[bardsanddog]

This is so funny, not funny, but you know what I mean. We have been tossing around Guat and Ethiopia. We have a muy lindo son fron Guat and are getting the fever for another lil one. Everytime I talk to some one or read something, people are saying...Ethiopia is on my heart, I keep thinking of Ethiopia, etc..So I thought I would be nosey who is thinking about adopting from Ethiopia and what do you think has you twitter paited


For us, feeling like God is steering us that way, the need and the kids of course...so beautiful.

So come on and lets hear it
bardsanddog

[African Safari]

There is a reason Ethiopia is calling you. Follow your heart. I agree, Ethiopian children are beautiful.

[annaguat]

This will be our last adoption but I agree with that the children are gorgeous from ethiopia. Anna

[moelladeville]

Bardsanddog,
It is so funny you asked this. I just for the first time shared on csw's Vietnam thread that I had come thisclose to adopting my third child from Ethiopia. Here's how I came to it. My first child was adopted from Guat, so when I decided I wanted a second, I decided he should have a sibling from his motherland, if possible. So my second son came home. I love my sons very dearly and I treasure their Guatemalan heritage, but something drew me to Ethiopia as well.

I joined the groups. I studied the agencies. I was AMAZED at how unbelievably easy the process is. And unlike most other countries, the older children available for adoption had not typically been in an institution their whole lives -- typically, they have lost one or both parents to AIDS. I knew I wanted to adopt a girl about five or six, so this (not spending their first years in an institution) was appealing to me. I had also been on the older child forums and heard so many horror stories about older children from most other countries -- Guate included -- it was scary. I'm not saying that all other countries are worse than Ethiopia for older child adoption -- I just didn't hear any really bad stories from Ethiopia. The fees for Ethiopia were often less than half what Guatemala costs. Only a handful of agencies are licensed to process Ethiopian adoptions, which makes it pretty easy to choose.

Here was the part that I thought was different and a little scary -- you chose your child from a video or list of waiting children your agency has. I was a little uncomfortable with that. I wondered what if the most deserving child wasn't feeling well the day they made the video or took the photo, so he or she didn't smile? Would that mean they wouldn't get adopted? That was a hard aspect of the process for me.

There were only a handful of documents you needed, and they didn't need to be both authenticated and certified (if I remember right, it was one but not the other). I got videos of waiting children. They were gorgeous. I looked into caucasians adopting children of African heritage. Then I went to a photolisting site to look at the faces of Ethiopian children. I didn't go there to find a child to adopt -- I just wanted to get a feel for what the children looked like. I was in the process of "bonding" with the country, if that makes sense. Anyhow, there on the splash page was the cutest little girl who appeared to be about five or six, and who was unquestionably from Guatemala. She looked just like my older son. And just like that, I was back waiting for another Guatemalan child.

But I would adopt from Ethiopia in a heartbeat.

Sorry for such a long post!

Marjorie

[Bassette]

Uh huh,...what she said. Ethiopian children are absolutely beautiful. I have also thought about Ethiopian adoption as I would like a sibling for Kiran, closer in age than his grown sister (18). She is biracial, he is Guatemalan and it may be best for us to adopt a child of color that is neither biracial or Guatemalan so that neither of the kiddos feel displaced. Domestic adoption scares the bajeebies out of me so I would prefer to look into another international program. My first obstacle, however, remains getting my Hub on board for a second adoption!

[bardsanddog]

Please i like long posts! I have 4 bio kiddos and like i said then my guapo boy. We loooooooooooove the Guat lil ones, and at the same time captured by the lil Faces from Ethiopia. Fees of course can throw a wrench in it, I know we will go back to Guat. My husband is completely on board and sometimes drives the ship.
I am a bit head over heals for a boy from Guat rigth now, just waitng for hubby to say go. Honestly I am torn. The Ethiopia programs I have heard have been reallly reputable, I think. And we have a freind who has a lil one from Ethiopia (home past August)

It just seems like Ethiopia is really catching on ( for lack of a better word) and lots of babies are going to be snuggling up to their ma and pa! YIPPEE
bardsanddog

[foxl]

Ooooh, how exciting! I think Ethiopia would be GREAT!

[Barbiescraps]

A friend of mine is considering 2 kids from Liberia. The area is very unstable and the kids need homes, urgently. It is truly life or death for the children there. It is very sad. I have learned alot about this country thru him.

[Bonitabonita]

A good friend of mine, also a single mom by choice, just brought her 4 mo. old daughter home from Ethiopia. The process cost approx. $17,000, it was VERY fast, and her daughter is home young. They have no PGN! The agency she worked with runs a small orphanage in Addas Ababba. I was so impressed with her experience -- it was very different than the Guatemala programs! I can't even THINK about another adoption until I have my home equity line of credit paid off & way more money saved. But after that, Ethiopia looks like a very good option. Downside for me, however, is that is does not make for easy frequent travel as your child grows as Guatemala does.

Boni, feeling guilty that I would even consider any child other than one from Guatemala

[jnancynancy]

This is the "tickle" (as I like to call it) that we got a year ago about starting this whole process. When you get the tickle you gotta scratch!

[Maggie Beth]

How exciting! It is awesome whenever you feel that special "pull" in a particular direction -- go for it!

[Princesa's Mama]

When we were in the middle of Sarah's adoption, our SW told us that our agency was opening an Ethiopian program by partnering with another agency. It is fast,(about 2 months) you don't have to go there and there is not a lot of red tape. Aids has taken a toll on families and caregivers in that country and over much of Africa.

[ucme4dk]

Ethiopia has been on our minds as well!! I guess Miss. Zahara really put that country on the map for international adoptions! There is a wonderful Yahoo group that I belong to for Ethiopian adoptions. It is very active. It seems like an amazing country and yes the children are very beautiful from there, (as they are from anywhere!).
Keep us updated,

[rellen_vet]

I would definitely consider Ethiopia as an option, except according to the government website, we'd be "too old" to adopt an infant or toddler... apparently there's a policy that your age should be no more than 40 years older than the child (and dh is older than me too). The children are beautiful and in need of families. And the irony is, with lower cost, there would less waiting to be able to afford it...

But of course it's His plan and in His time, not mine...

[AlyD]

Interesting thread. I was actually originally planning to adopt from Ethiopia but in the end it turned out that my son was in Guatemala. I'll have to admit that at this point I feel very drawn to Haiti for a future adoption. People look at me strange when I say that about being "drawn to" a particular place but I know you all understand :0) Of course I am still fighting a year later to get my son home from Guatemala and am not yet old enough to adopt from Haiti - but at least that gives me a reason to look forward to 30!! Nepal also pulls me very strongly. Honestly wherever your heart tells you your child is, is the absolute right place to be adopting! As we all agree all children are beautiful and every child deserves a family. Good luck and keep us posted!