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"Adopting Haiti" Film Free to Watch!
A documentary was released on the anniversary of Haiti's devastating earthquake, and is available to watch for free on www.hulu.com. It covers the 80 days after the earthquake at the orphanage from which CAN places children. Click here to watch "Adopting Haiti"!
About Haiti
Haiti occupies the Western part of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. The island was inhabited by the Taíno Amerindians when it was discovered by Columbus in 1492 and settled by the Spanish. In the early 17th century the French established a presence, and in 1697 Spain ceded the Western third of the island to France. This area later became known as Haiti.
The French colony became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, this was done through the forced labor of African slaves and severe environmental degradation. In the late 1700s, the slave population of nearly a half million revolted, and after a long struggle became the first black republic to declare independence.
Located just 750 miles off the coast of Florida, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of Haitians living under the poverty line. Haiti has long been plagued by political violence, but in May of 2006 they inaugurated a democratically-elected president and parliament. Adoptions in Haiti are approved by the Institut du Bien Etre Social et de Recherches (IBESR) in Port-au-Prince.
Governance of Haitian Adoptions
CAN works directly with a orphanage in Haiti, which allows us to keep our operating costs low and to better serve our families. Families that work with us have the added bonus of frequent updates and information thanks to our connections to Haiti's adoption authorities. The Haitian government has indicated that it will continue to support international adoption programs as long as they are processed through approved agencies. Haiti has in the past permitted independent adoptions but President Michel Martelly declared this summer that he will issue a presidential decree banning independent adoptions.
