Many have written to me inquiring on the status of the EP process.
I have been informed that the EP process should start again by mid-February.
As for the priority service for Korean-heritage couples, this is still being reviewed by the Ministry as they try to come up with some ways to be fair for non-Korean-heritage families, and at the same time come up with some meaningful ways to serve Korean-heritage families.
But the good news is that the EP process is expected to flow again by mid-February.
This is indeed a very good news for all the families that have waited so long.
Let's hope that there will be no more delays.
Thank you so much for finding this out. We really appreciate your help.
ReplyDeleteI am so happy I'm going to cry. Thank you for this news!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for posting!! This is wonderful news!
ReplyDeleteThank you do much for being an advocate for children and adoptive parents! Praying for EP submission along with many other families! Thank you
ReplyDeleteLet's hope this is true!! :-) Thank you for the update!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good news, and for passing on information quickly!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I needed to hear this!
ReplyDeleteWell, I sure HOPE this is the time for us to get our son home, I'm sorry, but this is more than annoying.
ReplyDeleteWait
Get an idea of a date.
Wait
When the date arrives, well just get a new date
Wait
Wait
Wait
He's not getting any younger, and this waiting is NOT good for anyone.
I'm sorry but it s.cks :-(
Hi Anonymous,
DeleteI feel the same way you do. We are supposed to be in the 1st batch being processed in 2012, we just BARELY missed the EP cutoff for the end of 2011... If you asked me last summer I would have told you I expected my son home by November. However, here we are. Anyway, hang in there. :)
Adoptive parents, think of your child who grows up and wants to adopt a child. They have successfully grown up, assimilated to the culture and want to share with a baby who has the same story. Than that child is told - you're just the same as all the other perspective adoptive parents. Its not fair if we allow you preference to adopt a baby over the other parents. How would you feel? You would think BUT MY CHILD has experienced it and is wanting to help someone with so much more insight than than a new to adoption parent could ever have. Yea you know what? This happened to me. Nice. Thanks Korea.
ReplyDeleteI think that is precisely the reason they are working on the Korean heritage program... because your experience and heritage should count.
DeleteBut obviously no progress. After having a year to plan.
DeleteWe fill out pages and pages of documents, have two sets of finger prints taken, have referral letters sent by our friends, send in photos of our selves and our home, and pay crazy amounts of dollars so we can adopt a child from Korea. We do everything that is required of us, yet it's not enough to quickly bring home our kids.
ReplyDeleteI can understand the waiting of a referral (although I can't understand the policy that says the babies have to wait so long to be referred when there are loving people who want to adopt them!). The waiting for an EP, however, seems a bit ridiculous.
If the well-being of a child being adopted is really the first priority for the Ministry, they should eliminate the EP wait time to no more than 4 weeks! Their goal should be to make sure that kid is w/ his/her forever family ASAP! Save the money that's going towards keeping these kids there and use that money for supporting the birth moms and single moms. Not be so concerned about avoiding the "most babies exported" country award. How about setting the standard on how international adoptions SHOULD run.
Steve, thank you for your efforts and for being a voice for us and the kids waiting to be adopted. It seems the Ministry needs more voices. How can we help? How can we get the Ministry to hear our voices?
Yes. ㅆ
DeleteDoes any one know exactly what they mean by "EP's starting to flow"...does it mean that they will begin processing them by mid month or that agencies will start receiving them by mid month??
ReplyDeleteThey (the Ministry) will start granting the EP requests, probably piled high in the Ministry.
DeleteThanks Steve! We really appreciate the info. Your blog has been an absolute life line for us. Thank you for your advocacy!
DeleteOh! I was under the impression that the agencies haven't been able to submit anything to them yet. Are they thinking that they will allow submissions before then and then grant approval by mid-Feb? That would be AMAZING!
DeleteOur agency is telling us that neither ESWS nor SWS has been able to submit cases to the Ministry for EP processing this year.
Delete"Are they thinking that they will allow submissions before then and then grant approval by mid-Feb?" This is what I am wondering about too??
DeleteThanks, Steve, for all that you do. Is there any idea about whether or not they will increase the number of EP's reviewed in mid-February? Is this issuance or submittal in mid-February. Anyone know why SWS and ESWS haven't been able to submit?
ReplyDeleteI have no idea whether they will increase the number of EPs for mid-February. Whether the agencies have submitted or not, we are talking about at most two weeks difference.
DeleteJust an FYI, our agency is with Holt and even as of today, they have not submitted EPs either (same I guess as with SWS and Eastern). Just hope that the EPs do start within the next two weeks! Thanks so much Steve!! Your work is greatly appreciated!
DeleteI am starting to have hope again that we'll finally bring our little boy home. Thanks for advocating and communicating with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks Steve for all that you do for us and our children. I really do hope that the EPs do start within the next few weeks. Our children waiting in Korea are growing up and we only see this through pictures (if we are even that lucky). I really am starting to worry about my son's transition, which will surely be difficult. He was 10 months at referral, now is almost 17 months, and will not likely be home anytime soon. Hoping for the best! Really appreciate the update. And just an FYI to those who mentioned SWS and ESWS not being able to submit yet...our agency is with Holt and as of today they were not able to submit yet either. Praying this changes soon!
ReplyDeleteCan anyone clarify how the EP process works? Does the ministry allow each welfare society to submit the same amount of EPs? Is a month by month type thing... Curious as to how they work it.... Or is it just one huge pile of paperwork on someone's desk at the ministry that gets slowly whittled down? Is there any order to it all?
ReplyDeleteEach Korean agency submits a certain number of EP requests in batches. Overall, there is usually only one batch per month. Last year they submitted 2 batches in January and 2 in February and skipped a month or two in the summer. The ministry tells the agencies they can submit a batch, they submit it, then it is approved (usually in 2-4 weeks).
DeleteUsually, the EP batches are all reviewed and returned together to the agencies. I don't believe that all Korean agencies submit the same numbers; I do know for sure that the total number for each Korean agency for each year is different (some get more, some get less depending on agency size, how many children are placed for adoption domestically, etc.). So, I imagine the ministry will spread out that number for each agency.
Our agency is telling us that until late last year, EP batches were all reviewed and then returned together to the agencies. However, while the latest trend is for EP batches to still be submitted as a group, individual EPs are now being returned to agencies as they are approved rather than sitting on someone's desk until every other EP in the batch is processed. We're also told that EPs are not necessarily approved on a first-in, first-out basis. Rather, special needs and Korean heritage families in that batch are given priority.
DeleteThis doesn't seem to be a change that affects the overall batch approval/completion timeline; it just lets some lucky families get through EP and move on to the next step a little faster.
Has anyone heard if SWS or ESWS are able to submit paperwork yet or when they might be able to?
ReplyDeleteOur agency said a couple of days ago that Eastern has not been allowed to submit any EP batches to the ministry yet. They were given the impression by Eastern that it would be sometime in February, but not a specific date. They said not to really look for movement until after the middle of the month.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know a rough figure of how many eastern families ans SWS families are currently waiting to travel?
ReplyDeleteIt's mid-February and still things aren't moving .... I don't know if I have still hope for this month! :-(
ReplyDeleteSo long, mid-February :(. We hope now that it will be by the end of February.
ReplyDeleteIf the mid-February is out, when will the process start up again? Can you please check with the Government Steve and let us know what you hear?
ReplyDelete