Danang Orphanage Construction - Final

Dong Phu Elementary School Grand Opening

Danang Orphanage Construction - Update 4

Meeting at DIA with Dr. Long

The Department of International Adoptions hosted a meeting with U.S. agencies that had not completed Hague Accreditation. VORF was in attendance, as we have not yet completed our accreditation. All of us were quite comforted by the continued support by Dr. Long for the agencies, as well as for the long- term success of the adoption program. Dr. Long was very clear that the IAD will not revoke the licenses of any U.S. agencies, contrary to what was suggested by the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi in a letter from Don Mattingly to the IAD. Dr. Long emphasized the fact that Vietnam is not a signatory to the Hague Convention at this time, although they may accede to the treaty sometime in 2009 or 2010. His position supports the U.S. Department of State and the Council on Accreditation guidelines that adoption service providers working in Non-Hague countries do not have to have accreditation. VORF has taken a proactive position and has begun the accreditation process, but we expect this to be an expensive and prolonged process.

For those currently in the process, we are excited that Dr. Long has indicated dossiers would be accepted until at least September 1, 2008. We are encouraged by this statement as it indicates Vietnam will complete the process by matching each dossier with a child. Therefore it is imperative that every family considering adoption from Vietnam completes the requirements of the dossier as soon as possible.

JCICS President, Tom DiFilipo, after meeting personally with the IAD in Vietnam and the US DOS in Washington indicated his belief that there is a lot of work to do. He submitted the “Standards of Practice” and reported that this was well received as an effective beginning to complete the voids of the initial MOU. We will be in attendance on conference calls regarding the MOU as well as U.S. initiatives that affect the adoption process such as the Orphans First initiative.

VORF will remain optimistic for the extension of the MOU. We will be asking each family that has an interest in the continuation of adoptions from Vietnam to watch our web site for updates. We intend to mount an aggressive campaign in conjunction with JCICS and other providers to gain the necessary support from our legislators and DOS representatives.

Danang Orphanage Construction - Update 3

DOS Meeting in Hanoi

On Jan. 24, 2008, there was a meeting at the US Embassy in Hanoi to discuss the current state of the approval process for an orphan petition. Representatives from USCIS and DOS were present and offered the following comments. We have summarized and included our comments on those that most affect our clients.

Over the last several months there has been some concern by parents of the delays of the new process regarding the I 600 application. Many of these criticisms were directed toward VORF and our foreign staff, for their lack of what many believed were late filings. In reality, US Government officials stated a majority of the I 600s submitted were incomplete and in the future will be returned to the clients. Our VORF foreign staff is careful to submit only complete I-600 files. VORF is pleased to state that we have not had any petitions returned for being incomplete. We will only file the I 600 after DIA has approved the adoption, prior to the issuance of the Final Decree by the Provincial Peoples Committee. This was based upon specific instructions from DIA to all ASP’s during a meeting in Hanoi in November 2007, in response to the revised procedures from the US Government. Should an ASP fail to follow this procedure and file an I-600 prior to obtaining DIA approval, this action could possibly result in the VN DIA not timely answering an US inquiry and may result in the denial of these cases.

Another issue is that some families have made claims that adoption agencies (ASP) or their foreign staff has not done enough to address the investigative process within their respective provinces. VORF is very pleased to report that two of the three provinces that we currently have referrals from, have cooperated in a timely and informative manner with all US officials. Our agency also benefited from an actual visit to the provinces as this gave investigators the opportunity to see first hand the extensive humanitarian work that VORF is involved in and prompt approval of most pending I-600 applications.

The US officials clarified several other issues raised by our clients

1. Sixty days is not a promised deadline, but they will do their best to complete investigations in that period. After this date, notice will be given should further time be needed for approvals.
2. The USCIS and DOS staff is very limited and contacting them will often slow approval of cases. We have to understand the reality of the situation, and that is we have the right to contact our government, but if most of those waiting for their approval do so on a regular basis, the wait will continue to grow as USCIS and DOS staff answer only status reports, instead of actually adjudicating cases.
3. PAP’s should not make travel plans until they receive notice of approval of their case. VORF will not have travel itineraries available until our foreign staff has made a determination of the entire process based upon once the I 600 notice of approval has been received and there is confirmation of a G&R date from the VN local government.

The most important issue to note is that the DOS will add a notice regarding the future of adoptions in Vietnam to their web site. Our confidence in JCICS and their commitment to resolving the remaining issues between the US and VN continues to be strong. We again welcome the opportunity to sign the Standards of Practice (SOP), being proposed to adoption agencies and express our willingness to share in the responsibility to ensure transparency in the adoption process. Many of the associated issues such as the prolonged investigatory period that we now experience will effectively be shortened as the two sides work together to hopefully begin simultaneously investigating the orphan’s status. The SOP will address the cooperation of US/VN authorities in the investigative process and the many other issues that affect adoption, and hopefully result in bringing your child home sooner.

Danang Orphanage Construction - Update 2

SAVE THE DATE

VORF will be holding our annual TET party on Sunday, February the 17th in the Akron/Cleveland area. More details forthcoming.

Rebuilding the Danang Orphanage

Summary of JCICS Summit

JCICS held a summit on Vietnam adoptions last week, November 28, 2007 in Washington, D.C. In attendance were representatives from the US Department of State as well as representatives from USCIS. The central issue of discussion was the continuation of adoptions from Vietnam to US Citizens.

With the current MOU scheduled for extension in September 2008, it was brought to our attention that a number of issues must be addressed in order for the US as well Vietnam authorities to sign the extension. JCICS has taken the leading role in establishing the necessary steps to insure agreement on both sides.

First and foremost, it was apparent that the representatives from the DOS and CIS are committed to the continuation of adoptions from Vietnam. They carefully listened to the collective concerns of all of the agencies in attendance. Many of the issues discussed revolved around the long term stability of the program, and the outstanding commitments of the MOU. Secondly, they showed genuine concern for the adoptive parents that are experiencing delays due to the implementation of changes in the I-600 process. Everyone agreed that these changes are vital to the success of program, as ultimately they will provide for US approval before parents travel to Vietnam.

The president of JCICS, Tom Di Filippo, spoke of the necessity for all concerned parties to work together to achieve our goal of long term stability for Vietnam adoptions. He outlined the concept that there are three parties ultimately responsible for the continuation of adoptions in Vietnam. They are the US, Vietnam, and the Adoption Service Providers. Under the auspices of JCICS, the ASP’s will voluntarily sign a proposal to effect the necessary changes in the system as dictated by the MOU. In effect, all aspects of the adoption process will be transparent to both the US and Vietnam authorities. The transparency will not only apply to adoptions but to humanitarian efforts.

We at VORF welcome the changes and look forward to signing on to the JCICS proposed STANDARDS OF PRACTICE. We are heartened by the fact that agencies will now be held accountable for review and enforcement of adoption related activities within the provinces that they maintain relationships with. We are also proud to share our humanitarian agreements with JCICS as we believe our humanitarian goals to be at the forefront of our agency’s responsibilities.

Que Phong School Project