We must get licensed with IBESR, the organization that handles adoptions and all orphanages. They came for a two hour surprise visit in order to interview and inspect us. They recently shut down 26 orphanages. The paperwork is grueling.
Some of the requirements are:
- We must have every parent or a living relative sign their child over to us and current proof of such.
- We must have a copy of their Haiti ID and passport photos for our records. Some parents or relatives have none so we must pay for it and give them transportation money. We must have a copy of death certificates if parents or a parent is deceased. We must pay for all of this also.
- We must inventory everything we have from toilets to number of spoons and forks.
- All children must have blood work, immunizations and a medical record. We must provide names of schools with copies of every report card.
- All employees must provide Haiti ID, resumes and photos.
There is much, much more. At first I was so overwhelmed and depressed. Then I prayed and asked God to take over and give me the strength and organization skills. Stanley is one of our first orphans. His parents died when he was a toddler. His Grandma raised him and they lived in a one room house with no bath and an open well outside. She has no phone, so I had to drive on a one way dirt bumpy road and then get out to walk quite a distance to visit her today. Tomorrow we will go to the TRIBUNAL to see the Judge and have a birth certificate made for Stanley, a death certificate made for his mother and proper ID for Grandma. After that, we will focus on the next child until all the children are covered.
I am making progress and not getting overwhelmed because God is with me !!!