International Adoptees from Haiti Arriving in Minnesota
Recently, the U.S. Department of State announced a humanitarian parolee policy allowing orphaned children from Haiti, in the process of being adopted by families in the U.S., to enter the country. This status is granted on an individual basis and is based on specific eligibility as stated by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State.
Due to the crisis nature of the situation in Haiti, it is not possible to guarantee that children coming as humanitarian parolees had a medical exam prior to departure from Haiti. Therefore it is very important that all children entering the United States as humanitarian parolees undergo a medical screening, which includes testing for infectious diseases as well as general health concerns, soon after arrival. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed interim guidelines for the domestic medical screening of Haitian orphan parolees.
The MDH Refugee Health Program can help families and agencies find clinics with experience in doing medical screening exams for refugees and parolees and/or offer clinical screening guidance to a family physician.
If you have any questions about the domestic health screening recommended for Haitian orphaned parolees to Minnesota, please contact the MDH Refugee Health Program at 651-201-5414.
Health Care Providers
- Interim Recommendations for Initial Domestic Medical Screening of Haitian Orphan Parolees (PDF:99KB/7 pages)
U.S. DHHS medical screening recommendations for diseases of public health importance in orphaned children entering the U.S. from Haiti under humanitarian parole status. Updated February 1, 2010
International Adoption Agencies and Parents
- Important Health Information for Parents Adopting Children from Haiti during the 2010 Earthquake Recovery (PDF:108KB/1 page)
Fact sheet from CDC on adoptions from Haiti.
- Recommend adoptive families in Minnesota seek out a domestic health screening for children who recently arrived from Haiti under the humanitarian parolee policy.
Additional Resources
- Secretary Napolitano Announces Humanitarian Parole Policy for Certain Haitian Orphans
Eligibility for humanitarian parole, including required criteria. Attention: Non-MDH link
- Intercountry Adoption: Haiti
Haiti information and resources from Intercountry Adoption, Office of Children's Issues, United States Department of State. Attention: Non-MDH link
