CAMDEN, S.C. (BP) – Former orphan Grace Pierre Dowey of Haiti wasted no time in greeting her new siblings, first lifting into her arms her 1½-year-old sister Sadie, hugging her two brothers Henry and Brody, and holding her older sister Paisley’s hand.
Finally, the 10-year-old was home, having been delayed for months in a Creole orphanage in Port au Prince. The U.S. government in January enacted certain restrictions on the travel visa she would need to unite with her adoptive family here, first banning all such visas from 70 countries, and then granting approval on a case-by-case basis.
Her adoptive parents Ted and Ashley Dowey submitted additional paperwork and secured the travel visa this summer, allowing Grace to join the family in August, a year after the adoption was approved.
“This whole process, we’ve known that she always belonged to the Lord before she ever belonged to us,” Ashley told Baptist Press. “And He sets the lonely in families. He has had her since she was born and had a plan for her life.
“So we just took great comfort throughout the whole process, knowing that His hand was on her, and that no matter what happened, He was going to bring her home.”
The Doweys, who first began the adoption process nearly nine years ago, were among about 300 families whose adoptions were delayed by the case-by-case approval of travel visas, or the national interest exception (NIE) process. Previously, adoptions were exempted from such bans.
Lifeline Children’s Services, which handled the Doweys’ adoption and those of 15 other families whose adoptions were finalized or near completion in January, said all of the families were able to obtain visas.
“While the NIE process has provided an effective pathway for the children to receive visas, it still feels like additional steps in an already long, expensive and arduous process for adoptive families,” said Karla Thrasher, Lifeline’s vice president of international ministries. “We know of many other adoption organizations and families that have experienced significant delays under the new process. Those delays can be especially difficult for families, often requiring additional time in country and creating unexpected expenses while children and families wait to come home.”
Many cases managed by other agencies remained stalled, Thrasher said, and Lifeline continues to advocate for a streamlined process for international adoptions.
“We hope to minimize and ultimately eliminate unnecessary roadblocks that add difficulty to an already challenging journey,” Thrasher said. “We also hope the U.S. government will partner with us to identify practical ways to make it easier for families to provide loving homes for children who are waiting.”
She expressed joy that Grace is home from Haiti, where widespread gang violence has prompted the U.S. State Department to issue a “do not travel” alert. “Do not travel to Haiti for any reason. U.S. citizens are at risk due to crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and limited health care,” the alert reads.
“Given the ongoing instability in Haiti, every additional day mattered, and we were eager to see her safely home with her family,” Thrasher said. The added delay created by the NIE process only heightened the stress and urgency of an already long and challenging journey. We are so thankful that this little girl is home with her family and doing well.”
Grace is embracing life in the U.S., her mother said.
“She is already playing soccer on a team. She is already going to class at church by herself and has friends at church,” Ashley said. “So she already has a lot of connections in our community.”
Ashley encourages other Christian families to persevere in adoptions amid the current restrictions.
“I think it is one of the most faith-building experiences you can have as a believer,” Ashley said. “I would just encourage families to advocate and to adopt.
“I think Grace is one of many, many kiddos that desperately need families who love Jesus and are willing to just wait and trust the Lord through the adoption process.”
