[sak9645]

The Waiting Child program is very different from the regular China adoption program.

The CCAA has selected a number of American agencies to participate in the Waiting Child program. Basically, every three months or so, it sends each participating agency information on a group of children who are considered hard to place, either because they are older or because they have a special need or both. Each agency gets a different list of children. Each agency then has a couple of months to find homes for the children on its list.

The agencies are NOT allowed to photolist the children on public websites like RainbowKids or Precious in His Sight. They sometimes may photolist the children on a private agency listserv.

Basically, what you need to do is find a list of agencies that have a Waiting Child program. There is such a list on A-Parents-China. You can then contact each agency and ask to see its current Waiting Child List.

If there is a particular special need that interests you -- such as Hep. B chronic carrier status, cleft palate, age over 6, etc. -- you can simply email each agency and ask if they have any children whom you might be able to parent.

You can look at the photos and review the medical information on the children. If you find one whom you think you might be able to parent, you can contact the agency to make sure that you have all the relevant information. Once you are comfortable doing so, you can ask the agency to be considered as a parent for the child.

If several people express an interest in a particular child, the agency will choose the one who seems best able to meet the child's needs. The agency will then help the parent complete a preapproval request. The agency will basically send the request to the CCAA and say, "Does this family seem to meet your requirements?"

The CCAA will review the preapproval request and then tell the agency whether you may or may not submit a dossier. If you receive preapproval, you will work with the agency to prepare the normal dossier that is required for any China adoption.

Once your dossier is submitted to China, the CCAA will review it in an expedited manner. If there's nothing in the dossier that causes the CCAA to rethink its preapproval, you will be officially approved to adopt the child. You will then wait for travel authorization, just as you would if you applied for the regular program. Once it is issued, you will travel and complete your adoption.

As you can see, you must work with the agency representing a particular child. If you have already signed with an agency, you will be able to work only with the children on its Waiting Child lists, if it even participates in the program. That is why, if you are contemplating the adoption of a Waiting Child, you should not sign with an agency until you identify a child you can parent.

As to the special needs, they are all over the map. There seem to be many children with cleft lip and/or palate (sometimes partially repaired), Hepatitis B carrier status, ventricular septal defect (a heart problem that needs surgery), club feet, missing fingers or toes, hearing or vision impairment, prominent birthmarks or scars, and so on. There are also some healthy children who are of school age. There tend to be more boys on the list than are available in the general program.

I hope this is helpful.

Sharon