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“We had 33 children from the age of 2 months to 12 years.”

“They are very, very precious kids that have lost their homes and their families and are so deeply in need of, most of all, God’s love and compassion and just a very nurturing setting” (FOX News)

Ten Americans were arrested Friday night on charges of trafficking children. The Idaho charity group, called New Life Children’s Refuge says they were transporting children from a collapsed orphanage in Haiti to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic.

Following the January 12th earthquake in Haiti, concerns of human trafficking have plagued the devastated nation, causing new obstacles for would-be parents.  

We’re looking at perspectives from MSNBC, CNN, The Huffington Post, and ABC.

The Idaho group claims they had written permission from the orphanage to transport the children, but MSNBC reports there’s more to adoption than that.

“In the past week the government has really put the breaks on quick adoptions without specific signatures from the prime minister for each child. That’s caused a lot of frustration for people that are legitimately trying to help children.”

CNN says that although the adoption process seems to be moving slowly, some Haitian orphans have already found new homes in the United States.  

“The State Department says it has already allowed 480 children to leave Haiti, and complete their adoptions in the United States, far more than were adopted from Haiti in all of 2009.  Officials shook off criticisms that the process is too slow.”

Huffington Post contributor, Martha St. Jean, says it’s actually a good thing Haiti hasn’t been hasty to ship off children.  

“As members of the international community, we should be seeking reunification of these children with family members. Taking them out of the country will not only lead to a permanent physical separation but a cultural one as well.”

But an orphanage director on ABC News, says children orphaned before the earthquake shouldn’t be kept waiting.

“The orphanage director says it’s unfair for kids who were orphans already, kids with loving families waiting for them.’

‘Why not sending them home? You know they are more fragile than the other people that are here.  And you know the problem is, with all the dead bodies around, you’ll have sickness.’ ”

The fate of the ten Americans being held in Port-au-Prince is still being decided, and so are the fates of Haiti’s orphans.  

So what do you think? Is the Haitian government dragging their feet with adoption? Or do they have the children’s best interests in mind?

Writer: Amanda Heisey

Producer: Charlie McKeague