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This varies greatly by country.

China, for example, will not list a healthy child as a Waiting Child unless he/she is age 6 or older. Infants, toddlers, and preschoolers can be listed as Waiting Children if they have special needs.

However, China is no longer listing infants, toddlers, and preschoolers as Waiting Children if they have very minor special needs, such as a large birthmark or an undescended testicle. In general, the younger the child, the more serious the special need has to be before he/she is placed in the Waiting Child program.

Overall, the term "Waiting Child" is a euphemism for "hard to place." It is easy to place healthy infants and toddlers, but very difficult to place school aged children, especially boys, and children with special needs.

For this reason, agencies often offer reduced fees for Waiting Children. Their goal is to get a child into a family, and they are particularly interested in finding permanent, loving homes for kids whom most prospective parents won't consider.

Sharon