Hello all,

Hopefully it is now only three more months until I am able to put a name to a face. I have just finished reading a book that my Agency Director has written called "The Children Can't Wait".  I found it to be very informative and also clarified a great many misconceptions I had had about China and the abandoned baby girls. There was a chapter dedicated to what my dossier goes through at the CCAA in Beijing....and what the heck they are doing in China and why I have to wait and my baby has to sit in an orphanage for months and months.

The CCAA goes through the dossiers by date trying to decrease the wait for the families. (Meaning I submitted on Dec 9th and should receive my referral June 9th or thereabout). 

The steps in the process are as follows: 

Step One: 

All applications go through the initial office where the paperwork is translated or where its already- existing translation is verified. It could take up to two months or more for this office to review a dossier. (My dossier had to be translated to Chinese, the agency believes it is better to have the CCAA translate it and I agreed).

The initial office also verifies that the CCAA application fee has been paid, and it reviews the family's request for a child.  A form is completed, input into the computer and attached to the original dossier. 

Step Two: 

The dossier is transferred to "Department 1" where the family's qualifications and documents are checked for completeness and eligibility. Since most of the CCAA staff do not speak or read English, the CCAA relies heavily on the translations of the dossier documents. It may take up to two months or more in this Department to review a dossier. After review, the dossier rests here until it is ready for matching and is moved into Department 2. - (This is where I am now, Dept 1, and will remain for approximately one more month or so it seems). Why should this take so long... because the CCAA processes about 500 dossiers a month (from all countries) and unfortunately there is a very small staff.

Step Three: 

"Department 2" is where the family is matched with a particular child. It appears to be taking about one month to match a family and child. The agency is then informed of the match. The medical report and photo of the child are forwarded directly to the agency. The agency, in turn, shares the referral information with the family. If accepted, the acceptance of the family must be received by the CCAA and its official approval letter is issued. The match must be approved personally by several Vice Directors or the Director of the CCAA and must be signed off with their official red chop. People feel that they have some magical process for matching when actually I read that they match the youngest babies with the youngest in the group and it appears that I am one of the youngest applying from my agency, China Seas, on December 9, so I should get one of the youngest babies. So this is a good thing. (I was hoping to be referred a five month old and she would be seven months old by the time I picked her up.

Then, copies of the dossier together with the original approved match are sent to the province from which the child is to be adopted. [Note: Under recent regulations, the adoption is not permitted to be conducted until at least 15 days from the date of the final approval by the CCAA.] The CCAA appeared to fully understand the stress on the family of a long delay from matching to time to travel to adopt and vowed to reduce this delay. (They just have not done it two years later)

I would also like to make a request .....(this is new for me but since I will be a single mother I have to learn to ask for help), sooooo I am looking for volunteers, I already have two who have been so kind as to offer their services. As you all know I am going to China for two weeks with my parents, brother and Justine. When I come home from China I want to go to my apartment to settle Zoey and I into a routine and feel comfortable before we pack up and go to my parent's for some of my maternity leave.

The thing is I do not want to be alone in the house with Zoey when I get home. (I am sure I will be exhausted and still feeling a bit unsure about things). I will have just spent two weeks with my mom and she will be exhausted too and Jessica will have her new baby so she can't stay so I am asking for volunteers to stay with me the first week back. My cousin Michael has volunteered and Sloane has volunteered to take two days off of work and stay with me and I was wondering if anyone else would like to volunteer. After a week I think we will have adjusted somewhat and will be fine, right????

I have started packing because I am finally moving into my apartment.  My Dad will start work on the apartment April 1st, I am going to stay in my apt until April 15th. I am very excited about finally moving and having more than one room and the terrace. (You will all have to come over and hang.) I have calmed down considerably about things and I now sincerely feel that I will receive the healthiest, sweetest, most beautiful baby girl in all of China and our journey to China will be fun and exciting.  (Okay so I still obsess about the bathrooms just a little.)  I am still not in a rush, she will be here before I know it. I am still working on my mosaic project, it is kind of coming together as is everything.

Till next month.....
Lisa
Mom to be

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