Kenscoff, Haiti

Kenscoff is located in a mountainous area of Haiti, about 10 kilometers outside of the capital of Port-au-Prince. The area is home to approximately 52,000 people, and cooler than the typical Caribbean heat (due to the elevation). When looking for information about Kenscoff online, you'll likely find references to the forest and the history of vegetable production, but not much else. It is remote and beautiful. 

In Kenscoff is a small crèche (orphanage) that was built sometime around 2000, and is operated by a well-respected non-profit organization that is based in a nearby town. 

It is here that we will find our child.

Haiti is a country rich in culture and history, and is located in the Caribbean (nearest to Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba). The heritage of the country is largely African and European (due to French colonization), and Haitian-Creole is the main language spoken (French-based). There is much to share about the beautiful land and culture of the country, and I'll pepper it through our future posts. 

When we made the decision to adopt through Haiti, we were first asked to complete a brief profile that the agency would present to the organization, representing who we are as a family. This was essentially a "pre-check" to ensure we met Haiti's expectations. We anticipated that we would receive a response in a couple of weeks, but the organization let our agency know just a few days later that we were approved to adopt through them! 

Now, this is not any kind of "official" approval, but is a a bright and shiny star that we are going to hold onto as we traverse the road ahead. Admittedly, it felt validating, and sort of like "They like us! They really like us!"

If there's anything we're learning now, it's that there are many "official" steps, and a handful of "this isn't official, but it's really helpful in the process..." steps. All in all, the journey will likely take around 18-24 months--but it could be shorter or could even be as long as three years. We're going to have to get used to these "could be" moments, and be flexible, as Haiti only joined the Hague Convention in April of 2014, so many processes are still being vetted and streamlined. 

A quick synopsis of the "official" steps ahead:

• Rapidly finishing our homestudy and dossier (the phrase "hurry up and wait" has never been more appropriate)
• Receiving an official referral from IBESR
  (Institut du Bien-Etre Social et Recherches; which translates to the Institute of Social Well-Being and Research--essentially the Haitian Social Services, and Haiti's central adoption authority)
• Travelling to Haiti for a 2-week "socialization" trip, to meet our child and spend time in Kenscoff where they currently reside
• Returning home (sans child) and waiting some more--mostly for court proceedings in Haiti to take place to finalize the availability of our child and work out the VISAs
• Travelling back to Haiti to stay for 1 week and bringing our child home!

Moment of truth:

Publishing this feels a little bit like I'm sharing a secret that we've been holding close to our hearts for some time. At the end of the day, we are incredibly excited (and many other feelings...so many feelings) about this decision, but recognize that a variety of feelings will likely bubble up in close to us, too. 

Creating a transracial family through adoption is not something to do without thought and care. We hope that you will ask questions and learn about this with us. We cannot wait to bring our child home.