Haiti's Failed System

Today marks the two month anniversary of the Haitian Earthquake. As I was scanning across the still steady stream of articles about the situation in Haiti, I came across this article from the Wall Street Journal. The article entitled, 'Earthquake Exposes Haiti's Faulty Adoption System,' takes an interesting perspective on the issue of Haitian adoption and, more specifically, the controversy surrounding Haitian childrens' status as orphans. The article focuses on the fact that many children in Haiti, even prior to the Earthquake,  who were in orphanages were not "orphans," but children who still have live parents who cannot afford to take care of them. This issue is covered in a video that was included with the article:

This fact definitely brings up a few parallel issues to the question of Haitian adoption ranging from the correct procedures of dealing with these children with parents in orphanages to dealing with the greater issues of why these children are being placed in orphanages in the first place. 

The article's authors addressed a few of these issues in the article. First, the authors noted the fact that because many children in wake of the earthquake are possibly being labeled orphans incorrectly, international relief agencies such as UNICEF are no longer sending children to orphanages in fear that they will be adopted overseas and separated from their families. The authors did not take a definite stance on this issue, but the articles title "failure of the system" reflects their view that something in the system needs to be changed. What is not clear is whether they believe the change should come from within the current system- altering the laws and international agencies stances  to make it easier for children to be adopted to countries such as the U.S- or from somewhere else- working to develop Haiti itself so that children no longer need to be sent away to have a good life. 

The article quotes people who are both side of the question.  UNICEF's executive director, Ann Veneman, is mentioned as one who is arguing that Haiti must be weaned off adoption. Yet alongside the mention of Director Veneman is the story of Margarette Saint-Fleur, a woman who spent 15 years trying to better conditions in Haiti, but has subsequently turned toward trying to send children out of the country.  

In the midst of these issues, everyone agrees that there are children suffering from poor conditions in Haiti. There were children living in dire conditions before the earthquake and now there are thousands more. These children unarguably need immediate care and quality centers to deal with these issues are definitely in order. But, in a country so economically devastated- where orphanages have become places for children to be taken when their live parents can no longer take care of them- people are questioning whether simply building orphanages and adopting children out of the country is a truly moral solution. I am questioning along with them.