God is Good

**This information is not new.  It came out on MPAK on Mar. 12, but I had not blogged it and feel that it is important for Easton's story. 

Apparently, the judges heard our pleas. 

Here is the new process update: 

The three agencies in Korea have heard from a judge in the Family Court, and the court has cancelled the appointments for several families that were to appear before the court in April, and decided to go ahead and approve their adoptions. 

This is how the process will work:

1. The court will review all the adoption documents of a family that wish to adopt a child from Korea.  Before that the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) would approve the family and issue an EP, and all the documents will be forwarded to the Family Court to get reviewed and a judge will conditionally approve the family.  In the past years the MOHW was the final approving authority.  Under the new adoption law the final approvals will come from the Family Court.

2. A social worker appointed by the Family Court will arrange an interview with baby's birthmother to make sure that she is sure of her decision to give up the baby.

3. Once it is determined that the birthmother does not wish to keep the baby, the 14-day clock starts ticking.  Like I mentioned, this is to give the birthmother the time to reconsider her decision.  In most cases, the birthmothers will not want their babies back.  So in a sense they are given two chances at their babies.  They will be given 7 days to change their minds right after the birth.  And they will be given one more chance just before the babies are adopted. In truth they have the power to take back their children anytime after the birth to the time of adoption.

4. After the 14-day reconsideration period is over, and the baby is still available, a judge issues the final adoption order, allowing the adoptive family to take their child home. 

5. The agency will contact the adoptive family to travel to Korea to pick up their child right after the 14-day period is over