Clarification of rumors

Below is today's update from our agency.

I spoke with Manoj, our attorney, last night about the rumors. Here are the facts.

· Nepal signed the Hague on 04/29/09. This will NOT affect current adoptions. It will take many years (possibly 2-4 years or more) for Nepal to ratify the Hague, to pass the new child act and to actually implement it. Until this takes place, Nepal will continue under their current laws.

· http://adoption.state.gov/pdf/PAP_Guide-1.pdf: This link is an overview of Hague. Hope this helps!!!

· The prime minister of the Ministry of Women and Social welfare gave his resignation last week. This is somewhat common in Nepal. Government officials will resign and a new government will take place. From talking to Manoj, the prime minster, Maoist, was never in favor of international adoption. So his resignation may work in our favor. We’ll see how the new government will play out. Let’s hope that the new prime minister is as passionate about the children as all of us!! The president of Nepal made an announcement yesterday that the prime minister and his team will continue with the processing of the adoption until a new government is in place. There will be delays as the new government will need time to adjust. This transition could delay all adoption process by an estimated time line of 1-2 months. I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything from Nepal.