[jenmart]

Hello, just wondering what the estimated time for referral is in China. It seems that when I check out agencies, they all seem to have different referral times. The agency we really like so far is saying about 15 months but also said that it can change. We were also looking into Taiwan..but their time is about 9-12 months with 4-6 months to travel. But, it is a bit more expensive than China. Thanks so much!!

[Lissa]

Right now wait times (post LID) are running about 14 months. And what you were told is true, that time can change on a dime. When our friends adopted their now 5 year old child who was 11 months at the time of adotion the wait time was 18 months. When I adopted over a year ago the wait time was 6 months. It fluctuates often.

[specialk4b]

The referrals that will be received this week show a wait time of just under to just over 15 months from LID. This wait time is the same regardless of what agency you are with. You will generally travel 6-8 weeks after receiving your referral.

The time it takes to complete your homestudy and prepare your dossier isn't included in the 15 month wait time and it can vary depending on your personal situation.

The wait time has been steadily increasing over the past year. Some agencies feel it will stabilize and some feel it will continue to grow. But no one knows for sure.

Best of luck to you as you make your decision!

[jenmart]

Thanks so much! Well, Im sure the wait is hard but we have 2 little boys at home that Im sure will keep us busy!! Also, I know she will be worth the wait, even if it is like being pregnant 2x! Good luck to everyone..may your children be home sooner than later..Jennifer in Arizona

[sregis]

with a feb '06 lid, i have absolutely no expectation of a referral 'till fall, '07 at the earliest. some of the estimates from agencies are still misleading at best.

[jenmart]

Sregis, how are you so absolutely sure when Im guessing no one really knows how the referrals will go. Is your agency telling you this? Im going to just go with what my agency is saying at this point..They have tons of experience with China.

[sregis]

Originally Posted by jenmart

Sregis, how are you so absolutely sure when Im guessing no one really knows how the referrals will go. Is your agency telling you this? Im going to just go with what my agency is saying at this point..They have tons of experience with China.

i don't know any more than most people here, except that i simply cannot (will not) try to fool myself. i feel an 18-20 mo wait for my login period is a best case scenario considering the current 15 mo w/ no improvement in sight.

[pgruodis]

jenmart - don't let the agencies fool you. The wait time is 15 months...and the trend is moving toward getting longer.
Agencies like to average-out wait times, because if they were honest, they would lose business. Yes, wait time have changed over time, but there is absolutely no evidence that they will get any shorter...and a lot that things will get longer.
Nobody want to be honest about the situation...China tries to keep everything hidden, and agencies are NO BETTER by hiding the little information they do have from their clients.
The fact that some agencies still list 9 months wait on their websites is plain dishonest. If your login date is today, best guess is your wait will be 2 years or more. Sad fact.
We were logged-in 03/06 and as every month that passes, we actually are getting Farther from a referral.

[specialk4b]

For me, it's time to be realistic. In each month of the last year, the wait time has gotten longer. This may change in the future, but to protect me heart, I need to plan on this trend continuing.

Wait times have gotten this long in the past and have turned around and gotten shorter again. If wait times speed up, I will be pleasantly surprised. But I can't let myself depend on it.

[ladybug11]

I made the grave mistake of plugging in a fake LID date (11/30/06 - b/c I figure it won't be too far off from that) - to a "wait calculator" - according to that, our referral will come in April of 2009. That is almost 2.5 years. I sure hope it isn't that long. When we started it was running about 15 months or so.

[jenmart]

Where do you find estimated dates like that? Does anyone know what the longest time for a referral has been in the past? Just out of curiosity. Im seriously thinking of going with the Taiwan program. I didnt know the wait was really this long. Taiwan is about 21k total with the agency we would pick. Is this much less than a total adoption from China? The agency we would use is saying about 18k with 2 people travelling. I wonder if we should just head for Taiwan. I wonder why not many families choose Taiwan. Im hoping with the Vietnam program re opened, maybe more families will choose this route vs China..and your referrals wont keep gettting longer..Anyone consider Taiwan prior to choosing China? Thanks!

[lovemybulldog]

Originally Posted by jenmart

Taiwan is about 21k total with the agency we would pick. Is this much less than a total adoption from China? The agency we would use is saying about 18k with 2 people travelling. I wonder if we should just head for Taiwan. I wonder why not many families choose Taiwan.

Jenmart, I think most here will agree that they chose China because that's where their child was. We considered other countries, but in the end, we kept coming back to China.

I can't speak for your agency compared to mine, and can't quote costs, but 18k is on the low end from my experience and others. We are budgeting to spend around 21 to 23k total, including spending $ in China, extra stops in Beijing or Hong Kong, and an extra seat for our child on the way home.

I know this is vague and maybe not what you want to hear, but only you will know if China, Taiwain, or Vietnam is right for you. Just read until your eyes hurt and ask lots of questions.

Good luck!

[ladybug11]

There is a program online that calculates waits; however, it does not factor in any variability - so it is WAY scary.

My gut feeling is that things will pick up again. It seems to go in cycles; I'm hoping it will cycle back again.

I don't know anything about the Taiwan program. We are figuring the total costs to be about $20-$24K (but we are taking our older children with us when we travel).

[jenmart]

That is funny you said read till your eyes hurt! Because I literally feel like my eyes are going to fall out and my brain has so much "information" in it! But, I do keep coming back to Taiwan..Im not sure why. Ive always wanted to visit there way before I thought of adoption. Also, a good friend of ours is Taiwanese..so I guess just the relation there brings it closer to our heart. I do think this particular agency seems to have some of the lowest fees after researching. They sent me a really good breakdown of the costs. Will the child need a ticket? I thought they would fit into the "lap" category. Thanks so much!!

[Chinagirl2007]

I did look into taiwan and its really quite different from China. Its really much more like traditional domestic adoption in the US. There are birthmothers who are involved in the process, who make adoption plans for their babies. It isnt an abandonment situation like china.

Depending on which angency and which program you choose, you may be required to meet the birthmother if she wants to meet you. In any case, you have to provide updates for several years after the adoption, photos etc.

I think this is why you dont see people flocking to taiwan from the china program. Many chose china because of the anonymity and the 'distance' between birthparents and adoptive parents...Its just a matter of what you are comfortable with. It seems to be a well run program and it isnt that much more expensive than China, maybe only a few thousand more.