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We are interested in the waiting child program. I happened across a China Adoption Forecast website that states that they're just now processing applications from 2006 (for 'healthy' children). It estimated an ELEVEN year wait for us if we did not go the waiting child route.
Is that right? How long does it really take to adopt a healthy child from China? And how long does it take to adopt a waiting child? (typically). I'm sure a lot has to do with the severity of issues you would be willing to take on?
Also, would anyone be willing to PM me your experience with your adoption agency, and whether you recommend them or not? I THOUGHT we'd picked one out, but now I'm second-guessing.
Thank you!!!!! :thanks:
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Frankly, the China program is essentially a special needs program now. Once China gets through the backlog of clients -- if, indeed, there are enough paper-ready NSN children left in the system to accommodate the current backlog -- the NSN program is likely to disappear.
I would not do an NSN application at this point, as China could easily decide to close the program even before all already waiting families can be accommodated, so that waiting times do not keep increasing. It could then grandfather in waiting families who were logged in prior to a certain date, such as January, 1910, and simply encourage other families in the line to switch to SN or seek other options. Already, many agencies are not accepting NSN applications, because that is what they expect to happen.
With regard to SN children, if you go through the programs where you pick a child from a list, things can go quite quickly, especially if you are homestudy and USCIS ready. If you find a child whose needs you can meet on a shared or agency-specific list, and the agency feels that you are the best applicant for the child, it could request preapproval immediately. If China pre-approves, you would then prepare your dossier and submit it. China would review it on an expedited schedule, and you could receive an official "referral" of that child very quickly. You would then await approval to travel, and could bring the child home in under a year, in some cases.
Do remember, of course, that the profile of the average special needs child is changing. No longer are kids being labeled as special needs because they have an extra toe, a pronounced birthmark, or malnutrition. You are more likely to see children with cleft lip and palate, missing or malformed limbs, congenital heart defects, significant vision or hearing problems, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and so on. If you do not feel that you can parent such a child, the China program is probably not for you.
Sharon
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