[handfull2b]

Hello all
Our paperwork is in the process of being translated and we should be LID in Dec.
I have a question about the waiting child program. With all the buzz about referrals being 10-12 months in the near future, could we be referred a child sooner since we stated that we would consider a child with minor correctable health issues? Would we still wait the same amount of time or could that make it shorter (I'm assuming that we will be referred a child w/ minor medical need) Is waiting child a separate program?
Any one have experience with this?
Thanks
Maria

[drmalcolm]

I am bumping this, as I am very curious to know the answer, too.

Have you asked your agency what they think, Maria?

[foxl]

Yes. If your agency is approved for the Waiting Child program, you can look over their listing as soon as you are paper ready. Once China receiv es your acceptance of a child it is only 6 - 8 weeks to travel!

If you google China Adoption Waiting Child you might be able to find the list of agencies that participate.

[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

[Marshie]

I have no idea if referrals are coming sooner for people who stated they are open to a child with SN in their dossier. The waiting child program, however, is different. There are many agencies out there who China sends lists of children with special needs to, and that agency will then post that list for 3 months (i think they all do three months but I could be wrong, the ones I've seen do). If you are open to a child with a special need you might want to ask your agency if they have a waiting child list you could view. Since you are already DTC you would have to use your agency I believe. We found our daughter on a waiting child list in August and that agency is now due for their next list. They should be receiving 30+ new children late this week or perhaps next. The lists are usually about even between boys and girls. Sometimes there are even more boys than girls.

The needs I most often see on the WC lists are cleft lip/palate (lip usually repaired and palate usually not), heart defects (VSD, ASD, Tretalogy of Fallot) which are repairable or so small they need no treatment and correct on their own, club feet, albinism, crossed eyes, missing limbs, extra or missing fingers/toes, birthmarks, hep b+, one leg/arm shorter than the other, anemia, cerebal palsy (which is called brain paralysis on the lists usually), epilepsy, undescended testicles, anal malformations, ambiguous gender, scoliosis, deafness or blindness.

You can look at the pictures of all the children and once you find one (I actually petitioned for two) you will petition for them and depending on the agency you will either be matched on a first come first serve basis or the agency may accept files from many different families for the kids and have a meeting a week or so later to choose the best family for the child or to whoever gets their petition in first. Then you'll write your LOI (letter if intent) and wait for PA (pre-approval) from China. PA could take 2 weeks to 2 months. You can be DTC before you petition or you can start the whole process after you petition. After you are DTC it can take 3 weeks to 3 months to get travel approval and a Consulate Appointment which could be a couple of weeks to a couple of months after your TA.
I have already sent two care packages to my daughter and I plan to send more while we're waiting. I have also found two families who were adopting children from my child's orphanage and asked them to get me pictures of her. The first family took 3 pictures for me, and the second family is leaving for China after Thanksgiving! The orphanage also sent me updated info on her without pics.
If any of this interests you, you can contact your agency and ask if they have a list or if you don't have an agency yet (or you can always switch agencies, but you would probably need to pay a new agency fee and forfeit the old one) you can look at the lists of many different agencies and see if there is a little girl or boy you will fall in love with.

[foxl]

Sharon is correct -- China does not permit photolisting. However, not all agencies listing on Rainbowkids DO photolist -- mine does not -- they provide verbal descriptions only!

If you subscribe to their waiting kids newletter, you can get a verbal description of SOME agencies' waiting kids.

I found this invaluable in understanding the types of special needs available and making a decision of what I could handle.