[anapauladublin]

Your cleaning lady is probably doing this with the best of intentions because I myself would know of some children back home whose moms would have given them up for adoption, etc but the adoption process in Brazil is more complicated than that. I'm not saying its impossible!! Its just that the question is not "are there children to adopt" but "which children are actually AVAILABLE to adopt". My mom fell in love with a little boy at an orphanage in Rio and was told he was not available for adoption because his parents still visit him every Sunday. Thats very nice of them and all to mind him for the parents who are unable to or who are not allowed to (who knows!) but can you imagine if you had no children, walked into the orphanage, fell in love with a child and were simply told, "Sorry he's not available." Because of this, I think its unfair to have children who are not at all available for adoption mixed in with real orphans who need families. There are the so called "Institutes" for these children and "orphanages" for the ones that can be adopted (orphans). But in Brasil they are pretty much all mixed up, which is why I think it is very wise to contact CEJA and have an attorney in hand. It is alot of paper work, but I think when its my turn, I would much rather do it legally with all the paperwork than have to later find out the child's mom has rights to him or has changed her mind! Good luck to all of you adopting in Brasil! I truly hope it all works out! Right now I'm helping a friend who is interested and even though it seems to be alot, in the end it will all be worth it =)

Ana Paula