Half Year Mark

We have officially hit the half year mark as of yesterday!  6 Months since HSTK!

I'm not sure why but it feels good to pass this mark.  Almost like I can take of my "newbie" hat and put on the "I've been here for a while" hat.

Passing the 6 month mark does move us closer but with a timeline that has no defined end you never know who much closer.  Just last month I was feeling excited that we may be getting our referral in 2013 sometime.  Our agency should have 20 something Emigration Permits (EPs) available to them and  it seems there are only about 15ish families waiting.  It seems reasonable to assume that everyone waiting right now will get a referral this upcoming year.

Then the MPAK article came out and it really leaves me guessing.

To summarize the article the new law that was passed in August is causing a mess.  What was intended for good is almost bringing adoptions to a stand still.  From August to December alone (since the new law) there have been more babies abandoned than in all of 2011.  

The new law which requires the birth mothers to register their babies under into their family name when being placed for adoption (which in a culture that does not accept unwed pregnancy) is forcing these girls to abandoned their babies instead of being able to choose to put them up for adoption.   This is a culture where having this information on your record could ruin the chances at jobs, marriage, etc.

Here is a quote from a letter a birth mother wrote that is in the above article.

“I am sorry to do this upon my baby who hasn’t even seen the light of the world…Because I can’t raise this child nor have the ability, the adoption is a better alternative.  However, I have already looked into adoption, but due to the changes in the law I am required to register the baby, and I cannot get a hold of my boyfriend as I needed some documents…I have no one to discuss this with, so I searched for the Baby Box, and I know I will be punished for this by God, and I am so sorry to do this for my baby, but I had to give up the baby this way…Please raise my baby well as her only fault was to meet a wrong mother like me…I have no other places to go or hope..Please help. Please.”

It is my understanding that the babies who are abandoned are not able to be adopted unless the parents sign over their parental rights to release them for adoption, and they are not able to do this now without registering the baby on their record.  So that leaves a whole lot of little babies left in limbo.  Growing up in the system and not ever being able to be places.

If you have the time please read the article above it really sheds a lot of light on what is going on right now.

Many in Korean are protesting this new law as it also no longer allows them to adopt in secret which is customary.  I am praying that someone will be able to intervene and things will get better and not worse.