A suspension of exit permits for all adopted Congolese children, put in place in September of 2013 by the Congolese Ministry of Interior and Security, may soon be lifted. Hundreds of children have been waiting since 2013 to be united with their adoptive families, and tragically several have passed away from preventable diseases during the suspension. In the beginning of June, the State Department told waiting families that a commission has been formed by Congolese authorities to review the dossiers of children with completed adoptions. With a goal of July, the commission aims to resolve all pending cases awaiting exit letters. Some families were told by their in-country representatives to expect their letters any day.
What criminal charges can be brought against these government officials for delaying these adoptions and allowing these children to die? While I understand we need some governmental oversight of the international adoption process, I don’t think we need so much red-tape that children die because of it!