Pleading for the case of sibling adoption in Korea

Another family has received the call for a sibling adoption in Korea.  This family, however, is aging out or has just aged out of the program.  The US agency is unsure if the ministry in Korea will grant this family a waiver for adoption of their child's sibling, so they asked them to find other sibling adoptive families to write on their behalf with our experiences.  I know that I'm kind of a wordy person, so I intentionally tried to keep it short to make my point and hopefully it worked.  We were more than happy to help this family though.  I can't imagine this being the 'something' in the way of these children joining each other.

Here is what I wrote:

"Members of the Korean Ministry:

We are an adoptive family in the United States to three Korean-born children; 5 children total.  In 2009, we were blessed to be able to adopt the brother to one of our Korean-born daughters.  I don’t think I could begin to stress enough how fortunate we feel to have this little boy in our lives and in the life of his biological sister.

JeeYung arrived to us in the United States in March 2006 and we received Jaemin in Korea in May 2009.  Whether adopted domestically or internationally adoptees lose biological ties via adoption.  Most of us take the things that go along with these ties for granted.  Our daughter and son may never know their Korean birth families, but they have something most adoptees do not have the luxury of.  Our son and daughter know their biological sibling and get to be raised together with a family who loves them dearly.  All five of our children are, no doubt, 100% siblings, but one day these two will have a link to the past and will be bonded through it.

We love Korea for the importance it has always seemed to place on this biological tie in adoption.  Keeping siblings together is an amazing gift that I can’t imagine any adoptee not being thankful for.  Jee Yung is only 4 years old, but she is very proud to know that her brother is here with her and she tells us this.  She loves her brother with everything she has.

I only speak for our family in saying that while JeeYung got her brother Jaemin; we all gained this beautiful little boy as well and will forever be grateful for our gift.  Please continue to place importance on this and embrace the positives that will forever be in the lives of these children if it is at all possible to take place.

Thank you."