I received this email today from Diana regarding adoptions in Liberia. If you have lost track of where we are in the process, we are still waiting for our referral.

I spoke with Patty this morning regarding adoptions in Liberia. The legislature is out on a six-month intermission, during which time no new work will be done on the new law. However, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf issued an Executive Order to the Ministry of Health declaring that pending the new law, the Ministry of Health must continue processing adoptions promptly according to the existing law.

Following the issuance of the order, the Ministry resumed work on the cases of ten special needs children in the care of Acres of Hope, Liberia. Two of those cases are already completed. The Ministry stated that the remainder would be finished today, after which they will resume work on cases not involving special needs. The Deputy Minister of Health has been working very closely with Acres of Hope, Liberia staff as the representatives of the newly formed Liberian adoption providers’ association.

The orphanage has been able to accept four new babies as a few children have gone home, and we anticipate being able to make more new referrals in the coming months. At this time we expect that adoptions in Liberia will shortly resume their normal pace and more children will come home.