Pre-Adoption Counseling

We had our “Pre-Adoption Counseling” this morning! We met at Little Angels Network, and spoke with a LOVELY lady named of Jane. She was about our age, has a daughter that is six years old that is going to same school that Kush did. Talking to her was more than pleasant! Imagine.

Now I have my Individual Interview on Thursday, and then a Home Visit on Tuesday the 24th. After that all we have to do is wait for the Case Committee to meet and approve us!

Oh yes. So after our counseling, I went to New Life Home Trust to see if I could speak with their social worker. I spoke with a lady by the name of Grace. She was also extremely pleasant and informative. Turns out the minimum age to adopt from New Life Home Trust is three months old. Their reason being 1) the legal rights of the parents being null and void, and also the confirmed health of the child. The BAD NEWS is that they only have TWO baby girls that 3 months old!! Can you imagine? ALL the rest are boys.

Which got me to thinking – every time we are there, it seems like just boys are playing outside. Turns out it is a cultural trend on this side, that has gotten worse in the past few years – most abandoned babies are boys. I told Kasimbi (our houseman) about it on the way home, and he said, “Oh – that is the Luhya’s. A girl cannot marry if she has a boy child.” I was like – “WHAT???” I mean – seriously. It’s 2009. Anyway – it is what it is. We have 2 girls to choose from – one born November 4th, and one born November 26th. NO – I didn’t see them, or anything – we have to wait to be approved first…. Well, I COULD have seen them, but how hard would that be?? To leave a sweet baby there for weeks on end??

Anyway – after we are approved, we go to visit the child 6 times – one of which includes us taking the child to our own pediatrician for a check-up and whatever tests our doctor suggests, etc. Then we bring the baby home! We have to bring her back to the orphanage every two weeks until the legal adoption process starts, and then monthly until we have legally adopted her.

Some babies that have been abandoned at the hospitals have a record of their mother’s name – so that is optimistic! Not that I want to find the woman, or anything, but I imagine it would be reassuring to the child to have a name, at least.

So that’s it!! Waiting until Thursday morning at 9am….