Indy helps Haiti

Orphan Update from CCUSA January 27, 2010

Listened to the White House Call.  Although there is no substantial change to information previously provided by the Departments of Homeland Security, State and Health and Human Services, additional information about efforts of USAID and its partners to protect children in Haiti was provided:

• USAID has developed a major initiative entitled “Operation Protect Children” to provide immediate and long-range response to the crisis of unaccompanied children in Haiti with the ultimate goal of assisting the Haitian government to repair and strengthen its child welfare system
• An NGO sub-cluster headed by UNICEF has been set up to assure the safety and subsistence of children
• UNICEF has set up interim care centers for unaccompanied children throughout the country in which 40,000 children have already been seen
• The International Red Cross and Haitian Red Cross have set up an in-country helpline to connect unaccompanied children to their parents or extended family members
• The Haitian government has dispatched 20 child protection brigades to the airport and borders to protect against child trafficking

The one question that they were unprepared to address is whether/how Haitian immigrants in the U.S. might be able to foster or adopt their child relatives known to be without other in-country family members.  Department of State said they have not yet developed a process to facilitate that situation.

Jean Beil

Senior Vice President

Programs & Services

Catholic Charities USA

Sixty-Six Canal Center Plaza

Suite 600

Alexandria, VA 22314

Direct: 703-236-6229

Fax:  703-549-4183

Update from trip that left 1/20 January 27, 2010

From Andre Angrand, his wife, Josee, left with a group last week:

Our group of doctors and nurses continue to work very hard in Haiti alongside others medical professionals from New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Florida. They are currently in Petite Riviere de L’Artibonite, ~50 miles north of Port-au-Prince, They have worked on a lot of patients ~100 now.Yesterday Sunday, the group performed 14 surgeries. Among them are 2 neuro-surgeons, 1 cardio vascular surgeon, 3 orthopedic, 1 plastic surgeon,

Meeting tonight for 1/27 trip to Haiti January 25, 2010

Andre Angrand is calling a meeting for those interested in going to Haiti this week, probably leaving Jan. 29. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Lebanon.

Volunteers need to be medical professionals, trained in disaster relief or already familiar with Haiti because of previous travels there.

FW: Nurses and Docs from Indiana in Haiti January 22, 2010

This is to inform everyone that the team of 9 nurses and doctors who
left Indiana for Haiti on behalf of the “Indiana Haiti Earthquake Relief
Organization” arrives in Port-au-Prince yesterday afternoon by 2 PM. The
group left from Fort-Pierce, Florida, at ~11 AM on a flight provided by
Missionary Flights International along with other doctors and nurses
from New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Florida, to name a few.

The group is currently in Saint-Marc, one of Haiti’s major towns located 35 miles north of Port-au-Prince. They are in Saint-Marc because patients are scattered in all the hospitals throughout Haiti. We are continuing to find ways to help with medical personnel and medical supplies; however, as you can imagine, working through all the logistics remains a real challenge for the “Indiana Haiti Earthquake Relief Organization”.

Initial feedback from the Hoosier group in Haiti is that the needs are
huge and supplies are scarce. Integration plan has been developed with
several other international organizations that are on the ground in the hospital in Saint-Marc. Meanwhile, all are working to help the patients for whom they initiated the trip. My wife, Josee is among the medical team from
Indiana who was eager to be in Haiti and assist the injured from the January 12 earthquake .

I will keep you informed!
Regards,
Andre E. Angrand

Haiti Adoption January 21, 2010

From: Catholic Charities USA

Subject: Update of adopting Haitian Orphans

Update on Adopting Haitian Orphans

 In response to the many inquiries about adopting or sheltering Haitian orphans, here is an update on the information we have gathered so far.

On January 18th, DHS Secretary Napolitano announced humanitarian parole for two categories of orphaned children:

• Category 1 – Orphaned children who were living in Haiti, for whom the legal adoption process was already completed, i.e., they have a final adoption decree. These children will be permitted to leave Haiti and will be released to the adoptive parents here in the U.S.
• Category 2 – Children already in the process of adoption who have been matched with U.S. adoptive parents, but for whom a final decree has not yet been issued. Their prospective adoptive parents will be screened as possible sponsors; if they are eligible the child will be released to them. If not, the child will be the responsibility of HHS, the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Undocumented Minor Program and will be placed with the usual U.S. providers.

Families who had begun the adoption process before January 12th, and whose prospective adoptive children fit either category should send detailed information to the state department: HaitianAdoptions@dhs.gov

Any children who have been transported to the U.S. without prior authorization will be placed in the Undocumented Minors program. At this time no other children are being allowed to leave the country and UNICEF is trying to establish safe locations in Haiti for children who are still in danger.

If an agency becomes aware of U.S. citizens who left their Haitian children in the care of relatives in Haiti who were killed in the earthquake, and who now want to bring those children into the U.S, contact can be made with Michele Bond at the State Department via e-mail: bondmt@state.gov

Although the response of the American people to the needs of the orphaned children has been inspiring, there will likely not be a need for Americans to open their homes to these children. These individuals should be encouraged to consider a domestic or international adoption in the future or to begin the process to become a foster parent for the many American children awaiting care.

If you have additional questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Jean Beil
Sr. Vice President, Programs and Services
(703) 236-6229
jbeil@catholiccharitiesusa.org

St.Vincent Health Responds to the Needs of Victims of the Haiti Earthquake January 21, 2010

This is a Communication from Vincent C. Caponi, Chief Executive Officer, St.Vincent Health

**This info is an excerpt from a communication from Vincent Caponi sent Jan. 14

Seton International, the international outreach arm of Ascension Health, is coordinating system-wide relief efforts on behalf of Ascension Health ministries. Seton International will be collecting funds and funneling them to:

(a) the Daughters of Charity in Haiti, who will continue helping people most in need at this time; and

(b) the Catholic Consortium for International Health Care, an organization affiliated with the Catholic Health Association that has ongoing supportive relationships with organized medical facilities (hospitals, clinics, etc.) in Haiti. 

In response to the needs of the of the Haiti earthquake victims, St.Vincent Health is taking the following steps and we invite your participation as you feel called: 

• St.Vincent Health will donate $50,000 to Seton International in support of the Sisters’ disaster relief work and medical relief work in Haiti.    
• The St.Vincent Foundation is accepting donations from associates, physicians and the public that will be earmarked for Haiti Relief. One-hundred percent of the funds raised for Haiti Relief will be combined and the Foundation will write a check to Seton International to use in disaster and medical relief efforts. 
• All contributions are tax-deductible and receipts will be distributed. If you would like to make a credit card contribution, please click here:  www.give.stvincent.org

The St.Vincent Physician Outreach Network is collaborating with other Indiana medical outreach organizations to plan and coordinate a sustained series of physician and caregiver trips to Haiti to render direct medical care to people in need. Because the conditions in Haiti are so primitive, and because logistical considerations are extensive, direct relief efforts are being carefully planned and coordinated by physicians leading the Physician Outreach Network. Please check the Physician Outreach Network website at www.stvincent.org/outreach for updates, which will be posted as further details are available.   

• St.Vincent Indianapolis Hospital is providing medical supplies that will be used by the Physician Outreach Network. Supplies will be made available to support care for approximately 1,000 patients. 

DHS Conference Call January 21, 2010

All,

I participated in the Department of Homeland Security conference call today on the topic of Haitian orphans and adoption. There are far too many details to share, but the bottom line is that there will not be an opportunity to bring orphans for adoption to Indiana any time soon.

As I think was shared yesterday, the only orphans that have left and will leave in the near future are those that were already approved for adoption and have an identified and qualified family here in the U.S.  These are children that fit into either category 1 or 2 as identified in the hand out that I passed around yesterday with the announcement from DHS secretary Napolitano.

DHS is working very hard to try and ensure that everyone is going through the proper processes to bring in Haitian children. In fact they referenced the fact that in the haste of getting the children out of Haiti that went to Pittsburg, 5 or 6 of them were actually supposed to go to other countries.

Let me know if you want any more details

Peace,

David

The conversation begins… January 21, 2010

A group of concerned people and organizations from across central Indiana are talking with each other in order to help Haiti. We want to help as much as possible in the ways that Haiti needs help following the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010. This blog is a way for each group to communicate the ever-changing needs and plans for help.

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