Dutch government sends plane to Haiti to pick up children adopted before quake struck

Dutch plane sent to pick up adopted Haiti children

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Dutch adoption agencies and the government have sent a chartered plane to Haiti to airlift out around 100 children who were in the process of being adopted by parents here before an earthquake shattered the country last week.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ozlem Canel says the plane has set off from Amsterdam’s airport with relief workers and supplies as well as adoption agency staff, immigration and consular officials.

Canel said Monday the consular workers will check the children’s identities and make sure they have the correct travel documents.

Canel says the children all were already very close to moving to their new parents in the Netherlands when the quake struck. They are staying in several Haitian children’s homes.