerable children have made the choice very difficult for the Courts”.

The Uganda child protection procedures lack control, supervision, checks to detect lapses and ability to resolve problems which may occur during child placements. The law is clear when it comes to abandoned children who are placed in foster care homes and orphanages; a probation and welfare officer has got to make regular reports on the child but this never happens. Unfortunately still, when the children become teenagers, they are transferred to a remand home that is the same place where convicted juvenile offenders are remanded.

Much as the Courts are now weary of issuing guardianship orders for immigration, the only party that has to suffer in all this is the child because although the Government prefers to have children remain in Uganda, they are not providing for them adequately.

Just like Uganda has no provision in place to check up on these children when they immigrate to other Countries, there is no provision to protect them when they stay in- country either. So, it‟s a damned if you do it and damned if you don‟t kind of situation.

Recommendation

 One solution to the quandary would be Uganda„s ratification of the Hague convention in order to grant children better protection. Uganda is however still far behind from meeting the conditions of The Hague, there is absolutely no sufficient record keeping processes in Uganda, births and deaths are not required to be registered with the government. Police records in cases of abandoned children are not always kept, for children born in remote areas especially to illiterate parents, even their dates of birth are never known. Record keeping as well as well as compulsory registration of all births and deaths is crucial to this.

 While Uganda plans to get better child protection measures in place, vigorous Hague sensitization drives have got to be put in place. A lot more exposure about what protection there is in place for Uganda‟s adopted children who immigrate to other countries for example, what the U.S government does to protect adopted children once they enter the U.S is crucial in order to re-assure the Ugandan authorities.

 Identification of a group of stakeholders (preferably non-govenmental) in Uganda whose primary aim is to protect children and to commit to it in the long term. unfortunately all or most of the delegates that attended the last conferences on the Hague convention in the United States have since moved on to other jobs; this includes the Judges and Ministers.

The future

Several consultations are going on to try and make the Law on Guardianship clear and/or re-written to provide for all the grey areas i.e. checks and balances on the children after they have immigrated however all these have been going on for over three years now with no conclusions.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Cost

2011-08-08T07:58:00.001-04:00

Did you plant your money tree yet?

What?

It hasn't grown dollar bills yet?

Hmph.

Mine either!

There is no way to tell the final cost for adoption. It varies greatly depending on so many different variables. Keep checking out info on the adoption tax credit. You will want to be up to date on that information. It doesn't help upfront, but after it can bring great relief.

I am going to be sharing our costs. Attorneys charge different prices. Homestudies cost different amounts. Airfare varies greatly based on when you fly (summer is highest). Where you stay (hotel vs guesthouse) changes costs. So please use this as an estimation. And remember inflation. Our costs are about three years old! It's gotten more expensive. Way more expensive. Sorry about that. We adopted two children at the same time. So our costs are for two kids.

USCIS $720 + $85 per adult for biometrics

Notarized copies of birth and marriage certificates $12 each birth $22 marriage

Homestudy $1200

Yellow Fever Shot $85 per person

Attorney $1500 per child

IOM Medical Exam $100 per child

Airfare $6000 ($2200 per round trip x 2, $800 per one way child x 2)

Guesthouse $25 per night per adult, kids free, included breakfast

Driver $20 per day plus gas

Passport The actual fee on our kids passport says 50,000 Shillings. So even with a horrible exchange rate, let's call that $25. I understand if you have someone getting the passport they need money to pay for gas or get a taxi. You may need to pay for their lunch because they have to sit and wait all day. Or even multiple days. Even with all that, it does not add up to the outrageous fees I am hearing. Don't let them tell you it's $300. Or $500. It's not. Many lawyers take care of this and it is included in your attorney fee.

Visa $404, $402, I can't remember, per child

Food We could eat local food $2-$3 per day per person. We could eat mzungu/sit down restaurant food $15 per day. We did a mix of both. By week 4 in country we were eating lots of local!

Finalization in USA $1204 for two kids.

Things to think about.

*Fun times: You will want to see some things while you are there. Some suggestions. The Zoo. The Nile. The Equator. A Safari.

*Pre-travel (passports, luggage, clothes, etc. Things you need that you don't currently have or can't borrow)

*Gifts: We brought scented lotions, chocolate, hard candies, perfume/cologne, watches, scented body wash for people that worked at the guest house, drivers, people we met. We watched the clearance racks during our wait. Friends donated things to give as gifts. PLEASE READ THIS PART: Do not donate money or give money to your babies home/orphanage/organization while in process. Seriously. Don't. Or when you go to the US Embassy to apply for your child's visa you are going to have to say YES when they ask you if you have. And that would be bad! If your babies home/orphanage has a foster fee they charge. Fine. If you have to send money for your children's medical appt. Fine. If you have to send money to hire a driver to take your child to an appt. Fine. Don't pay for a new wing at the babies home. Don't show up on day one with a new bunk beds for all. Don't promise to fund the next orphanage project when you get home. Don't. Don't. Don't. I know it's hard. You want to bless the people and the organization that took care of your little one. Once you get home and finalize perhaps you can sponsor a child, have a fundraiser, support a Ugandan family adopting from the same orphanage. Once. You. Are. Home. Keith was back in Uganda in May. He got to spend time with the kids JjaJja's. He bought some rice, posho, soap, cooking oil, milk, cookies, laundry soap, beans, etc. in country to give them. Think about how you can bless people after the adoption process. We certainly didn't promise the kids JjaJja's anything during our process. DON'T DO ANYTHING THAT CAN MAKE ANYONE THINK YOU ARE PARTICIPATING IN CHILD TRAFFICKING. PS... DON'T PARTICIPATE IN CHILD TRAFFICKING!

Let's also remember to do everything possible to

1. Support reunification to birth families

2. Find a Ugandan family to adopt

3. If #1 and #2 didn't work out.... then and only then place a child in an international adoption situation. International adoption is needed. It's amazing. Every child should be able to be raised in a family. International adoption is not the answer for every child. It certainly is the answer for some! So thankful it's the answer for some!

I know I've left things out. This is what happens whilst trying to write blog posts with 6 kids in the room. Feel free to add comments.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Referral

2011-08-07T12:40:00.000-04:00

There is nothing like waking up and rushing to your computer day after day after day. Waiting. Then one day you rush to your computer and there it is. A picture. A few tid bits of information about the child that is waiting for you. There is nothing sweeter than seeing your child for the first time.

So how do you get to the point where you get the referral? When we were in the process it was much, much easier. Quick, simple and fabulous. Now? It's not quick, it's not simple, but it's still fabulous when it finally happens!

I am often asked, 'Can you find me a child?'. I wish I could, but that is God's job. I use to have a lot more connections and places for people to call/email/talk with. There are so many people wanting to adopt in Uganda now, it's just not so simple. Many babies homes (babies 0 to 3 or 4 years old) and orphanages (children 4 and up) will only work with a certain number of families at a time. They may have 10 other children who are adoptable, but they can only deal with so many at a time. They may put you on a waiting list. They may say try back in 6 months. They may say, 'You are approved for a girl 0-4? Send me your homestudy. I may have a perfect match for you!'. God's timing is perfect. Sometimes we can't see that until we are on the other side, home with our kids.

Do you know someone in Uganda? Ask them about good, honest babies homes and orphanages.

Do you know someone who had a great Uganda adoption experience? Ask them for help.

Do you have time and resources to make a trip to Uganda to volunteer in a babies home or orphanage early on in your process? Do it!

Do you know that currently babies homes and orphanages are swamped with emails and calls from people wanting to adopt in Uganda? So much so that some have thrown in the towel and closed their doors to adoption? Be nice! Remember Africa Time! Be respectful of those working and those in charge of the babies homes and orphanages. Some homes have also stopped because Americans have not followed their guidelines. If you agree to boundaries and guidelines, please follow through with them. I understand the frustration and how hard it is to wait or to see your child 'parented' in a different way than you would like. It's okay. Follow the rules, treat people kindly and you'll get that little one home and be able to parent them just the way you like. And so will the people behind you in the process.

*If we would all walk our journey with not only our best interest, but the best interest of those behind us in mind, we would walk this adoption path for the good of all. Which means more Ugandan children finding families and being able to come home with their families. I can't stress this enough. How you behave and how you treat people matters. Not only to you, but to those one step, three steps, and twenty steps away from where you are in your journey.*

I am happy to talk about different babies homes and orphanages via email. jenapenner @ gmail . com. I am not an adoption facilitator. Please don't ask me to find you a child. I wish I could, but I can't. I am happy to listen to your thoughts about things that would help me narrow down some options for you. I am happy to share my thoughts on babies homes/orphanages I think may be a good match for you. But you will have to do the work yourselves. Nobody can do that part for you.

If you are looking for a quick, easy, cookie cutter adoption experience, Uganda is not for you. If you are not willing to spend some time in Uganda getting to know the culture and the amazing people of Uganda, Uganda is not for you. It is very important to learn as much as possible about Uganda. The best way to learn is hands on. You won't regret the time you took to learn about Uganda. I promise.

I hope you are still reading because this is the most important part. Please ask if the referred child has any known family. If there is known family, with some assistance, could that family adopt this child? If nobody has tried to find family of this child, there is a problem! It is your job to make sure everything possible has been done to try and reunify this child with this child's family. EVERYTHING! There are so many different scenarios and situations. Each referral has similarities and differences from the next. It's just so important to make sure you ask good questions and find out every little piece of information before committing to a child.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Lots of Papers

2011-08-06T09:34:00.001-04:00

Some countries have what is called a dossier. Uganda does not have a dossier, however, we just call it that in the Uganda discussions because it is easier. Dossier equals a whole bunch of papers.

Each attorney has a slightly different list of required papers. You will need to ask them for the requirements. But this will help you jumpstart the process.

Gather these to start. Make sure they are notarized with blue ink. Make three copies of each. Place them in your plastic sleeve in your big notebook.
Home Study
Marriage certificate ( if married)
Divorce decree if previously married
Police records check
Child abuse clearances
Employment Letter (Letter from employer stating employment and length of employment)
Financial document (Letter from employer stating income)
Health Document (Physicals from homestudy)

Your attorney gets to get paper cuts too! They will prepare...
*Affidavit (they will send this to you to sign and notarize in blue ink and you will mail it back via UPS Overnight Mail for a pretty penny.)
*Birth certificate of child/ren you are adopting.
*Probation Report/Care Order
*Things to try and locate any know relative of the child such as newspaper ads or radio announcements.
*Affidavits for any know relatives.
*Relinquishment document (from guardian, babies home or orphanage)

This list is always changing and is very dependent on who you use and the circumstances of your child's past. But this should help either get you started or inform you of the things your attorney is doing. It's not an easy process for your attorney. And there is a think called 'Africa Time'. Locating and getting to known relatives is harder than it sounds. Getting known relatives into the lawyers office is harder than it sounds. You will get to practice the fine art of waiting during this time. Waiting isn't always easy on anybody, but it's what happens during adoption. Embrace the wait! Perhaps you can use the time to get more plastic sleeves or blue ink pens?

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Attorneys

2011-08-05T13:35:00.001-04:00

Attorneys can be a controversial subject. If you are using an agency, the attorney decision has been made for you. For those of you who have to make this choice I'll throw out some red flags and some suggestions. These red flags are just my opinion based on my experience and living through the experience with many others. I am sure others would not agree with this entire list. That's okay, like I said, just my opinion. Make sure and talk with others WHO HAVE COMPLETED the process about their experiences. Then prayerfully make the best choice for your family.

Red Flag List
*The attorney has not completed a legal guardianship case. RUN!!
*The attorney offers to find you a child. RUN!!
*The attorney charges more than $5000. RUN!!
*The attorney wants paid the whole fee up front. RUN!!
*The attorney won't return emails after they receive your payment. RUN!! And then move on because your money is gone! Don't pay the whole fee up front. My super smart friend paid half once the attorney had everything to apply for the court date and then the other half when they had their written ruling and order in hand. Brilliant! If your attorney wants to do things differently I wouldn't say that is a red flag. Just be really wise and know that most honest attorneys will start your case before receiving payment.
*The attorney tells you they know someone who can speed things along. RUN!!
* The attorney tells you about villages and slums instead of approved babies homes/orphanages when you ask how to find a referral. Ask the attorneys where the majority of the kids come from who they represent in court. If the majority come from the slums or different villages be sure to do your homework and investigate the situation. You may need to RUN!!
*The attorney doesn't use blue ink..... RUN!! Don't ask them what color ink they use, that was a joke people.

I often get asked if I were to adopt again, which attorney would I use. I would use Victoria or Isaac M. There are three Isaac's that I know are attorneys. Isaac E is dad to Isaac O, not to be confused with Isaac M. I actually like all the Isaacs! I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. Here are some email addresses to get you started.

General Email for Nkwanga and Partners which is run by Victoria. nkwangaandpartners@yahoo.com

Victoria mugombwa@yahoo.com

Isaac Mugume mgm_isaac@yahoo.co.uk

Uganda Adoption Q and A: USCIS

2011-08-04T06:41:00.001-04:00

USCIS stands for United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Their website is www.uscis.gov. There is no charge for the forms you will need to fill out. All forms are free and listed on their site. And it's even a pretty easy site to find what you need!

*Forms and processes change often. Please check the USCIS website for the latest information.*

You will need to fill out a I-600a: Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition. If you already know the child you are going to adopt, you still need to fill out the I-600a unless someone at the US Embassy in Kampala tells you different.

Turning in the free form is not free. It will cost $720 plus an $85 fee for biometrics is required for each person 18 years of age or older who is living with the applicant.

The form is 3 pages. The first part is basic information. The second part is harder to fill out. Let me help starting with question 10.

10. Name and address of organization or individual assisting you in locating or identifying an orphan. You will put either your babies home/orphanage, your attorney or your agency.

11. Do you plan to travel abroad to locate or adopt? YES

12. Does your spouse plan to do the same? YES or NO

13. If yes on 11 and 12, when? Where? You don't know the 'when' for sure. Throw out a realistic date, your best guess, or you can leave this blank as it does say 'if known'. The 'where' would be Uganda. If you know the town, you may list that as well.

14. Will the child be adopted abroad after having been personally seen by you and your spouse? No

15. Will the state pre adoptive requirements be met prior to or after the child enters the US?Prior (just get it done before!)

16. From what country do you plan to adopt? Uganda

17. Where do you wish to file your orphan petition? The US Embassy or consulate located at: Gabba Road, Kampala, Uganda

Once your application is received at the centralized USCIS office, they send your information to your local office who schedules the biometric appointments based on their capacity/availability. At the same time the centralized office puts your application in que to be assigned an agent who will make the decision on your application.

Here are some helpful items for your viewing pleasure copied directly from http://www.uscis.gov/i-600a

Where to File :

Regular Mail:

USCIS
P.O. Box 660088
Dallas, TX 75266

Express Mail and Courier Service deliveries:

USCIS
ATTN: Adoption
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business,
Suite 400,
Lewisville, TX 75067

E-Notification: If you want to receive an e-mail and/or text message that your Form I-600A has been accepted at a USCIS Lockbox facility, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance and clip it to the first page of your application. Form G-1145 can be downloaded through the link above.

Special Instructions :

The Orphan Home Study Tip Sheet, M-760, provides prospective adoptive parents and adoption service providers with helpful tips for preparing home studies for Orphan adoptions.

Note on Filing Fee:

If the fee is paid at the time of filing a Form I-600A, a fee is not required again to file the I-600.

When more than one petition is submitted by the same petitioner for orphans who are siblings, only one set of petition and fingerprinting fees is required. When more than one petition is submitted for orphans who are not siblings, the filing and biometric fees must be included for each petition.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: The Homestudy

2011-08-03T07:00:00.001-04:00

Oh the Paperwork! They call it a paper pregnancy for a reason! Beware of the paper cuts!

*Before you start anything get a large binder. Place the hole punched plastic sleeves in the folder. Lots and lots of plastic sleeves. As you gather paperwork, place it in a sleeve. As you get things like birth certificates, approved homestudies, approval from USCIS, put them in the sleeve. This is the killer part.... and make three copies. Make sure everything is notarized in the folder. This pile of paperwork is going to get huge. Keep it in a safe place. When you travel pack it in your carry on. When you arrive keep it close to you at all times. Do not leave it behind in the guest house. Carry it everywhere. I promise you will be thankful. And you'll build some arm muscles. And that notarizing everything.... yeah, that part isn't a joke. Make a notary friend right now. You will need to see your new friend the notary often. You will wear them out! When you are in country buying gifts, the best one should be for your notary! Where to find a notary? Your bank, your church, your attorney, your child's school are good places to start. Also, place blue ink pens in the pocket. Because your notary should use blue ink. Anytime you add your signature to anything, blue ink. If you write, blue ink. If you use blue ink, nobody can accuse you of changing a form and then copying it. Blue ink. Big folder. Ready?*

Okay, now that your folder is ready.

Most home study agencies request similar things in order to complete your home study. Birth certificates, marriage certificates, physical for each member of the family, references, taxes for last three years, employment verification, etc. Most homestudies have three different meetings. We'll talk you through what happened during our three meetings below.

But first......
Please know the social worker doing your home study is not trying their hardest to find fault in your marriage, your parenting skills, your housekeeping skills or your life. They are excited you are adopting! I promise! They want to learn about you and your family. They want to identify things you struggle with not to make you sound awful, but with the realization that we all struggle with things. Once you open up to those weaknesses, your social worker can help you, guide you and suggest ways for you to improve on those things. Your social worker can predict possible struggles you may have and give you tools, resources and help to prevent those struggles from becoming obstacles. They are your friend. They don't care if the pillows on your couch are centered. They don't even care if your bed is made! I cleaned for two days to prepare for our first home study. What a waste of my time! Sure it was nice to have a spiffy house, but I am pretty sure I had to apologize to my husband and children quite a bit because of my snarky attitude in making things perfect.

Our first visit was without kids. She asked basic questions, got to know us a bit, briefly looked at our home (she didn't open a drawer or a closet or look under our bed), she gave us a form that listed all the other forms we needed and we set up appt #2.

Our second visit was also without kids present. She talked with just Keith and then with just me. We talked about our relationships with our spouse, children and family members. We talked strengths and weaknesses. We talked about fears and dreams. We laughed. We cried. We scheduled appt #3.

Our third and final visit she collected all that paperwork. She met the kids and talked with them one on one... nothing scary or too deep, it was very age appropriate. One kid farted. One kid picked their nose. And ate it. One kid would only answer yes or no. One kid told her they thought leaving things the way they were wasn't such a bad idea. And after she talked with them, she said how well they did. We talked about what we learned in our adoption classes. We talked about other questions we had. She told us when to expect her rough draft and off she went. And then I was a little sad my new friend was gone!

Homestudy Advice
*If you are certain you would like to add a 4 year old boy to your family, get approved for two children 0-10 years old. Huh? Yes, that is what I meant to type. Here is the thing. I don't know if this is true in all countries, but it seems to be true in Uganda. I can almost guarantee you that 4 year old boy has a 2 year old sister. Call me crazy, but I have seen the investigations turn up siblings here there and everywhere. Do you have to adopt that 2 year old sister? No. Certainly that would be a decision you would have to think through. But if you don't get approved for the possibility... you will have to start back at the beginning... in paperwork and in expenses. And that would stink.

*Make sure and list any special need you are comfortable with in kids. From simple learning difficulties to HIV+ to epilepsy to missing limbs to hearing impaired..... everything!
*Notarize everything.
*Use blue ink on every notarized thing.

*Notarize everything with blue ink.

*Put originals and three copies of everything in your folder.
*Click Here for info from USCIS on ways to make sure you aren't delayed because of your homestudy.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: The Process

2011-08-02T06:20:00.001-04:00

What is the process? It's so easy this adoption stuff!

Get a homestudy.
Apply with USCIS via your I-600a.
Get an attorney.
Send your attorney lots of papers.
Get a referral.
Empty your savings account.
Get a court date.
Fly to Uganda.
Have court date #1.
Have court date #2.
Get the written ruling and written order.
Get the passport.
Get the visa.
Go home.

Sounds easy, right?!?!?! WRONG!!!! Our next blog posts will go into detail on each step!

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Birth Order

2011-08-01T08:42:00.001-04:00

Birth Order

I have read all the books. I have thought through this topic. A lot. And I've come to an unpopular conclusion. Everyone talks about keeping the kids in birth order. We did. We had an 12, 10, 9 and 7 year old when our adopted kiddos joined the pack of penners. The littles ones were 5 and 4. See we did it just like they say. Except after almost three years, I have a new thought. What if we forgot about the bio kids birth order (unless they have a strong opinion) and focused on the adopted kids birth order. Our Ugandan kids lived in places full of kids. KaiaRose was the oldest. Until she came home with us. She then became the youngest. I won't go into her personal details, but I will say she has greatly struggled with this new baby of the family role. Kendric had some younger and some older where he lived. His attachment and adjustment has been a little less bumpy. I have no idea if I am on to something here. It's something I am still pondering and I am very interested to hear if others have thoughts on this.

Our oldest had very strong opinions about remaining the oldest. The other kids didn't really have a preference. For us, we wanted to honor our oldest ones request to remain the oldest, but were open to adopting anyone younger than him. It just turned out the kids remained in birth order. Would we mess up the birth order in the future? Yep, we would. Sometimes God calls us to things that are hard. It's okay. Hard doesn't equal bad.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Ages

2011-07-31T18:26:00.001-04:00

Ages

I hear this a lot, "I would like to adopt a baby girl as young as possible." What I want to say in my unfiltered self is "Pick a different country. Uganda is not for you." (I can't believe I just typed that). What I typically say is, "There are infants available in Uganda, but the majority of waiting children are two and up". I think the important thing to remember is you want to have a waiting child matched with your family. You do not want someone trying to find a child. Does that make sense? There are many waiting children. Make sure you are matched with a waiting child. Please don't work with people who go into villages and slums to see if there are any children who match your description. Let's talk hypothetical. Mac goes into a village where poverty is an understatement. He starts talking to people asking if there are any kids who are orphaned. The village people ask him why he wants to know. Mac tells them that he knows people in America who want to adopt Ugandan children. Village people think getting to have their kid grow up and be educated in America sounds like a dream come true. Village people start presenting kids who aren't orphans to Mac. I realize people on mission trips or who have sustainable programs in villages truly do come across children who are orphaned and adoption is the answer for these children. I am just saying be smart. Poverty puts people in desperate situations. Sometimes in desperate situations people don't make the best choices. I promise you this.... you will want to know the truth about your child. You will not want their past to be a bunch of lies. It will hinder attachment and cause extra trauma. And these sweet little blessings have enough trauma without people adding extra trauma.

So what about ages? You and only you will know what the best age range will be for your family. I have never adopted a baby. I have adopted a 4ish and 5ish year old. And our social worker was so right. When it comes to attachment a good rule of thumb is however long they were without you, that is how long it will take to run the marathon of attachment. Many things come into play when it comes to attachment. There are so many variables that it's hard to make rules about attachment. Attachment for one of our kiddos has been easier than for the other. In our situation that directly relates to past loss and trauma. In your situation it could be a whole different story.

The social worker who does your homestudy will surely have some thoughts on the age topic for you. There are many older kids waiting. There are many toddlers waiting. There are even babies waiting. Do your research, PRAY, talk with people, PRAY, ask your social worker, PRAY and don't forget to pray. The ultimate decision is a personal choice you will have to make. Adopting the teenager isn't for everyone. Adopting a baby wasn't for me. People thought I was crazy when I said any future kids have to be old enough to tie their own shoes and use the bathroom independently. I love babies. A lot. I just knew adding a baby to our family was not the right choice for us. And what ever is right for your family, is the right choice!

Next blog? Birth Order

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Agency or No Agency?

2011-07-30T19:02:00.004-04:00

Most Popular Uganda Adoption Questions I am copying this from my family blog. It's gonna be a month of daily posts about adopting in Uganda to celebrate a bunch of adoptiversaries for our family!

For three years we have spent an enormous amount of time talking about Ugandan adoption. We are so thankful it's a subject lots of people want to talk about. We haven't blogged about adoption related topics for a while, so we thought we'd spend a little time focusing on adoption. Since August is the month of many adoption anniversaries for us, it seems like a good time!

Question #1: Agency or No Agency

When we were in process of adopting in Uganda this wasn't a question anyone asked. Why? Because there were no agencies with Uganda programs. If I had to pick agency or no agency I would say no agency. Why? Because that is the way we did it and once you do something one way, it's easy to repeat. And because I am a control freak and going through a middle man drives me crazy. Am I anti agency? No. I am anti certain agencies. But I also really like a few agencies. You can email me if you want more details. Don't be surprised when I list the ones I like and then keep my mouth shut. I don't want to slam anyone. And we all have to make the right choice for our family. So when considering agency or no agency, pray. Pray hard. Pray big. Pray a lot. Don't go rushing into international adoption. When you talk with others for references..... talk with people who have completed the process about the final outcome. It's not bad to talk with those in process, it's just better in my opinion to talk with those who have their kiddos home. If you would have asked me about our process before we traveled I would have spoken highly about many things with my rose colored glasses. Once we got home I would have given you a list of red flags to watch out for and given you a more accurate report.

Ay yi yi

2011-03-07T09:12:00.002-05:00

1 Cor 14:33 for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

My inbox is full. Lots of Ethiopia adoptive folk thinking about switching to Uganda. I just want to encourage those of you who are waiting for children. It is hard. Really hard. Please, please, please... don't make rash decisions based out of confusion and fear. Sometimes, for me anyway, it is hard to make myself listen to Him instead of talking and being swayed by friends/acquaintances opinions. I am guilty way too often of running to people for guidance and direction instead of running to our Heavenly Father's arms.

So if you are in this difficult situation faced with fear right now, please know there are so many praying for you. Rest in Him. He loves you and your future children so very much.

Ugnadan Legal Guardianship Attorney

2010-12-10T06:26:00.001-05:00

Nkwanga & Partners Associates

If you are interested in adopting from Uganda, one of the most important things to do is to hire a good attorney. This is imperative to prevent being unintentionally exploited and to avoid the unethical practice of child trafficking.

An honest Christian attorney with years of experience in child advocacy and adoption is Victoria Katamba of Nkwanga & Partners Associates. You can contact her at mugombwa@yahoo.com for more information about adopting from Uganda.

Orphan Sunday

2010-07-15T07:30:00.004-04:00

Why Love Orphans? from Christian Alliance for Orphans on Vimeo.

Orphan Sunday

On Orphan Sunday, Christians stand for the orphan . We are a people called to defend the fatherless…to care for the child that has no family…to visit orphans in their distress.

From many sources, one voice. Hundreds of events across America and beyond, all sharing a single goal: that God’s great love for the orphan will find echo in our lives as well.

Each as they are led. Sermons and small groups, concerts and prayer gatherings—each rousing believers with God’s call to care for the orphan…and what we can do in response.

Orphan Sunday is your opportunity to rouse church, community and friends to God’s call to care for the orphan.

History

Many churches and organizations have hosted “Orphan Sundays” over the years. With a nationwide Orphan Sunday, the Christian Alliance for Orphans and the Cry of the Orphan partners seek to add a unified voice and coordinated effort to the many worthy efforts that preceded this year.

The seeds of this united Orphan Sunday come especially as a gift from the Church in Africa. While attending a church service in Zambia, an American visitor was struck by the pastor's passionate call to care for orphans in the local community, which had been ravaged by AIDS and poverty. Members of the church faced deep need themselves. But as the service ended, one after another stepped forward with money, food and other goods-some even taking off their own shoes and placing them in the offering for orphans.

The visitor, Gary Schneider, was so impacted that he began to help Zambian leaders coordinate Orphan Sunday efforts across Zambia. These efforts spread to the U.S. in 2003 with help from Every Orphan's Hope and other organizations. (Orphan Sunday is licensed to the Christian Alliance for Orphans as a registered trademark of Every Orphan's Hope).

The Christian Alliance for Orphans honors the church in Zambia for the gift of Orphan Sunday. We pray the Church in America may be as faithful to reflect God's heart for the orphan, both near and far.

Are you in? Leave a message with your email address if you would like more information or help hosting an event!

Visa Information

2010-05-20T15:27:00.002-04:00

Don't count on what you hear on blogs! Find out for yourself from the source!

http://adoption.state.gov/news/notices.html

Visas

2010-02-05T14:29:00.003-05:00

I know there are lots of different bits of information floating around out there right now. There is a lot of fear. There is a lot of confusion.

"For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints." I Corinthians 14:33.

I would ask that we all pray for this situation. Pray it will be resolved. Pray there would be no more confusion. Pray those obtaining legal guardianship in Uganda would be filled with peace that surpasses all understanding. Pray He will do more than we could have ever asked for or imagined for these precious little ones in Uganda. God loves each of these children more than we ever could. He formed them, He knows them, He adores them!

I have been thinking about Matthew 18:20 a lot today. "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." On Wednesdays I am blessed to sometimes get to join a conference call with other people who have a heart for orphan care. It is a wonderful time of coming together praying for God's heart for the least of these. I think that we are better together and would love for us to go to the throne room together on behalf of the people in Uganda, the judges, the lawyers, the babies, the kids, the families...

Would you please join me in a time of corporate prayer this Sunday, February 7th at 5:00-6:00 PM EST? We won't be spending time discussing the situation. We won't be asking or answering questions. Those who wish to pray can simply pray what is on their heart. I will open us in prayer at 5:00 PM EST and I will close us in prayer by 6:00 PM EST. Please join us for the entire hour or five minutes, whatever works for you.

Some particulars about the call:

*The call will ask you to introduce yourself. If you are calling in after we have begun, please just remain silent and join in the call.

*Please don't use headphones or put the call on speaker. This will prevent a lot of noise and make it easier for all to focus.

*Please press *6 to mute yourself once you join the call. Press *6 to unmute yourself if you want to pray out loud.

You can join in the call by calling:
Conference Dial-in Number: (605) 475-4850
Participant Access Code: 244388#

***UPDATE***
Within 10 minutes of posting I received two emails informing me I may want to change the time because the Super Bowl Pre-Show will be on during that time and the call would interfere with Super Bowl Parties. It is my opinion some things are more important than football, just sayin'...

Little Did I Know

2010-01-14T08:41:00.001-05:00

Little Did I Know (stolen from Lisa's blog which you should bookmark and read by the way)

Little did I know that the road would be so rocky
Little did I know that the trip would take so long
Little did I know that my heart could hurt so much
Little did I know that God is never wrong

Little did I know that love could be so powerful
Little did I know that a dream so far could go
Little did I know that God would place the right ones
Little did I know that my heart, so large, could grow

Little did I know that a dream has it’s own timing
Little did I know that this day would finally come
Little did I know that two souls would be sent to guide me
Little did I know that they would choose to call me mom

But God knew all along and He had a plan to follow
God knew all along that my dream would soon come true
God knew all along that we three should be together
God knew all along that I’d share it all with you

While I'm Waiting

2009-10-05T06:20:00.004-04:00

Have you heard the song, "While I'm Waiting"?

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord
-John Waller from the movie Fireproof

I remember waiting. Waiting for the call that we were matched with a child. Waiting for the call that when they were sick with malaria they recovered from malaria. Waiting for the call which gave us our court date. Waiting to call home while in Uganda to say, we are now officially a family and we're coming home!

While you are waiting... would you consider working on behalf of the poor, the vulnerable, the orphan, the widow? What would I suggest? Thanks for asking!

www.hopemongers.org

Press release: http://tinyurl.com/yezukja

Together for Adoption

2009-10-03T12:04:00.002-04:00

Right now the Together for Adoption Conference is going on. I am enjoying listening to the livestream... and thought you may as well!
www.livestream.com/togetherforadoption

Contact info

2009-08-01T16:46:00.001-04:00

Please refer to the Monday, March 9th post if you need contact info for anyone.

Updates?

2009-07-29T20:57:00.002-04:00

It has been so long since something was added. Maybe this is just for my benefit. Prayers are being answered as many families we've corresponded with are bringing home new family members. There is some adjustment on the court, according to our attorney, but for now things are flowing as smoothly as they can for African adoptions.

For those of you who have come home or are coming home with new family members, remember to send photos for Jena and me. We desperately want to put together an album of those we know who have been in correspondence and benefited from the site.

All of you continue to pray for Patrick (see the guest house info for the "who") as his daughter was diagnosed with Truncus Arteriosus, where the aorta and vena cava are joined and the blood mixes. Bad. We continue to look for a pediatric heart surgeon here in the States that may be able to do the procedure to correct it on a pro bono basis. She is being tuned up by a Ugandan cardiologist for commercial travel, but the surgery is through-the-roof expensive. Ask friends or colleagues for referalls and references. Let us know.

God Bless.

Sanyu Babies Home

2009-06-06T14:39:00.003-04:00

We heard some things this week that made us concerned about using Sanyu. Some changes that didn't seem reasonable. We listened, prayed and then went right to the source. Barbara assured us that the rumors just weren't true. Nothing really has changed.

You can't show up to Sanyu without paperwork (starting the homestudy,etc.) and be matched with a child. Once you have your paperwork in order, which means you are serious about this legal guardianship process, then you can take the Sanyu steps to obtain a referral.

Getting through the homestudy and immigration process can take some time. I understand it's hard to wait. But once that part is complete, it is surely an appropriate time to rejoice when you get the gift of a referral!

So for all those sending emails asking if we still support using Sanyu... our answer is a big old YES!

All Done

2009-06-03T12:47:00.002-04:00

That's right. I just got it in the mail. We are officially done with our adoption process. I got to call Jena on her way to a Uganda orphan care conference she organized in Raleigh. I made her cry while driving:) Our children are now U.S. citizens, as fully a part of our family as our biologic children according to the State of North Carolina. Congratulations on our two new ones! It's like it's new all over again.

Have you thinking? Want to try? You can make a difference for that one...

Keith

Court Update

2009-04-28T17:23:00.003-04:00

This is an email from an attorney in Uganda. It is edited slightly, with the bulk of the content left intact to maintain the attorney's privacy.

Hello Keith,

The problem we have now is of Judges.

The Judge heading the Family Division is not sympathetic to these applications. The Second one, a Lady Judge is very complicated. After the hearing of the application she may adjourn the delivery of the ruling for months. The third one is quite sympathetic but she is overloaded.

One word of caution on the homes from which to adopt children; the home must have been approved by the Ministry of Gender to care for children and very few Homes have been approved to do so.

Legal Guardianship in Uganda

2009-03-09T20:39:00.000-04:00

Congratulations! The fact that you are reading this with the desire to adopt in Uganda means you have taken the first and most important step in your journey. It will be fun and exhausting, taxing and exhilarating, frightening and wonderful. You can’t even begin to imagine how your life will change, hopefully for the better. God bless as you begin...

First, it is important to understand my heart. I am not an adoption expert, nor is my wife, Jena. We are not professionals. We have no background in social work. We are not affiliated with any agency. We are not facilitators of adoptions. What we are is a couple that had a desire to adopt, waited three years in the U.S. foster system without success, started an adoption in Liberia that went no where, and voila.....we were in Uganda.

Our experience was less than stellar. Due to events that occurred in our adoption and the process we watched others go through, our eyes were opened. We realized a Ugandan adoption could be far easier and far less expensive than what we experienced. And that is where we are now: Our goal is to help you complete paperwork, find a lawyer, find a child, and come home with said child. Along the way we want to be cheerleaders and help direct when necessary to give you the experience we DIDN'T have. There are no guarantees and no experience is the same.

Our journey is what we know. We know there are others doing a wonderful job guiding families through the same process down different paths. We wanted to make sure and give first hand information. We would love for this blog to be a place where others who have brought home Ugandan blessings could share their first hand experiences. So please, don't be shy! We can all learn from one another to make the best choies for our individual journeys. Please email us at bapgap at triad dot rr dot com if you want to guest blog your experiences. Perhaps you could talk about what went well, what didn't go so well and what you would change if you were to do it again. (Hint, hint, Melissa!)

The following recommendations include a combination of people and places we know and trust from our 6-week stay last summer, as well as a follow-up trip in February ‘09. I had a chance to meet and speak directly to the people we recommend. I had a chance to tour various babies homes and children’s homes. I spoke with directors and saw the children. Jena and I stayed in the guest house we list, attended the church, shopped in the local market, ate the local food and were driven by our friend.

What to do/Who to know

Find a babies'/children’s home. I have spoken with the directors at Sanyu, the Royal School and Orphanage and Bethany Village. We are also in discussion with Ggaba Community Church as they are in preparation to open a babies home specifically geared to guardianships for Western Christian couples. Keep reading for specifics on each home.

Find a good lawyer.

We recommend our attorney, Peter Nyombi. He is well-known, is a Christian man of integrity, and is the acknowledged authority on family law in Uganda. He is also a member of parliament and is the chair of the judicial committee, overseeing the judges of the courts. It is important the lawyer you choose understand you are completing a guardianship and not an adoption. You do not plan on living in Uganda for three years and are not adopting. You are obtaining legal guardianship, gaining permission for the child to leave the country and then you will complete an adoption in the U.S. Not all lawyers have done a guardianship and the rules are not in the law books. The Uganda Constitution gives the High Court judges the final say in the interest of the child. As such, they have established this little loophole of guardianship. The U.S. Consular, Nathan Flook, has made sure the judges understand the children will not be returning and they will be subject to U.S. adoption law when they enter the U.S. Since Uganda is not a member of the Hague Convention, it operates a little differently than many other countries. As the process evolves, things change, occasionally on a case-by-case basis. Peter described what has changed since September when we were there. It is for the better. I will describe the changes in detail later.

Your Case

Your case will be compiled by your attorney and if you use Peter, he can do everything by fax and email, wrapping up the last few things when you go for the court hearing. See below for a list of all the documents that must be provided or prepared by an attorney. It’s not comprehensive, but it’s close. All information is based on Peter Nyombi managing the case. Others may vary. (This is does not include the U.S. Government requirements.)

1. The Home must meet the four requirements spelled out in the next section below.
2. A process report must be filed by the probation officer (social worker-type person who tracks kids, associated with the police department). He makes a physical visit to the home to check on the child before filing the report.
3. Affidavits from the applicants (YOU):
A. Notarized copy of your passport.
B. Letter of employment.
C. International home study from an accredited agency.
D. Criminal clearance.
E. Recommendation from pastor, school principal, etc.
F. Affidavit from director of home to give history and background, care order and legal documents from the home.
G. Affidavits from living relatives, if any are living and location is known.
H. Affidavits from the person who found the child abandoned.
I. Affidavits from the probation officer.
J. Affidavits from the local authorities.
K. Death certificates from the Minister of Justice.
L. Birth certificates.

Next Steps
4. File the statutory application. Expect 6-8 weeks for preparation, but there is no time guarantee as Peter depends on some government agencies for documents. Really, it is Africa.
5. Plan to arrive several days in advance of your court date. (Peter is asking families to arrive two or three days prior) . This allows time to sign papers and go over the case as needed. Only one person needs to show for the hearing, although if two can make it, it is preferred.
6. After the hearing, you return home. (We stayed six weeks. This included being there for the hearing and the time between it and the order being issued.) During this time, Peter will obtain the ruling and order, use them to obtain the passport for the child, and any other documents necessary.
7. At the completion of the court processes, you will be notified by Peter, or your attorney, to return. You will be given a complete packet to take to the U.S. Embassy to apply for your IR-4, immediate relative, Visa. This application should also only take one person to make the application and bring the child home. *Please check with the U.S. Department of State and find out if they want the visa sponsor to make the application or if a spouse can do it in their stead. The sponsor is the person who provides IRS form 1040 to prove they can financially take care of the applicant.
8. The State Department website says a lawyer in Uganda should cost $1,500-$2,000. Peter will charge $5,000-$6,000. This is because Peter is very thorough, very trustworthy, and does much more than most lawyers. Think of him as your in-country adoption agency. Jena and I have talked, and we agree this is a reasonable fee for dependable service.

The Homes

Any court-approved guardianship now has four requirements of those providing the child:

1. They must be an approved NGO (non-governmental organization).

2. They must be incorporated by the Register of Companies.

3. The must be approved by the Minister of Gender in charge of children’s affairs.

4. Any child for guardianship must have a care order issued BY the courts FOR the home.

It sounds complicated, but most places running a legitimate home have the first two requirements and according to our lawyer, should be able to obtain #3 in 2-3 months. These new guidelines prevent children being taken from families or being sold by families. It should also help keep the Consular at the U.S. Embassy happy, too. As a side-note, all of the homes teach English.

Sanyu Babies Home, www.sanyubabies.com. The website has lots of pertinent background...check it out. Sanyu is one of the oldest and most respected babies homes in Uganda. They are getting close to their 100-year anniversary. The director, Barbara, is a soft-spoken woman who refers to the babies as "hers". As such, she is very particular who she adopts to. As they are "her" babies, she does not "sell them", rather she hopes to acquire families who adopt Sanyu into their family and return the kindness to the home through finances, volunteering, or referrals. She requires families to come for a get-acquainted visit of one to two weeks duration. During the stay, you will work with her to find an appropriate match. She prefers the small babies stay in Uganda for Ugandan families to adopt. Her success rate is >50%. Here you will find 2-3 year-olds with histories that are the stuff horror stories: Babies found in taxis, ditches and pit latrines. Once they age out of Sanyu, they are sent to the government run orphanage, where there is no adoption. They are currently getting certified by the Minister of Gender and all children there have care orders.

Suubi Ministries, The Royal School and Orphanage The director here is Jalia, a woman with a lot of energy and responsibility. She runs a facility for 500 students, over 200 of which are orphans available for adoption. They have an outstanding facility about an hour west of Kampala. I don’t know how much the guest house is, but sitting on top of a hill, you have a 360 degree view for miles around. It is absolutely gorgeous and the house itself is top-notch. The compound consists of multiple classrooms, a soon-to-be library, teacher housing, school offices, kitchen/cafeteria, dorms and bathrooms. I haven’t confirmed all of the certifications, but I believe they would need to be certified by the Minister of Gender before completing an adoption. Since they have one in progress now, it may be happening as I type. If YOU want to check, I can get you the school's lawyer's name and phone number. The children here are 5-18 and well cared for. The Royal School also has a touring choir that comes to the States every year or two. Find a child in the choir and they’ll already have a passport. One less hurdle. Want to host the choir? Contact Jalia. Check out their myspace page for music samples. Jalia also hosts any teachers who would like to come for one week or one month.

Bethany Village is run by Gaba Community Church (GCC). Across Lake Victoria from the church is a beautiful peninsula with many small communities. One community is Bethany Village. 177 children from 5-18 live in one of 12 homes with 15 children and run by a Mama. They go to school, have devotions, tend their house garden, do their laundry, cook, clean, etc., etc. Not all of the children are available for adoption. Some are not orphans, rather their families are unable to care for them and they are sent here. These children have a three-week vacation each year to return to family. Frances oversees the homes while Willie is the Bethany Village manager. Both men have big smiles and even bigger hearts. Willie’s wife Millie is the onsite nurse. If you have an interest in tropical medicine and urgent care, she is willing to train you so she can have a break from her 24/7 call schedule... Guest teachers are also welcome here by administration.

GCC is also in the process of putting together a babies home for 0-3 that would be tailored for guardianship/adoptions to the west. It is not yet open, but staff are currently selecting a building for lease, hiring mamas, and obtaining all applicable certifications. If you don’t want to adopt right now, this home should be up and running within a year or so. The church is keeping us in the loop, so feel free to ask about this in the future. I hope and pray that we’ll be able to send so many couples here that the home can’t stay full.

Temporary living in Uganda

You may be able to stay where you adopt. Sanyu Babies Home and The Royal School and Orphanage have guest houses. Sanyu charges $10/person/night and includes breakfast and dinner. You are also one building away from the kids where you can go and play, feed, change and love them.

We stayed outside Kampala in Ggaba. About 30-45 minutes from downtown, our friend Patrick Serunjogi runs a wonderful guest house. The house is within 10 minute walking distance of the market for fresh vegetables and multiple grocery stores. There is 24- hour security in a fenced yard with grass to play in and lovely rooms with hot showers, TV with DVD, a refrigerator and storage for food, a stove to cook on and Alfred the house manager to show you how to live and cook like a local. David and Amos frequently are around during the day. You’ll never meet a more friendly group of Christian men. Pictures are available. $25/adult/night.

Food

It’s important. Eat the chapate’s (sp?) Roadside tortilla stands. They fantastic. If you like to eat out, restaurants run from small local hangouts to bigger expatriate-type places. Smaller restaurants provide great, local food for 3,000-5,000 Ugsh/meal. Larger places are 10,000-20,000. If you prefer to eat in and cook your own, fresh vegetables are cheap. Tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, onion, egg plant, matoke, pineapple, passion fruit and more are plentiful. You can probably feed a family of four for $5-$10 US/day depending on taste.

Transportation

Patrick has multiple vans available (an expensive option), taxis and boda-bodas (vans and motorcycles) abound and are inexpensive, but dangerous or slow. We recommend our good friend and driver, Godfrey Lwanga. He translates, fills in on local customs, knows where all of the important places are, and can drive from Rwanda to Tanzania. Godfrey charges 40,000 Ugsh/day+ 30,000-90,000 Ugsh/day gas and is available 24 hours a day, if needed. Regardless of who drives, you will also need to provide his meals.

Church Services

Attending church is easy from Ggaba. Ggaba Community Church is a wonderful church with a great service. I hear the bilingual is more energetic than the plain English service. It’s a 5 minute taxi ride from Patrick’s guest house.

References

The following are contact numbers and emails for pertinent players in your adoption (guardianship) in Uganda. These people will be invaluable, will probably become long-term friends, and can make a very stressful time quite pleasant (in retrospect).

1. The Honorable Peter Nyombi 011 256 772 584522 nypter@infocom.co.ug

2. Barbara Nankya
Sanyu Babies' Home
Namirembe Hill
P.O.Box, 14162,
Mengo, Kampala
Barbara@sanyubabies.com
Tel: 011 256 414 274 032
Mob: 011 256 712 370 950

3. Jalia Kayondo
The Royal School and Orphanage
011 256 772 451012
jaliakayondo@yahoo.com

4. Willie-Bethany Village Manager
011 256 772 519887
mwillie22@yahoo.co.uk
Frances Mugwanya-Bethany Village Homes Manager
011 256 772 414944
mugwanyafrances@yahoo.com

5. Pastor Peter Kasiviru
Africa Renewal Ministries
Gaba Community Church
PO Box 26083
Kampala, Uganda
Office: 011 256 414 267916
Cell: 011 256 772 502049
peterk@africarenewal.org

6. Patrick Serunjogi
PO Box 30343
Kampala, Uganda
011 256 772 400559
patrickserunjogi@gmail.com

7. Godfrey Lwanga
011 256 712 886828
godfrey2002@yahoo.co.uk

Sponsorships

You may find that you want to adopt and have even found a child, but you can’t afford to bring them home or there is a delay for some reason. Perhaps you have friends and family who are quite envious of your adoption of such a beautiful child but, for whatever reason, they are unable to add more to their home. The solution? Orphanage or child sponsorships. All of the homes below, as well as many others (one I have but haven’t listed since it’s run by Americans who are wonderful but don’t have the appropriate certifications yet) urgently need volunteers and funds to pay for the daily care of their children.

Some of these dollar amounts may seem like a lot, but as the economy tanks, prices rise all over the world, so even Africa can be expensive.

1. The Royal School and Orphanage:
A. Can use teachers on a temporary basis on a weekly or monthly basis. The house you will stay in is gorgeous and I can send pictures.
B. They need to raise $10,000 for a mechanical pump for a well.
C. Their choir tours in the Southeast U.S. every year or two. Want to have them sing in your community or help sponsor it? Call or email Jalia. They have video on myspace.

2.. GCC Babies Home:
They aren’t up and running yet, but they will be soon. They hope you'll sponsor the home as a whole, but will allow you to designate money for a specific child if you prefer. (They don’t want you to sponsor a specific child, have them adopted, then lose the sponsorship.) Each child is calculated to cost $230 USD/month.

3. Bethany Village:
They also can use teachers or doctors or nurses. When I declined to work as a nurse (I’m a CRNA who hasn’t done "regular" nursing in 10 years), I was told their nurse could teach me all I needed to know about tropical medicine and wound closure. To sponsor a child, school and medical for a month is $35 USD. An entire house of 15 children, house parent and supplies is only $900.

4. Sanyu:
I forgot to get a solid number, but I think it is less than the above. The babies don’t eat as much...

Back to Uganda!

2009-02-11T14:32:00.001-05:00

Sorry for the delay in postings. Keith is packed and ready to head back to Uganda. The legal guardianship process in Uganda has had a couple changes. We think they are great changes! So, it will add another court hearing. Thus increasing the attorney fees. But having a judge rule that the child does indeed qualify as an orphan or qualify as vulnerable due to abandonment will make the whole process less frustrating in the long run!

If you are wanting more info, please post your questions and I'll answer them the best I can. And when Keith gets back, we'll have loads of accurate, up to date info!

Blessings,
Jena

A few statistics

2009-01-24T09:09:00.000-05:00

Source

What is the demographic profile of Uganda's Population?

28.6 million people live in Uganda (2007 projection);
16 million children under 18years live in Uganda (2007 projection);
57% of Uganda’s population are children below the age of 18 years.
More than 3 million children live below the poverty line;
Approximately 105,000 children aged 0-14 years are HIV positive.

What is the current status on Orphans and other Vulnerable Children in Uganda?

2.3 million orphans in Uganda (2007);
There are an estimated 890,000 orphans due to AIDS. This is equal to 45.6% of all orphans;
One out of every 4 households in Uganda have at least one orphan;
Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC) are estimated to be 7.5 million, equivalent to 46% of all children (2007).

Adopting In Uganda, Part Two

2009-01-22T12:49:00.000-05:00

Let's just say you have your I-171H approval in your hands! What next? Well, I think this is where the hard part begins.

In most international adoption journeys, by now you would have already picked an adoption agency. The thing is... currently, I don't know of an adoption agency that has completed a legal guardianship case in Uganda. I could be wrong. There seem to be MANY with pilot programs right now. The people I know who have brought children home using the legal guardianship loop hole in Uganda have dealt directly with an orphanage, babies home or Non-Government Organization (NGO). I obviously don't know everyone who has brought little blessings home from Uganda. But I have spent an enormous amount of time researching.

So, do you want to pay a middle man? That is the question you must now ask yourself. Since no agencies (that I know of) have completed this process, the agencies currently trying to start a Ugandan program are dealing with an orphanage, babies home or NGO. You will pay agency fees on top of Ugandan fees. From the research I have done on the agencies entering Uganda, the fees are ridiculous. Personally, if you feel more comfortable using an agency, and thus paying more, go right ahead. But please look out for red flags!

Red Flag #1: Attorneys cost LESS THAN $2,000. If an agency is listing fees for attorneys at a higher rate... someone is being taken.

Red Flag #2: Where are the children?
If they are in an orphanage or babies home, has a parole officer (social worker who works for the police dept) done an orphan investigation? Does the child/children meet the qualifications of an orphan set forth by the US Embassy? Is the child/children a double orphan, single orphan, or does the child/children have an abandonment decree? ASK TO SEE THE REPORT!!!! They have fax machines in Uganda, I promise!

Red Flag #3: If on agencies fee listing there is some small print that says the in country fees for things like passports, etc may change based on circumstances... watch out.

Red Flag #4: If on agencies fee listings it lists medical exams for the child/children over $15o... watch out. All children have to have a medical exam at The Surgery with Dr. Stockley. It costs 166,000 shillings per child without immunizations. I would like to suggest you don't get immunizations at The Surgery because you will have to re-immunize/do them all over once you return home. At the Embassy when you meet with the consular and he asks why you didn't immunize, simply say 'we don't want to double immunize because the US will not acknowledge immunizations from 3rd world countries'. He will not complain. Nor will the person at customs upon entering the US if you say the same thing.

Red Flag #5: The agency won't tell you where they receive their referrals. You need to know this!

Red Flag #6: The agency says the child/children are living in the village with family members. The nice man that issues the visas... does not like this.

Please know we are here to support you. If you want to use an agency, we want to support you. If you want to fly solo and not pay the middle man, we are here to support you. But we will mostly be focusing on 'flying solo' around here. We don't wish paying gazillions of thousands of dollars on our worst enemy.

Okay... cutie pie number 4 just called from school and has an icky tummy! More later!!!

Where to start?

2009-01-21T10:01:00.000-05:00

I honestly don't know where to start! There is so much info to tell and the info just so happens to be a bit confusing. Please bear with us and let us know if you need clarification or more specific info on something in particular.

First things first, I guess.

If you want to adopt in any country, including the USA, you will need a homestudy. If you want to gain legal guardianship in Uganda you will need an international homestudy. The homestudy agency you use needs to be accredited. This part is very important. Many homestudy agencies have never completed a homestudy specifically for Uganda. It's okay. Just make sure they have a good track record with other countries! Some agencies will expedite the process. This is a good option depending on the cost increase. If your social worker wants to see a copy of a Ugandan homestudy, we are happy to help with that. But it will look just like any other international homestudy.

Next, you must be approved by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. This process can't be completed until USCIS has a copy of your homestudy. But the process can begin at the same time as your homestudy.
You will need to fill out an I-600a form,
write a big check ($670 plus $80 per person in your home over the age of 18),
include birth certificates to show proof of citizenship,
include marriage certifcate,
completed homestudy (if complete),
and send it off (scroll to the bottom of this link to find your local office and please confirm you are sending your forms to the correct office before mailing!).
Please check with USCIS to make sure no changes have been made to fees or requirements!
The USCIS office will mail you a letter with an appointment date/time to have your fingerprints done.

Next you will wait for USCIS to send you the I-171H (notice of favorable determination concerning application for advance processing of an orphan petition). This will let you know your I-600a application has been approved!
***Make sure a copy of the I-171H is sent to the consular in Kampala, Uganda.***
Note: Your approved I-600A remains valid for 18 months.
Your fingerprints remain valid for only 15 months.

Tips on expediting...
We called our local State Rep (you could also call your Senator) and requested to speak with the person who handles international adoption issues. Each office has a person assigned to international issues. We requested help in expediting our I-600a application with USCIS. For us, this meant waiting 5 days instead of 4 months. Some states have different rules/policies on this. But it can't hurt to ask!!!!
If you have a referral, have your social worker request expedited approval when they turn in your homestudy. Once again, it can't hurt to ask!

Okay, my little Ugandans are done painting, coloring and puzzling! More soon!

So, you want to adopt in Uganda?

Be Respectful. Please.

Uganda Adoption Q and A: VISA

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Loss In Infant Adoption

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Loss

Uganda Adoption Q and A:Fundraising

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Travel

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Dressing for court

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Court

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Adoption vs Legal Guardianship

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Cost

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Referral

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Lots of Papers

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Attorneys

Uganda Adoption Q and A: USCIS

Uganda Adoption Q and A: The Homestudy

Uganda Adoption Q and A: The Process

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Birth Order

Birth Order

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Ages

Uganda Adoption Q and A: Agency or No Agency?

Most Popular Uganda Adoption QuestionsI am copying this from my family blog. It's gonna be a month of daily posts about adopting in Uganda to celebrate a bunch of adoptiversaries for our family!

Ay yi yi

Ugnadan Legal Guardianship Attorney

Nkwanga & Partners Associates

Orphan Sunday

Orphan Sunday

History

Visa Information

Visas

Little Did I Know

While I'm Waiting

Together for Adoption

Contact info

Updates?

Sanyu Babies Home

All Done

Court Update

Legal Guardianship in Uganda

Back to Uganda!

A few statistics

Adopting In Uganda, Part Two

Where to start?

Most Popular Uganda Adoption Questions I am copying this from my family blog. It's gonna be a month of daily posts about adopting in Uganda to celebrate a bunch of adoptiversaries for our family!