NewsWest 9
MIDLAND - The massive earthquake that rocked Haiti, left many children without a home, and now West Texans are not only opening their wallets, but they're opening their homes.
"All of the families thinking of adopting internationally have shown great interest in Haiti," Buckner Foster Developer, Jim Palmer, said.
Officials at Buckner Children and Family Services say what some people don't understand is that adopting a child from Haiti can take more than 2 years.
"Even before Haiti crisis, it would take a year to adopt. Now with this, the process is definitely not going to be overnight," Palmer said.
"Anytime you have an international adoption, each country tries to build a good relationship first. At this point, in Haiti, they're trying to locate any family a child might have and give them opportunity to reunite," Foster Care Supervisor, De'An Davis, said.
It isn't just the adoption process that takes patience, but officials say taking in a child from Haiti who has experienced so much emotional trauma can be the bigger challenge.
"The children are going to have big needs. It's going to take a lifetime to heal those needs," Palmer said.
