Peace Corps volunteer attempting to adopt

P

pc2015

Newbie
Sep 25, 2015
4
0
0
I've read the sticky on adoption and have almost no hope, but I wouldn't feel right if I didn't ask the question directly.

I'm a Peace Corps volunteer looking to take a child who lives in my site back to the States with me. I'm single and over 30.

This child's family would give consent for me to take her and although she would live with me, she would continue contact.

According to Dominican law, it sounds like I would be unable to adopt her, as she is a 'particular' child, and not one assigned to my by Conani. Is there a way around this?
 
P

PeterInBrat

Gold
May 29, 2006
10,265
200
0
My understanding is in order to adopt you must be married for five years. Meanwhile, the orphanages are overflowing with abandoned kids. You may have other options though by becoming a foster parent since you have the family's consent. Getting a visa will be a challenge. Your options may change if you can get the child to the US. You may want to consult the embassy since I doubt you situation is unique.
 
R

rfp

Gold
Jul 5, 2010
1,402
137
63
I think that you need to go home to the states and get some distance from the child. That will allow you to rethink the enormity of what you are foolishly considering.

Dont do it !!
 
H

HUG

Silver
Feb 3, 2009
3,940
1
0
rfp said:
I think that you need to go home to the states and get some distance from the child. That will allow you to rethink the enormity of what you are foolishly considering.

Dont do it !!
Click to expand...

We have no background at all of the OP. What a ridiculous assumption and post to deter people from trying to adopt children.
 
M

Matilda

RIP Lindsay
Sep 13, 2006
5,485
338
63
Very few Dominican children are adopted these days - there were 9 last year. The requirements are stringent, not only must the parents have been married for 5 years, one must also come and live in the country with the child for a few months. The reason for such stringent requirements is in the main due to the abuse of adoption by several overseas usually "Christian" agencies who took children away from their parents. Indeed there was the scandal after the Haitian earthquake of a group of missionaries taking Haitian children supposedly orphans, away from their families. Here is one such story.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...ren-given-up-to-quebecs-adoption-machine.html

Matilda
 
K

Kipling333

Bronze
Jan 12, 2010
2,528
829
113
I agree with HUG that nothing should be done to deter the adoption of orphaned or disadvantaged children . I have two adopted children in Africa . I adopted them ,a girl from the ill fated Biafra and the other a boy from Ghana when they were young , under a programme called ADOPT A CHILD that was run by an Anglican , Episopalian , missionary body called SPCK . Under the rules the two children stayed in their countries and I paid a monthly amount direct into the bank accounts of these children...not into the bank account of SPCK. This began about 25 years ago and we had correspondance on an erratic basis and sometimes they asked for various things. One of the rules was that I was not to attempt to bring them to my home country . I broke that rule when the boy visited me here in the DR from Accra . It was an error. Today the girl is married to a Nigerian soldier and the boy is a caddy at Achamota Golf Club in Accra . I think I saved two lives and they gave me much joy .
 
B

Beenaway

New member
May 27, 2013
112
0
0
PeterInBrat said:
Though others were less kind..

http://www.secularnewsdaily.com/2010/02/laura-silsbys-messiah-complex/

So sad that ppl like her have caused so much harm for getting kids adopted. She may still even be deluding herself into thinking that she meant well and that any money she made from her scams were just part of God's Blessings.
Click to expand...



I remember this well - absolutely sick individuals. The very epitome of selfishness and utterly deluded.
I am not a fan of any religious cult but hers is one of the most destructive in Haiti to this very day.
 
L

La Rubia

Bronze
Jan 1, 2010
1,336
28
0
Many volunteers have faced the situation you are in. I've heard of very few successful couples, and never a single one. The successful ones were couples that met the requirements, including the ability to work professionally in country for as long as they wanted to.

Perhaps your best option is to use your resources in a way that supports the child over the course of his/her formative years. (school fees, uniforms, supplies, enrichment activities) Its not the same as adoption, but it can significantly change the child's circumstances, which is likely why the parents would give him/her to you anyway.

Of course, if you were able to stay in country you could raise the child as your own without adoption as is pretty common among Dominicans, but we can assume you're reason for adoption would be to return to the US.
 
L

La Rubia

Bronze
Jan 1, 2010
1,336
28
0
Matilda said:
Very few Dominican children are adopted these days - there were 9 last year. The requirements are stringent, not only must the parents have been married for 5 years, one must also come and live in the country with the child for a few months. The reason for such stringent requirements is in the main due to the abuse of adoption by several overseas usually "Christian" agencies who took children away from their parents. Indeed there was the scandal after the Haitian earthquake of a group of missionaries taking Haitian children supposedly orphans, away from their families. Here is one such story.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...ren-given-up-to-quebecs-adoption-machine.html

Matilda
Click to expand...
I had no idea it was so few. For all practical purposes, that's essentially no foreign adoptions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom