Adopting from Haiti

(ABC 6 NEWS) --The images have been heartbreaking. And since the earthquake hit Haiti last month, there's been an increased number of Americans trying to adopt Haitian children. One of the largest international adoptions agencies in the United States and in our area says if you want to adopt from Haiti you're going to have to wait.

Since the earthquake in Port Au Prince, the Bethany Christian Service adoption center in Mason City has been a little bit busier than usual.

"I think people just became more aware of the need by seeing this is been on the news and they see the children suffering," said Bethany Christian Center social worker, Bonnie Peterson.

And Bethany Christian Service received more applications in January than the entire year of 2009.

"People are at least being more aware of the need," said Peterson.

And while there's lots of interest, new adoptions are at a standstill.

"The important thing now is to re-unite children and families and we know Haiti is not allowing adoptions at this time," said Peterson.

In the meantime, U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar is working on three bills to eliminate certain fees, allow families to adopt groups of siblings, even if one is over 16, and allow children to enter the U.S. before receiving full immunizations.

"That's one of the delays families encounter and actually it would be safer to have them over as long as they get them in the first thirty days," said U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar.

The hope is to make future international adoptions easier.

But Bethany Christian Center social worker, Bonnie Peterson thinks even if the bills pass, it's going to be a while until they become useful in Haiti.

"Many of the people that were doing the adoptions in Haiti were killed during the earthquake so it's going to be a while before anything happens as far as adoptions are concerned," said Peterson.

Over the last couple weeks, 58 Haitian children have been adopted by Bethany Christian Service into the United States including in Minnesota and Iowa. All those children were cleared before the earthquake.

You can get more information about the adoption process. Click on the links section of our webpage.