More than four years ago, Jordan and Katy Snider began the process of adopting a child from Haiti. Last year they were matched with a little boy named Fauberson. The adoption papers were signed in July and the Litchfield couple has been waiting for their son to receive a passport and visa.
Now 29 months old, Fauberson's departure from Haiti and arrival in Litchfield has become even more complicated since an earthquake and series of aftershocks rocked the island nation for the past week and a half.
After the first wave of relief found that Fauberson, and others at the Rainbow of Love orphanage located just outside of Port-au-Prince, were OK, the Sniders have accelerated their efforts to get their son out of Haiti.
The week-by-week roller coaster that's normal with international adoptions has turned into an "hour-by-hour" vigil, said Kathy Snider.
The couple, who have a 2-year-old biological son named Jonas, has been in contact with Sen. Amy Klobuchar's office in hopes that the snarl of legal paperwork would be eased.
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There was optimism earlier this week when it was announced restrictions would be relaxed and certain children from Haiti who were in the adoption pipeline could enter the U.S. under a humanitarian parole.
But on Thursday the Snider's got even more good news.
Because their adoption was further along, Fauberson was placed in the first category of children whose paperwork will be processed and cleared to leave Haiti.
"We hit the jackpot," Katy Snider said.
"We'll be getting him in the first wave. It could be any day now," she said. "So by next week we should have him home."
A worker at the orphanage has been going to the U.S. embassy every day checking on the visas and passports, said Snider. "They're doing so much to get our son home."
There are still a lot of unanswered questions about when the paperwork will be finalized and how the children will be flown to the U.S.
The Sniders expect to fly to Miami, Fla. to get Fauberson. "We know it's not today. Maybe tomorrow. Any day," she said.
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The latest news has the family excited and scrambling to learn some Creole phrases that are in a book especially for adoptive parents. "It's starting to hit," she said.
The Sniders decided to adopt a child from Haiti because Jordan Snider lived in Haiti when he was 19 years old and his father worked for the State Department.
"Haiti has always stayed with him," said Kathy Snider.
The couple worked with Hand in Hand International Adoption in St. Paul to make the connection.
The Sniders said financial donations are needed for the short-term and long-term relief for Haiti.
For more information about the Sniders and adoptions of Haitian children go to:
http://ayitimn.blogspot.com or http://www.catpin.com/haiti/
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