An Aussieopian Family

Can it be true this time...

Update on the Ethiopia–Australia Intercountry Adoption Program – February 2011
New Australian Representative
The Department is pleased to introduce Woz (Ms) Lemlem Fesseha as the incoming Australian Representative. We have engaged Woz Lemlem as the Program Manager pending her appointment as the new Australian Representative from 1 April 2011 and have officially notified the Ethiopian Ministry of Women’s Children’s and Youth Affairs of this.
Woz Lemlem received her Associate Degree of Law from Addis Ababa University and has previously worked as a Judge in Ethiopia. In 1997 Woz Lemlem moved to the United States where she completed a Masters of Social Work at Clark Atlanta University and worked as a Social Service Specialist for the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services. She returned to Ethiopia in 2010. The current Australian Representatives, Ato Lakew Gebeyehu and Woz Misrak, will continue in their roles until 31 March 2011 to finalise several cases and facilitate a handover to Woz Lemlem.
As Australian Representative, Woz Lemlem will oversee the management of the Program and perform core functions such as accepting Australian files and referrals of children, matching, progressing cases through intercountry adoption procedures and immigration and communicating with Australian Central Authorities. To support Woz Lemlem, the Department is engaging an experienced, Hague accredited adoption service provider in Ethiopia to provide administrative and ancillary services necessary for the ethical and effective management of the Program. This includes a range of new services to the Program including background checking of children and development assistance projects.
Program Orphanages
As incoming Australian Representative, Woz Lemlem is seeking to develop working relationships with new orphanages in which the Australian Government can have trust and confidence. The Program has signed a working agreement with Tesfa Children and Elderly Support Organization in Oromia and is looking at other opportunities to enter into working agreements with further orphanages in the future. The Grace Centre for Children and Families has not yet been successful in gaining an orphanage licence. The Department will continue to monitor the situation.
Program Referrals
The Program has commenced accepting new referrals of children in need of a permanent family placement from Tesfa Orphanage. These children are currently being progressed through background checking processes to ensure that the child’s documentation and information is correct. Once the background of these children has been thoroughly assessed, and subject to confirmation that all proper processes have been followed, Woz Lemlem will seek to match the children with Australian families with active files in Ethiopia according to the Matching Guidelines, and will progress the cases through the intercountry adoption system.
Bilateral Arrangement
The Program will continue to operate under the existing 1994 bilateral arrangement while the Department works with Ethiopian authorities to update the documentation to better reflect contemporary practices in both countries.
Fee Structure
A new fee structure is being finalised based on the costs of administering the Program. There will be an increase to the total amount of fees in order to meet the standards and expectations of the Program and respond to inflationary pressures in Ethiopia.
File Management
Families with Approved Files in Ethiopia

Families with active files in Ethiopia may be allocated a child who has been recently referred to the Australian Program. Not all families will receive an allocation from the current referrals. State and Territory Central Authorities will commence contacting all families with active files in Ethiopia to discuss arrangements for the payment of fees and updating of documents so that they are current in the event that an allocation is made.
Families with Approved Files in Australia

These files will remain in Australia pending further developments in relation to the Program. The Department will monitor the progress of the first new referrals to the Program before making a decision about sending replacement files.
Families Under Assessment for the Ethiopia Program

State and Territory Central Authorities are responsible for managing approval and assessment processes for applicants wishing to adopt from Ethiopia. It is likely that the quota of files able to be in Ethiopia at any one time may remain. This would necessitate continuation of a ‘waiting list’ in each jurisdiction whereby files would remain in Australia until they are able to be sent to Ethiopia.

http://www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Intercountry_AdoptionWhats_New#feb2011

All day at Heather Forbes Beyond Consequences seminar. Some families are dealing with heavy heavy stuff.

It's been over twelve months since my last post and as everyone in the adoption world knows the Australian-Ethiopian program has for all intents and purposes been closed. I don't want to rehash what has happened but I will say I hope this never happens again. All the information we have points towards a strong future for the program, world's best practice.

For us this last year and a bit has been distressing but as I have said before we are fortunate to have wonderful children that keep us busy and focussed. We have lost some friends from the program, they have gone to other programs or pulled out entirely . This is the saddest consequence of the turmoil, friends who will now not be parents.

I have surprised myself in many ways, not only what I can cope with but what I can achieve. One person can make a difference. You don't need everyone to listen to you just one who has some power who is willing to ask questions.

Lots to write about and share. I hope to have some wonderful news soon.

My phone is being inundated with messages of support and love from our dear adoption friends. That is how we get through the wait, couldn't do it without them. xxx

As we were told when we started along this adoption journey...nothing to do with intercountry adoption is easy...got a phone call this morning from the department "the attorney general's department have indefinitely suspended the Ethiopian program and no new files will go to Ethiopia until it is reopened"
My take on this...there have been suspensions before, there will be suspensions again, the Ethiopian-Australian program has been operating for over 20 years and we have waited 5 years, we will get to Ethiopia!

My hands are black...

from fingerprint ink!!!! We spent 2 hours at the local police station waiting (I am used to it by now), hopefully we won't have to do that again and we will be matched before it has to be done again.  The only things left to do for our file is to have our power of attorney papers notarized and our financial statement to be done.  We meet with our accountant next week to finalise this so we are getting awfully close.  I have tried to find out when the next couple travel (remember our file won't go until they travel to pickup their little one) and am waiting (yeah that word again) to hear back from the department.

What has been going on lately...we had a great holiday in September in Noosa (paradise 2 hrs north of Brisbane).  We parked the car and didn't get back into it for 8 days.  We just strolled up and down Hastings St, swam each day at the beach just across the road from our apartment, ate lots of great food, it is a real foodies heaven and the boys are so great to go out for dinner with now, although Emmett always passed out just before dessert and we relaxed.

Brad and I had a weekend away without the kiddies in October which was very special, we worked out it has been 4 years since we have done that.  Definitely not going to wait that long again. 

The boys are almost finished school, so I can expect a flurry of activity with end of year concerts, gifts for teachers etc.  Connor is off to high school next year so we have been to the orientation evening, met his buddy, organised his uniform (so cute in his blazer and akubra hat) and books.  He has signed up for debating, rowing and soccer and he is interested in rugby and tennis.

I am still working but I negotiated a 3 day working week, so I can get some housework done (well that was the reason I gave Brad for needing time off).  Brad built a playground and sandpit last weekend and we have had lots of redecoration done inside.  I will post some pics next time.

Check back I will write again soon.

Happy Days...

Just got confirmation that our file will indeed be the next to be sent to Ethiopia.  So very very happy.  Password will be up so please email if you want in.  To all my blogging friends thank-you for your messages of support. 

aaarrrrrghhh...

After all this time waiting you would expect that I wouldn't miss a phone call from the department.  Well I did but I swear I called back within 5 mins (maybe less...I picked up on the last ring, retrieved the message and called back) but was told my adoption officer was on another call, the girl assured me she would pass on my message straight away. 

After 20 mins watching the clock, holding my phone in my hand, calling my girlfriend (on the other phone) to ask her what she thought the phone call meant, her telling me to call back immediately, I called back only to be told SHE HAD LEFT FOR THE DAY and no other international staff were there to help me.  The poor girl on the phone was obviously empathetic, when I explained I was waiting for good news and that I was gong to have to wait until tomorrow and my voice cracked she assured me she would get the adoption officer to call back first thing in the morning.  But I know that won't happen because the message was that they wouldn't call back until lunch time.

So long story short I am still waiting.  But being the eternal optimist (how else can you survive an almost 5 year wait just to get your file in country) I think there may be good news tomorrow.

Password required soon...

Because we will soon (fingers crossed) have our file in Ethiopia I have decided to change this blogs access.  If you would like to continue to read about my family please email me your name, email address and website (if applicable) so I can send you the password details. 

almost there...

 Just got an update on the Ethiopian program...we are couple #2.