Colombian Culture, Colombia Adoption and Raising Colombian Kids

According to the year end statistics, the overall number of adoptions was down last year. From a near record breaking year in 2010, with a total of 3,058 adoptions, to 2,713 total adoptions in 2011. I find it interesting the these statistics show drops in adoptions during 2 years of change in Colombia. In 1993, Colombia began implementing Hague rules and suffered a drop in the numbers of Adoptions. In mid 2006, the Authorized Institutions aka Casas Privadas came under greater scrutiny because of "irregular practices". This resulted in changes in late 2006 and 2007, which in turn, led to fewer adoptions. Clearly, Colombian adoptions have rebounded, and today, there is more confidence in the adoption process.

ICBF has just published its 2011 year end Adoption Statistics Report. I thought I would start with a look at the number of families on the waiting list. While this report does not show the number of families waiting for each age group, it does show how many families are on the wait list for each approval year. According to the report, there are 127 COLOMBIAN families (down from 151 last year) waiting for referrals. While there are 2,723 (down over 200 from last year) foreign families who are also waiting. Below is the graph that shows how many foreign families are left on the waiting list from each of the last 5 years.

When I was little, I loved the Muppet Movie. It was the early days of VHS, so I watched it dozens of times. I think I had the whole thing memorized. In one part, Gonzo the Great tells Fozzie Bear that he wants to “...go to Bombay India” so that he can become a movie star. Fozzie proceeds to tell him that, “You don't go to Bombay India...you go where we're going...Hollywood.” Gonzo replies, “Sure, if you want to do it the easy way!” Today's singer for our Tunes for Tuesday spotlight is a little like Gonzo. Born in Bucaramanga , Colombia, FATINIZA moved to Dubai. In Dubai, she has become a superstar. Her debut album garnered “Best Local Artist” Award nominations for Dubai in 2010 and 2011. She performed at the Formula 1 Grand Prix finals in Abu Dhabi . She has performed for the rulers of the United Arab Emirates and Dubai. So, now that you are a star in the Arab world, what do you do? You try to conquer your native turf – COLOMBIA. [Do you get the Gonzo conn

This week in the town of Villagarzón, in the Department of Putumayo, a 13 month old child was found abandoned on the doorstep of a home in the San Carlos residential area. According to the Police, the child was found with a note which stated that the child's parents were both adolescents and the mother younger than 15 years old. The mother had not received support from the child's father nor from her own family. It stated that she was suffering from economic problems and she could no longer care for the child. The note also stated that it was the mother's desire for the homeowner to take responsibility for the child. Instead, the homeowner called the police when, from her window, she saw a small child on the street screaming. The child, who was reported to have been in good health, was left at the disposition of ICBF.

Yes, you read it right. Salsa Music is dead. In Tunes for Tuesday, we have traveled through the origins, birth and evolution of this genre, and I was waiting for the end of the happy holiday season to break this more disconcerting news to all my readers. This may not be news to some Salsa followers, however. Some of you might have suspected it was so, and yet others may now acknowledge that they were in a deep state of denial. The only ray of hope that remains here is that this is just my opinion, so some of you may choose to continue to cling to your nostalgia and ignore reality. But allow me to explain my point: I believe that Salsa's slow and painful death began soon after the genre reached its Golden Years in the late 1970s and 1980s. The late 80s saw the advent of a group of performers who hijacked the genre, and began producing something they labeled "Salsa Sensual" (no translation required here). This movement became extremely popular and soon invaded radio

Just in case you missed the premiere last Fall. Here is Colombian rock star JUANES teaching the kiddos Head, Hands, Feet and Move in Spanish.

Many an adoptive parent has been set back a few days by the observance of one of the many Colombian holidays. Here is a list of the official N ational holidays . This list was established by Law #53 in December of 1983. On these days, courts close, ICBF offices are closed, and many tourist attractions also close. So, if you will be in Colombia on these days, be forewarned. To this list, you might add department or city holidays such as the closures in Barranquilla during Carnaval or in Manizales during the Feria. 1st January New Year's Day -- Año Nuevo 6th January* Epiphany -- Epifanía or Reyes Magos --Celebrated 1/9 19th March* St. Joseph's Day -- San José 5th & 6th April -- Maundy Thursday & Good Friday -- Jueves y Viernes Santo 1st May Labour Day -- Día del Trabajo 21st May -- Asención Day (40 days after Easter) 11th June* -- Corpus Christi 18th June* -- Sacred Heart -- Sagrado Corazón de Jesús 2nd July -- Feasts of St. Peter & St. Paul -- San Pedro y San Pablo

Colombian Mommy Colombian Daddy and the Colombianitos Wish you a Feliz Año Nuevo!