Article in the Liberian Journal

Here is a link to an article posted yesterday in the Liberian Journal. My
family's photo was pulled from my website and was the top story until an hour
ago on the site.

Here is a link to the article:
http://www.theliberianjournal.com/index.php?st=news&sbst=details&rid=1016&comesO\
fTheHome=1

to see the photo:
http://www.theliberianjournal.com/

I just spoke with the journalist who wrote the article, Dr. Emmanuel Dolo. He did not put the picture with the story and doesn't know how the Liberian Journal obtained it. We had a good conversation. He is interested in doing an independent research project to see how the children are doing in the US after being adopted. This is a great idea, as it could only refute the claim by UNICEF and Save the Children that international adoptions are another form of child trafficking.

As for the article, I am grateful that there isn't inaccurate info. in the article
and that my family's name is not mentioned. The fact that my family's photo is published with the article that mentions an adoption agency being shut down...a reference to WACSN and not CAS/ACFI...is very disturbing, though not Dr. Dolo's fault. I will follow up with the Liberian Journal who should never have published a photo that they were not given permission to use in the first place.

I am thankful that Dr. Dolo does seem to be willing to discuss international adoptions instead of claiming that we are all trafficking children. I wrote the following response to him.

Dr. Dolo,
I just finished reading your "Perspectives on the Intl Adoption of Liberian
Children" commentary in the Liberian Journal. I want to thank you for writing an
intelligent article that brings out some valid points about the complexities of
international adoptions while still recognizing the fact that international
adoptions can be a viable solution for a minority of children who do not have
families equipped to care for them in Liberia.

I would enjoy dialoguing with you further about this issue via email or by
phone.

One point for clarification...I work for Christian Adoption Services, which
partners with ACFI in Liberia. I believe the agency you are referring to in the
article that the MOH is trying to shut down is WACSN. I wanted to make the
clarification since you posted a photo of me and my family with the article. I
would appreciate the Liberian Journal removing our family's photo from the
website as permission was not obtained to use it and our family is not
associated with the agency mentioned.

I welcome the opportunity to provide you with more information about CAS.
Christian Adoption Services formed a partnership with ACFI one year ago,
recognizing the need that existed within ACFI to better prepare adoptive
families for their children coming home as well as to train adoption staff in
Liberia about best adoption practices according to the Hague Convention. CAS is
a licensed adoption agency with Hague accreditation and has been providing
adoption services for 30 years. Not only has CAS worked with ACFI to improve
international adoption practices in Liberia, but we also provide some
humanitarian assistance for children in the Daniel Hoover Children's Village and
the Mission for Deaf Children that ACFI maintains. Since there are only 7% of
the children in these homes who are matched with families for adoption, we
strive to provide resources for the majority of children who will remain in
Liberia and still need care that cannot be provided by their birth families or
the government of Liberia.

The following information outlines some of the licenses, accreditations and
affiliations that CAS holds. In addition, I am including information about the
efforts CAS/ACFI has put forth to improve the adoption process in Liberia during
our partnership.

CAS' Licenses and Accreditations
•Licensed, nonprofit child-placing agency for 30 years performing both
international and domestic adoptions
•Over 1,050 children placed in loving, Christian homes
•Only 8 disruptions with CAS identifying another permanent home for these
children
•Accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) to provide international
adoption services under the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and
Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption
•Accredited by the Philippines Intercountry Adoption Board as an approved U.S.
child placing agency for 27 years

CAS' Affiliations
•Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) – accredited member
•Christian Alliance for Orphans
•Coalition of Licensed Private Adoption Agencies (COLPAA)
•North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC)
•Joint Council on International Children's Services (JCICS)
•North Carolina Center for Nonprofits

CAS' Efforts to Improve the Adoption Process
•As the Liberia Program Coordinator, I have written a Liberia Education Manual
that covers the following topics in depth: Liberia Country Information, ACFI
Information, Orphanage Life Information, Liberian Culture, Language Differences,
Educational Issues, Emotional Issues, Medical Issues as well as many other
topics. The manual also lists contact information for families who have adopted
Liberian children, additional resources to prepare for adoption, and additional
resources to get to know Liberian culture and history. Every potential adoptive
parent who works with CAS is required to study this manual and submit answers to
a list of questions based on the contents of the manual.
•Every potential adoptive parent is also required to complete a ten hour
adoption training video series called "Because They Waited" and pass tests on
the series.
•Every potential adoptive parent is required to submit a plan for post adoption
support services that outlines adoption counselors, respite care, and other
support networks in their area that will be available should they need help with
post adoption challenges after their adopted child has been placed in their
home.
•Every potential adoptive parent is required to identify guardians who have
agreed to accept responsibility for the care of their adopted child in the event
of the adoptive parent's untimely death.
•Every potential adoptive parent is required to contact an adoptive family who
has adopted from Liberia to discuss the variety of issues that adoptive families
and children can face post adoption.
•The CAS Liberia Program Coordinator reviews each prospective adoptive parent's
application and homestudy to ensure that the most appropriate match between
family and child is considered. The CAS Social Work Supervisor also reviews the
homestudy. Factors such as the number of children in the adoptive home, ages of
children in the adoptive home, family income, established support systems and
ages of potential adoptive children are taken into consideration. CAS requires
that each homestudy is done according to Hague standards and does not approve a
family for adoption until the homestudy is in line with these standards.
•Every potential adoptive parent must agree to submit post placement reports
following their child's placement into their home. They are asked to submit
three in the first year and one annually for three years. The reports contain
information about the child and family's emotional adjustments, health
information on the child, developmental milestones, activities the child enjoys,
and any challenges the child and family are facing together. Photos of the child
and the adoptive family are submitted with each report. Copies of these reports
are kept in the CAS office in the US and are forwarded to the CAS/ACFI adoption
office in Monrovia, Liberia.

CAS' Humanitarian Efforts
CAS is committed to partnering with ACFI to provide care and an education to
over 350 orphaned and indigent children of Liberia who reside at the Daniel
Hoover Children's Village (DHCV) and the Mission for Deaf Children (MDC) on the
outskirts of Monrovia. This partnership extends far beyond coordinating
adoptions. It is the goal of CAS and ACFI to ensure that orphaned and indigent
children in Liberia are cared for in such a way that they become productive
adults who positively impact Liberia's future development. Along with families
who have adopted children from Liberia and their church communities, CAS is
working to implement the following programs:
•A sponsorship program in the hopes of raising part of the monthly fees to care
for the children at the Daniel Hoover Children's Village and the Deaf Home.
Children are matched with a sponsorship family and communicate via letters a
couple of times a year. The sponsorship families encourage children to excel in
their studies and in their relationships with people and God.
•Humanitarian trips of teams who work at DHCV and MDC to improve the care of the
children. In March 2009, a team of 16 people worked for one week at the
orphanages in Liberia in the following areas: Leadership and Financial
Accountability Training of key ACFI staff, Adoption Staff Training and
Improvements to the Adoption office, Teacher Training and Evaluation, medical
check-ups for each child, large and small group activities with the children,
improving security at DHCV, providing funds and assisting ACFI in pursuing
self-sustaining endeavors like micro-businesses and agriculture.

Dr. Dolo, I understand the desire of the Liberian people to make sure that
children who are adopted internationally from their country are well-cared for
and that all adoptions are done in the best interests of the children. We at CAS
and ACFI fully support those desires and will continue to work towards meeting
them. Here is a link to a video that addresses this desire:
http://www.tangle.com/view_video.php?viewkey=e087517bedf264d94b8e


Angel Rutledge
Liberia Program Coordinator
Christian Adoption Services