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A
hundred years from now
It will not matter
What my bank account was,
The sort of house I lived in
Or the kind of car I drove
But the world may be different
Because I was important
In the life of a child
Anonymous
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Adopting
from China - Getting Started
The China
adoption program is one of the most reliable and stable
of the international adoption programs, and China is the
country from which most U.S. citizens have elected to
adopt since the year 2000. In
2003 (according to the USCIS), U.S. citizens adopted
6,859 children from China.
(Editors
Note: the number for 2005 is right at 8,000 and 2006 is
projected at 1000 children!) Children available for
adoption are mostly girls, infants to 6 years of age.
About 5% of the children adopted from China are boys -
some people request "only a boy" and some people request
"a child of either sex" and let China surprise them. If
you ask for a girl, however, you will almost certainly
get a girl. Older and special needs children are also
available. The children typically reside in orphanages,
although some may have been in foster care.
Travel
required: At least one parent must travel
to China. Only one trip is required, lasting
approximately two weeks. The
parents go to their child's province of origin to pick
her/him up, and remain there for 5-6 days to complete
China's paperwork requirements. The new family then
proceeds to Guangzhou to complete all USA paperwork. China
requires two post-placement reports be completed by a
social worker (at six and 12 months).
The Process
The adoption process is often
likened to pregnancy. From start to finish, currently
one can expect roughly 11-12 months to bring home a
child from China. The time will vary considerably,
depending on the couple's ability to complete the
requisite paperwork and the USCIS's ability to approve
the coveted I-171H (permission to adopt a foreign-born
child). The process can be broken into three parts:
1. Most
people take 3-6 months to complete the "first trimester"
or "paperchase"... this involves a home-study as
required by their state of residence, plus the assembly,
notarization, certification, translation, and
authentication of all paperwork into an adoption
dossier.
2. Once
the dossier is mailed to China and logged in at the
CCAA,
the family enters the DTC (Dossier To China) or "second
trimester" phase (also known as The Wait, The Long Wait,
The Interminable Wait).
During this currently 7 month period (two years ago The
Wait was 14
months!!) CCAA reviews the dossier in The Review Room,
and if all paperwork is in order, the dossier progresses
to The Matching Room where the parents are matched
with their child through some mystical, magical,
heaven-inspired process. China adoptive parents often
refer to The Red Thread legend to explain the miracle
that results in exactly the right child being matched
with exactly the right Forever Family:
 |
"An invisible red
thread connects
those who are destined to meet,
regardless of time, place,
or circumstance.
The thread
may stretch or tangle,
but will never break."
--An
ancient Chinese belief. |
3. The
Referral is then sent to the adoption agency - the
parents receive the long awaited Call, and then the
translated medical and developmental information about
the child -- along with (typically) three photographs
are presented (via Fedex or an in-office visit). The
couple is given several days to review the Referral
package and decide whether to accept or decline the
child they were matched with. Most parents (95% or
better) accept their Referral. This "third trimester"
is a frenetic time of activity, as the new parents await
approval from China to travel, obtain visas, make flight
arrangements, and pack pack pack!! Travel is generally
6-8 weeks after Referral, and the in-country stay is
generally 10-14 days.
Special Needs
Adoption:
Below is very interesting, sad, eye-opening post from a
Waiting Children forum that I belong to. The author is Amy Eldridge the founder
of "Love Without Boundaries" in response to the question
what is the percentage of "special needs" children in
orphanages in China
February 09, 2006
"What percentage of children in orphanages in China
are "special needs children?"
I just had a meeting in Beijing last month about
these very issues and it is still running about 80% of
special needs versus non special needs. We have helped
over 120 orphanages now, and that runs consistent with
the numbers we have been given by each individual
orphanage. We always ask for a breakdown on their kids
before we begin a project. Normally for every healthy
baby that arrives, 4-5 kids with medical needs come in.
I think as we continue to see the success of China's
"Girls Count" campaign, the number of healthy children
being abandoned will continue to decline. As you
mentioned, in one orphanage we recently visited, out of
87 kids, only 3 were NSN. Of course, as I met each
child, all I saw were completely adoptable kids. I think
the CCAA is doing a wonderful job of encouraging SWIs to
submit more and more kids with medical needs for
adoption. I hope the numbers just continue to climb. In
my daughter's orphanage, just a few short years ago they
didn't even realize that kids with SN could be adopted.
This year they will send FIFTY files to the CCAA. What a
cause for celebration!
As you know, the CCAA
has now started a domestic adoption campaign and has set
up an office to handle domestic adoptions (it is in its
early stages). I hope that if the number of "healthy"
babies available continues to decline as more and more
Chinese families realize that adoption is a wonderful
way to form a family, that more and more international
families will come to realize (as those on this list
have) that the waiting child route is a wonderful one.
I know that it was
mentioned that someone didn't see SN kids on their
orphanage visit. Often, many cities have separate
facilities for children with SNs, but they are under the
same governing umbrella.
After repeatedly
seeing the love and agony that birthparents feel for
their kids with medical needs, I do believe in my heart
that the vast majority of times it is a lack of funds
for medical care and/or extended family that lead to
abandonment. I can't even tell you how many times we
have done a surgery on a newly abandoned child and
healed them that I have wished for a magic way to tell
the birthparents...."they are healed....come back and
get them." But of course that is sadly impossible.
Amy E.
Adoption
costs: China is one of the least expensive international
adoption programs. Typically a couple adopting from
China will spend $16-$19,000 for ALL costs including
agency fees, orphanage donation (~$3000), US and China
government fees, plus travel. As a comparison, typical
costs for Russia, FSU countries, and Guatemala run
$23-30,000. Domestic adoption can run $10-50,000. The US
federal government provides a $10,160.00 tax credit for
the year in which the adoption is completed (this amount
may increase). Some States also provide tax credit
and/or allowances, as do some companies. Note that China
adoption expenses are generally spread over a 12 month
period (or longer).
Age of
children referred: China considers children under two to
be "infants". It is extremely rare for a child to be
referred who is under six months of age (the SWI makes a
nominal attempt to locate the birth parents and posts a
Finding Ad in the local paper, and then the orphanage
must assemble and send in the child's dossier). Most
children referred are between 10-14 months at time of
"handover" to the new parents. Many parents ask for AYAP
- As Young As Possible. In general, younger parents can
be expected to be referred younger children. Agencies
will usually tell a couple in their late 40's to expect
their referral to be between 12-24 months old, however,
the CCAA often assigns children differently from the
expected way. That's where the Matching Room magic comes
into play.
Mary Mooney's Adoption
Guide -
http://www.theadoptionguide.com/
http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html
$10,000 tax
credit details
www.gladneycenter.org (our Agency)
http://www.chifamily.net/frame.asp?id=0
China in brief
http://www.fwcc.org/info1.htm
Huge wealth of info, this whole site is great
http://catalog.com/fwcfc/
a nice amount of info
http://heartborn.org/reading.htm
comprehensive reading list
http://www.angelfire.com/journal/adoptionhelp/adopthelp.html
Excellent Financial Info
http://my.execpc.com/~microop/chigirls.html
photos in the Chinese orphanages
http://my.execpc.com/~microop/orphanj.html
more with
description of their day
http://www.finnenterprises.com/china/bookmark.htm
China in detail
Yahoo
lists I belong to:
a-parents-china
Albinism_International
BaiChina
ccaamatchingsn
ChinaAdoptionsSwapMeet
gladneychina
July2006DTC
WaitingChildrenChina
WaitingSNChildrenChina
WenzhouFamilies
Family
Stories
http://www.night.net/rosie/lily-mcdonogh01.html-ssi
http://www.chrisandtammy.ca/
Great!
http://www.allforchildren.org/mystories.php?id=11
http://www.nyx.net/~ajlin/adoption.htm
terrific journal, Joe Cotter style
http://www.tussah.com/lara/chinasto.htm Many
family stories, some of my favorites
http://www.myadoptionwebsite.com
WONDERFUL!!
http://www.adoptionwebsites.net/
GREAT!!
http://www.tcbs.com/pers/adoption.htm Same
with this compilation
http://www.pergamondesign.com/?page=movie#
Watch the adoption of Frances
http://www.geocities.com/tlmerrill/nataliestory
journal of the hectic blur the China trip can be
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/1807/journey.html
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/8800/
http://users.goldengate.net/~kandkran/krystal.html
cute pics!
http://www.caringbridge.org/tn/ude/photo.htm awesome
China Pics
http://mypeoplepc.com/members/doylesiever/index.html
two girls
http://www.huffmancoding.com/family/clairechina.html
http://www.geocities.com/chinababy05.sbcglobal.net/timeline.html
http://www.chineseadoptionstories.homestead.com/
http://www.fulingkids.org/familystories.htm
http://foreverfamilystories.com/
http://www.asststork.com/pages/china.html
Gladney Family
websites
http://members.cox.net/trishj/
http://www.geocities.com/danlu75023/
http://www.lilysredthread.blogspot.com/
http://meltonadoption.com
http://www.rileysgirl.blogspot.com
http://2china4paisley.blogspot.com
http://www.geocities.com/ncwcu/Familydayone
http://stricklandfamily.blogspot.com
The Story Of You - Journey To
Julia!
ORPHANAGES IN CHINA COMPILED
INFO AND PHOTOS
My Home Town:
For children adopted in China to learn about their home
towns and provinces.
China Weather
Information:
What will the weather be?
Maps of China:
Where exactly will we be going?
Tote Me Along:
A website devoted to the artwork of adopted children.
Adoptive Family Magazine:
An
informative magazines for adoptive families.
Asia for Kids:
A biannual catalog.
Tapestry Book Catalog:
A source
of adoption books.
The Gladney Center for
Adoption:
Our adoption agency.
Families with Children
from China:
is a is a
organization of families who have adopted children from
China. The purpose is to provide a network of support
for families who've adopted in China and to provide
information to prospective parents.
The China
Initiative:
The China Initiative is a special fundraising effort by
the Gladney Fund.
The American Academy of
Pediatrics:
Website dedicated to the Health of All Children.
Asia Times Online:
Online newspaper full of news and features from Asia.
Asia Food:
Explore this online resource of Asian food terms and
recipes.
A Kids Guide to
Adoption:
A website devoted to issues for adopted children.
Essential China:
General information on China.
China Sprout:
Chinese cultural and educational products.
Adoption Travel:
Resource for international adoption travel planning.
The International Society
of Travel Medicine:
Information on travel medicine.
Adoption Today
Magazine:
A family magazine on adoption issues.
US Immigration &
Naturalization Service:
INS forms and fees.
Rainbow Kids:
An on-line international adoption publication.
KidsCultureCenter:
"Virtual" culture camp for the families of international
adoption. Here you will find information about customs,
traditions, celebrations and holidays from around the
world.
U.S. State
Department:
Within the State Department is the Office of Children's
Issues which is responsible for coordinating policies
and providing information about international adoption.
WACAP:
World
Association for Children and Parents (WACAP), founded in
1976, is one of the most respected and experienced
international nonprofit adoption agencies in the United
States.
Last but certainly not Least
CLICK
HERE for
Answers
for the inevitable
DUMB, TACTLESS & RUDE QUESTIONS
MUST READ!!!
http://www.foot-n-mouth.blogspot.com/
ANOTHER MUST READ!!
http://www.adopting.org/question.html
Still
interested in "what not to say to Adopting Parents?"
Click here
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