[nhook]

I am sorry to keep asking but why are things taking so long? Can anyone tell me how long they waited from approval to match? We were told that at the most it would be 12 months. We asked for a toddler of either gender. Can anyone tell me how long it has taken them and what kind of child they asked for?

[BTR8898]

My husband and I started the adoption process almost 2 years ago. It'll be 2 years next month. We were approved last September. We were matched at the end of January 2004. It took about a month to get our son's medicals from the orphanage. Then we ran into a lot of problems with the INS here. There were some misunderstandings that delayed our I-600 approval for about 3 months. Finally, on June 17th I walked out of our INS office with the approval in my hands! If all goes smoothly from here on out, we expect to travel in mid-August.

We had requested a boy no older than 4. We were allowed to specify gender because we already have 2 daughters. Ben is 21 months old right now. He's perfect in every way! I don't know why our matching took about 5 months where others have taken much longer. I don't really know much about the matching process. I believe the names go into a pool of some sort, rather than a list, and the children are matched that way. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

All I can say is to please hang in there. God has the perfect child chosen for you and He'll bring you together at just the right time.

[orphanagemom]

Hi,
The Philippines is trying to finish up all the matchings from people who have not been matched from 2002. (There was a big government thing that held up adoptions that year, so they are trying to "catch up") We were just there a few weeks ago, and we went into detail with Dr. Laraya at ICAB about everything. They are trying to go in order to who applied/approved first, but most people ask either for a healthy baby girl under 18 months, or a toddler that is healthy, and there just aren't always that age of child there (or at least not healthy ones). They really are doing tons of adoptions, there are couples there every week picking up their new child/children. The dossiers don't go into a pool, but on a list (which I got to see part of), and there is a social worker that does the matchings for each country. The social worker from the orphanage (which there are 38 of) goes in to ICAB (every week or two) and looks at the list to see if they have an available child that matches any of the couples. If they find a match, they work with the ICAB social worker, and get it ready to propose to your adoption agency. Now, our adoption went really fast, we were approved in July 2003, and picked up our daughter in May 2004, but that is because my husband is Filipino, and he was adopted from the same orphanage as we wanted to go to. Most seem to have been taking about one year from approval to matching proposal. Be patient! It'll all work out!! And, it'll all be worth it!!!
Jen
ps please pm me if you want any more details!
Also, for any of you who might read this, and haven't filled out your type of child form. It might speed up things if you are willing to take on a child with completely rotten teeth. The children eat a bowl of rice with some cut up carrots and peas in it, and sometimes a hotdog or pork, three times a day, and then are given little hard candies to suck on ALL DAY LONG. I am not kidding! All of them have some kind of rotten teeth. Many do not even have front teeth left at all, they are little orange and black stubs. But, they don't complain, and they are happy!

[nhook]

Well, we filled out the type of child form almost 2 years ago and honestly I cant remember what we said we would want. What is frustrating to me is that we have asked a couple of times over the past few months if we could increase our age. We asked our agency worker this question. She said that it may delay things even more because they have to put all of the new information in your file. She also said that the Philippines don't like that because it makes them think you just want a match and why did you change your mind. So we are caught between a rock and a hard place.
Honestly, if the Philippines told our agency that they had a 2-3 year old for us and they had a slight health problem, at least we would consider it. I dont think it is fair that we are held to what we put down 2 years ago. (Also, our agency told us that we were pretty open and that we should get matched quickly). Any feedback?

[orphanagemom]

I pm'd you. Sorry it's taking so long.
Jen

[nhook]

Can anyone new to the board give some information as to when you were matched and what type of child you got? Thank you.

[2pinokids]

Hello- We adopted twice from the Philippines. Both times the process took about 1 year, start to finish. We were matched within several months of being put on the approved family roster. We requested a girl up to 3 years old the fist time, and either sex up to 6 years old the second time. maybe because we were willing to take older children was why were matched quickly. We have several families in our area who are currently waiting to hear about a match as well, just be patient. It is worth the wait.!

[MaureenLT]

My husband and I sent our paperwork July 2003 and were approved Sept. 2003. We were told it would take 8-10 months from the time we sent our paperwork. In Feb of 2004 we heard that it would take 11-13 months. Then in July of 04 we were told that the wait time started from date of approval rather than date of paperwork sent. So there have been many delays lately. I heard from my agency that it is taking longer in the Philippines because people from Europe and Canada are applying as well and so many people want to adopt from there. She also said that it tends to go this way... the wait is relatively short, so people appy and then the wait gets longer. The same thing has happened to friends of mine adopting from Colombia. It was supposed to take 4-6 months from them and it took 18 months. It is so frustrating. But I talked with my agency today and they said they are now referring babies to people who were approved in August, 2003. So hopefully we'll be soon.

Maureen

[2pinokids]

Maureen-yes it is true the Philippines is now having alot more people apply, as the ease and low costs are very appealing to people. We live in Canada,( B.C. ) and our children are 2 of only a few Filipino children in all of our Provence, but I have been speaking for the last 3 years at Adoption seminars here and recently we have had 5 families choose the Philippines. Which is wonderful for us to begin support groups etc. and that more children who need a forever family are being placed. , but it does make things go slower as far as matching. Hopefully you will hear really soon, Good luck and God Bless. Pam

[larryman]

Why it takes so long in the Philippines ? Bearaucracy .Rules and Regulations , and all the unecessary red tape.

[nhook]

Well, We were approved in May of 2003, and as of September 2004, had not been matched. We wanted a child under 18 months of either gender and we are a childless couple. So those of you approved later than us and who are receiving babies, I don't understand. We decided to withdraw our application from the Philippines and are now working with another country- we just couldnt wait any longer.

[larryman]

Our application was approved in June 2003. We have the referal from the Philippines Inter Country Adoption Board ICAB on Feb 2004. We wanted a griel from 0 to 4 yrs. But the sad thind about that referal is that both the girl's parents are very serious drunkards. We have consulted our physician and there is a likelyhood that she may develop fetal alcohol syndrome later on when she grow up. Therefore, we decline the rerferal with a sunken heart. The Inter Country adoption board is the only approved body handling international adoption as well as relative adoption for the child to go overseas. As far as I know they are short of todlers from 0 to 2 yrs. Most of the are 3 or older. You wait could be longer.

Also the Philippines Intercointry Adoption Board (ICAB) has for the past four months greatly strictlen the adoption approval process. They have completely disallow adoptive parents going direct to the orphanage to bring kids and then come for approval. Every single child who brought to ICAB has to be matched under their specific matching criteria. Furthermore, ICAB still experience tremendous backlog applications from 2002 for there was a big chnage in governemtn policy regarding adoption. Also Philippines is member of the Hague Nation who is under the articles from the Hague Converntion. Your wait could be very very long if you are going for 18 months or under. If you have relatives in the Philippines who needs to give up their child for adoption, it is quicker to take this route. A seperate relative adoption questionaire of 28 questions is needed to be completed by the applicant. But you need your agency to inform ICAB if you decide to take this route.

2yr or under todlers are high in demand in the Philippines for international adoption. other countries apparently are taking long than usual as well for various reasons. Your best bet may be China.but prepare to spend USD45,000 or more for the child. I personally do not like the system there. They do not have written medical records about the child unlike the Philippines which they have very detail study about the child/ Child study in China is often incomplete or even non existance. But the waiting time in China according to some agencies and people who adopted from there takes shorter time. But any how you are looking at least 8 months to get a reply.

International adoption requires lots of patients. The processes are exceedingly complex because of the many cross national legality involved.Can we say that it is part of child traffiking for a supposedly good cause ? Afterall, it is not what the adoptive parents wants to see from the kids. It is the authority who is deligated to look after the child's best interest decides on who and what you can or cannot have.

[larryman]

The matching at Philippines Inter Country Adoption depends of the criteria sheets you have completed together with your Inter Country Adoption Form. If you specify a older child of both sexes with greater degree of tolerance on the many disabilities and illness of the child, your matching will take shorter. If you specify a todler from 0 to 1, prepare for a long long wait,at least three years.

[MaureenLT]

I'm not sure I agree that it can take at least three years. We are expecting to get a referral any time and that will be one and a half years... or 13 months according to their new policy of the waiting period being from 11 to 13 months from the time of approval by the ICAB. I have heard of other people from the United States waiting up to 13 months but not longer than that for an infant referral... 0-12 months.

[JenBag]

While I appreciate the information and discussion these adoption forums provide, I do come away from them feeling discouraged. When we decided to adopt from the Philippines we were told our wait would be approx 9 mos (since I am half filipino) for our little girl. And I understand that this is just an approximate, I am starting to feel we are in for a much longer wait than we had anticipated.

It would be nice to receive some posts from families who have recently adopted from the Philippines as to what their wait time actually was . . . especially on the positive. For those of us still in the waiting process this would come as a breath of fresh air to know that the ICAB isn't really as backlogged as they are -- I am desiring to know if this is really what's happening or is it more of the frustrated families the ones doing most of the posting.

Jennifer