By Robin Sizemore, Executive Director of Hopscotch Adoptions, Inc.
Well, many things of course. I love how this country, though we all have flaws in our own systems, seems to really 'get it' when it comes to appropriate family recruitment.
· Bulgaria has demonstrated an expedient child centered policy and process after diligent attempts have been made to reunite the family or place the child domestically.
· The transparency of waiting children's profiles offered publicly without identifying information to expedite the child's prospects for a future in a permanent family.
· Bulgaria provides profiles of waiting children that often include extensive medical, social, educational and psychological assessments, along with photos and videos.
· The Ministry of Justice is supportive when families have additional questions or need reasonable testing prior to a family determining to proceed or not with an official match.
· The process to adopt a waiting child is clear and incredibly reliable, shorter than most countries and the travel is just two short trips to meet the child and finally to bring the child home. Most trip stays are no longer than 5-7 days each.
· And finally, what I REALLY love about Bulgaria's inter-country adoption is the ability to connect with your future child, after officially being matched, via Skype!
A country that allows the intended adoptive parents to start their bonding in such a way deserves a gold medal for inter-country adoption practice! Skype is perfect since kids are universally very tech savvy and more than ever it's a preferred way to socially connect. This mode of connection allows for the ongoing discovery of each other while in wait.
From the days when we brought our first child home from Georgia in 1995, there were neither cell phones nor consistent land line connections; this opportunity to connect is incredibly futuristic and so great for families. Go figure!
Now you see why Bulgaria deserves the gold medal. Hopefully other countries will look to Bulgaria as a model for their own programs, which often lack the child centered impetus. Bulgaria puts the child first in every step of the process. If you are thinking about international adoption, you may want to learn more about our Bulgarian program. For more information, contact info@hopscotchadoptions.org
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