adopting preschooler

I copy and pasted the paragraph below, it was in another thread that we replied to, and gives the dates of how our adoption has gone. Hope it helps. To update you now, after the us embassy interview (appearance), we have heard nothing. We had to cancell our flights, which were scheduled for April 3rd, and the people at the us embassy in Manila haven't told us why they haven't stamped her visa to bring her home yet. So, our only delays have been on the U.S. side of things! Good luck - oh, and whenever you ask for a child older than 18 months, you usually get matched faster (although it does depend on what children that are up for adoption at any given time). There are so many children, and most people ask for babies, so when they get a request for an older child they jump on it! Jen I almost forgot to answer the rest! We have three bio children. Two boys and a girl, and they are so excited to have a new little sister. We have included them in the entire process, letting them help fill out forms, pick age of child, knowing what it is we're waiting for at the different times, and they've helped with all the fundraising for the orphanage. They are 9, 7, and 5. Our waiting time was: dossier made it to Philippines in beginning of July 2003, and our approval letter was dated July 9, 2003 - so pretty fast. Then our match proposal was dated Oct. 30, 2003, and we accepted the day we got it, which was right before Thanksgiving. Our immigration office here was extremely slow with the I-171, and we ended up having to send in a congressman and the Senator to get it done. We had taken it in in early Dec. and finally got the approval on Feb 25, 2004. From there, they forward it on to the embassy in Manila - takes about three weeks or so to get there. Then a sw will schedule a visa medical - usually about a week later again. Then they will schedule an embassy appearance - about a week later again (this is what our little one just did). Then the embassy approves that (if they don't need any other documentation) and sends it on to the DSWD for travel approval. They approve your child for travel out of the country, and send it on to ICAB, who then emails your agency that you can come! Hope this helps!!

We have adopted twice from the philippines, we have 2 bio kids and both times we were matched within 3 mos. of being put on the approved roster. I do agree that if you are willing to take an older child you may be matched quicker,as they are harder to place, BUT, the home where our daughter was cared for in cebu has placed many infants under 1 year old. our match for our daughter at 18mos. old was not any slower than the match for our son at 3-1/2 yrs.

Wow, you got a referral very quickly. How long ago was that? I have actually been rather discouraged after reading the messages in the archives. When we began the process I told myself that we were not in a hurry, we have a busy life with three kids at home, but now that we are in the midst of the waiting game, I find myself wishing that I could make the process fly by! After reading about the lengthy waits, I am trying to prepare myself for the long wait.

We found out this week that the embassy held our papers to do a little extra looking into the family our daughter came from. This is not normal, so remember that! The father and mother both signed the voluntary commitment papers that signed her over to the country, and usually it is just the mother, so they want to check it out and make sure it is what it is! Usually once your I-171 has been cabled to manila it is about 4 weeks out til your child will have their medical visa, and then about a week later they have their embassy appearance. Within a day or so they send the "approval" on to the DSWD for them to OK the travel, and then, within a day or two, ICAB emails your agency and lets them know you can come. You have from that day up to 30 days to go get your child. They do send your agency a proposed itenerary, but you can make your own too. Just make sure your agency knows your itenerary before you go so they can let the social workers in the Philippines know, and they can plan for when you get there. Good luck, and Happy Waiting!!