Adoption okayed, and then stopped

October 14, 2007

We would like to support this effort.  We are currently pending about an adoption of a …. baby.  He has been with us for 19 out of the 26 months of his life.  We received permission from one worker from the …. nation to adopt and two weeks before the adoption was to be final another worker stepped it and stopped the adoption.  Now 4 months later the judge has given us the go ahead with the adoption and a good cause hearing is being set.  The child has many health problems so the tribe has been unable to place him.  I understand the panic and fear that exist when children are about to be taken from the only family that they have known.  It is not in the best interest of the child and only serves to hurt them more.  Is it so out of the question that a non Native American family would have the ability to learn and to teach a child about the cultural that they were born into?

UPDATE October 27, 2007

DHS has come back and said that some type of paperwork still needs to be done.  It may delay the adoption date a little longer.  Notification has been sent to the tribe and they have 20 days to respond, we will see what happens.

Thank you for your email and for keeping me in the information loop.

UPDATE November 29, 2007

…We had a court date set for the 21st of November but the State … did not have all of their paperwork completed so it had to be postponed.  We had not been approved but not authorized so now we are waiting for the authorization.  It is not a big deal but it can take 30 days.  We have another date in January so it should be done then. 

Thank you very much for your concern. I will keep you posted.

UPDATE January 10, 2008

I wanted to let you know that we finalized the adoption of (Son) on Jan 9th.  The tribe was there and they have court documentation showing that the tribe was not objecting and that the ICWA had been followed.  It is finally over!!!!!

I am really interested in getting involved with this.  There has to be something that can be done that will satisfy first the needs of the children and second to keep the tribes happy.  We have committed to do what we can to learn of and to teach (Son) about his heritage. Is there an organization that works between the tribes and non Native American families?  Anyway, something needs to change.  It is only by the hand of the Lord that (Son) is with us.  I even think that the social workers are amazed that the tribe allowed the adoption.