Inter-Country Adoption

All Luke and I want to do is to create a bigger family, spread the love, and assist children in need - and there are so many children in need of care across the world.  They have entered this crazy world without a choice.  They must be protected from harm.  

Recently we attended our first inter-country adoption meeting, to little avail.  There are two main obstacles in our way.  One, the youngest child in the family must be 4 years old before we even start the application process.  That means the baby currently in utero will be four in 2016.  Second, there are so many countries that have restrictions on age.  In 2016, Luke and I will be 39 years old.  The maximum age restriction in most countries runs from 40 - 45 years.  Keeping this in mind, the actual application to adoption process can take as long as 4 - 8 years, by which time we will most likely be over the maximum age.  And, only 45 children a year are accepted into families in Victoria - alone.

Luke and I would love to have more children.  Unfortunately, it is too difficult for me to naturally carry another child, and cope with the Art come down after the birth.  We thought that inter-country adoption would be the way to go.

And so, I began thinking about being a 'permanent carer'.  This is a new initiative introduced by the Victorian Government whereby it is the mid-way between adoption and fostering.  Whilst Luke and I would have legal custody over the children until the age of 18, it is still expected that a relationship must be maintained with the natural parents - if this is possible.  It is a requirement that the children meet with their natural parents, on mutual ground, four times a year.  This meeting must take place with the permanent carer present.

The idea of being a permanent carer became more inflamed when I was out to dinner in Footscray recently.  Footscray is known for its drug culture - buying and selling - and of course, its cheap and tasty Vietnamese food.  Whilst I was walking to the restaurant with my girlfriends at 7pm I came across a drugged mother with two daughters.  These little girls (1 and 3) were in separate prams, crying and with little clothing on their bodies.  The mother was trying to calm them, but in her hazy state had little effect.

The situation crushed my heart.  I wanted to save the little girls.  I wanted to take them home, give them a warm bath (shower at the moment!), fill their tummies, and pop them into a cozy bed.  I wanted to shower them with love and offer them the best possible future.  The only way for this to be possible is if I become a permanent carer.