[nicoleanders]

Hi everyone, My husband and I just got our INS approval back today. Now we are waiting for our official referral. We are adopting an infant out of South Africa, and we are so excited. I would love to talk to anyone else who is in the process, or others who are getting ready to travel.
nicole

[ANW]

My husband and I are awaiting our approval from INS. What agency are you using for you SA adoption?

[MkMw]

Congratulations!!

I was told that May is the best weather in S.A. - so, here's to a quick referral, and a springtime trip overseas!

michelle

[nicoleanders]

We are using African Adoption Alliance. They are wonderful. What agency are you using? I would love to travel in May!!! They said that the referral wait would not be long, it has only been one one since our paperwok has reached the orphanages in South Africa, but it seems like FOREVER. I would love to talk to you about your adoption. What part of S.A. are you adopting from?
Keep in touch
Nicole

[karabur]

I am so happy for your family. I hope you get the referral soon. So I guess the waiting game begins for you now. Good luck. I hope your wait is short and sweet.

Still job hunting
Saving up for Reagan

[ANW]

We are working with A New Arrival to adopt an infant through the Abba adoption program. Everything is progressing quite nicely for us as well. Our paperwork went over last month and our INS approval is eminent. So we are awaiting a referral as well. It is my understanding that the agencies are processing SA adoptions quickly now due to new regulations that have closed future S.A. adoptions to U.S. families. So hopefully we will both be traveling soon! Good luck to you!

[MkMw]

ANW -

When did they do this? I know when we were researching our adoption (direct placement by their birthmother) we discovered that adoptions from S.A. to the U.S.A. had only be done since 1997 when it was determined that their policies were in violation of the Hague Convention.

I'd love to get more information on that if possible - we had been working on a domestic adoption, so my knowledge on international adoption is rather limited - just what I needed to know and do to get there, and get back!

Michelle

[nicoleanders]

It sounds like we could be traveling at around the same time. You will definately have to keep us in touch. It is so great to know someone that is going through the same process. It was a very nervous time when they closed SA for new adoptions. i hope that everything will get smoothed over. From what I understand is that about a month ago SA said that they did not want to continue adoptions with any country that had not started to follow the Hague Treaty. So for right now new applications are on hold.
If anyone else has other info, or differrnt feel free to put your two cents in!!
I am very interested in your travel plans. How long did they say it would be before you would get a referral.
Feel free to pm me.
keep in touch- nicole

[ANW]

Nicole,
I received the same information. Only adoptions that are already in process will be allowed until the US signs the Hague Treaty. It looks like we made it just in time!

ANW

[ANW]

I received the same information . . . no new applicants will be honored until the U.S. signs the Hague Treaty, which is not scheduled until 2005, I think.

[nicoleanders]

I am glad that we were able to get in. I am also disapointed because we were hoping to go through the process quickly. When did you start your process?
nicole

[ANW]

We initially contacted ANA in January. Our homestudy was not yet complete and we had not begun the INS approval stage yet. We were originally intending to adopt domestically. Our expectations were for a far longer process than this seems to be so far. If we travel in June that would be far sooner than we expected. We were told that the wait is generally 3 - 6 months from when the completed dossier is sent to SA.

How does your program work? Does a birth mother choose you?

ANW

[nicoleanders]

We began our process in late October. Our completed dossier arrived in SA about 1.5 weeks ago. We will be traveling to Johanessburg to file papers and then going to Durban for three weeks. Our dossier has been sent to 5 orphanges there. We were told that the matching process would only take a couple of weeks, because there are so many children available. We were told this even before the the Hague "stuff."
We are hoping to matched soon!!

[MkMw]

ANW - sorry for the confusion - my DH and I did not go through an agency. We were in the process of adopting domestically when our sons' birthmom contacted us - the last sentence in her initial e-mail was "I'm in South Africa, is the geography a problem" - so, long story short, 2 months later I was on a plane to S.A.

She and her Dad met me at the airport and took me to the hospital - our sons were 6 days old (they moved her scheduled c-section up a week so I couldn't be there - homestudy update etc.) I took them home from the hospital and waited out the 60 days she had to change her mind there (my DH, MIL, and Mom took turns coming out to stay with me). Then waited another 2 months for the birthfather issues to be resolved.

So, I've met their birthmom, her family and their birthdad - kind of unusual for an international adoption - but it's been great so far. I e-mail with their B-mom and her family fairly regurlarly.

michelle

[nicoleanders]

it is so nice to have someone to talk to that has been to South Africa, and is familiar with the process. I know that your situation is different, but we do have a lot in common. I am excited about talking to you about travel. I would love to swap stories about our children.
Keep in touch- nicole