[karla-k]

We are in the middle of an adoption nightmare in Central Asia and beginning to think about exploring other programs.

I need those of you in the know to be brutally honest about the direction the adoption program in Ethiopia is headed.

News stories about corruption and possible restructuring is scary given the experience we are in right now.

Any info is appreciated. Also any feedback on Carolina Hope adoption agency.

[ocracoke]

The brutal honesty about the Ethiopian program is that it really depends on the agency you sign with. There are agencies that are really ethical. And then there are agencies that are slimey. Do your agency research if you are switching to Ethiopia. There are some that I would turn and run from just at the mention of their names.

Also if you are open to gender you are more likely to run into less ethical issues. If you are open to an older age you are less likely to run into ethical issues. I adopted from Ethiopia in 2006 and have stayed involved with news and knowledge. I would return to Ethiopia to adopt a second time but it is getting complicated for singles and I just don't have the money at the moment.

Samantha

[Alexismandyjr]

We completed two adoptions from Guatemala and we held our breath during our last one which was completed in December of 2007, just one month short of Guatemala's adoption closure.

We just completed our ET adoption using a very ethical agency and we did adopt a 10 year old that had been waiting for a family for two years.

I know there are reports of unethical behaviors by certain agencies. But not all agencies are created equal!

The Ethiopian officials that oversee adoptions are very careful and are always trying to improve their system. There are times when they change certain regulations and it does effect timeframes, but in reality it's all done in order to maintain order and establish better regulations. I do believe they do a very good job trying to protect their children.

I believe Ethiopia's adoption process will remain open. But, I agree with the previous poster who stated that the most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to RESEARCH YOUR AGENCY!!! Make absolutely sure that you select an agency that has been established in ET for a long period of time.

Good luck to you and hope you make the best choice for your family.

[mom.mama.mommy]

I wpould love to have a PM from anyone regarding which ones to shy away from.

We are leaning towards domestic, but also are still looking into Ethiopia as well.

What parts have the largest potential for going bad?

[isitnaptime]

We began an Ethiopian adoption. We thought we had researched our agency well, but after we signed on new information was available. We decided to pull out of their program and have since succesfully adopted domestically.
I would echo what others have said, it all depends on the agency. Be very very careful, and choose one that has another backup program you could transfer un-used fees to if there were to be problems. Also choose one that facilitates birth family meeting and does not have restrictions on them.

Seems the most potential for ethical concerns center around as young as possible baby girls, but it doesn't stop there. There are stories of older children telling a different story once they are home.