Adoption Update

In our last update on the adoption at the end of October we had received the final approval on our home study.  Since then our home study and other documents needed for our dossier were certified and authenticated, sent to our Adoption Agency and then sent to the CCCWA (China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption).  This process is called the DTC or documents to China, which leads to your LID, logged in date which then you wait for your LOA, letter of acceptance.

In the middle of November we saw on our agency's website the picture and profile of a baby boy that will soon be our youngest son.  When we first requested to review our boys file we weren't really ready to accept a file. We made the inquiry but didn't hear back from our agency for a week.  I didn't want to push it.  When the agency emailed me back she said it would be best to talk on the phone.  I called and she told me the file was a prefile and that they weren't sure how long it would be until the official file would come back from the CCCWA.  After talking a bit about the boy we had inquired about I asked how old he was.  She looked up his birthdate and when I heard her say his birthdate was Dec. 19, 2015 (only 4 months younger then Francesca) I knew right then he was the boy for our family even before reviewing the file. We have three December birthdays of our four children. Dec. 22, 24, & 30. She sent us the file information she had.  We reviewed it, had a PA friend and our pediatrician review the medical information.  We really had no reservations from anything we read.  He diagnosis is external hydrocephalus.  This diagnosis is from a routine head CT done at the age of 6 months.  His medical information and development show no current issues.  We signed a verification of counseling document saying we have reviewed the file with medical counsel.  On January 7th we received his official file. As I read the final file I found out his abandoned/found date was January 7, 2015, exactly one year ago from the date we received his file. He was found outside a hospital, with a birth note stating his birthdate. To us, it suggests he was obviously loved and his parents wanted to make sure he was found and cared for. We prayed for his parents. It was actually a very emotional day for me.  I couldn't help but feel the pain his parents were feeling on that day.  The same day we were so excited to receive his official file, his parents were probably remembering the moment they left their little boy.  Not knowing where he is now.  We can't imagine his parents having to make the choice they did one year ago. 

So where does that leave us now.  We are waiting for the LOA from China which will hopefully come sometime in the middle of February. After that is lots of paperwork steps to be completed.  We are on track to travel to China in May.  This will be 9 months from the start of our process.  

Until we receive the LOA we really aren't suppose to show pictures of our boy.  At least not online.  So if you see us in person we have pictures to see.  As soon as we receive approval we will post his adorable picture.  

I really like this illustration below.  It really helps to see how the paper process works for a china adoption.

 Here is where we are in the process.

1. Home study started on 8/24

2. Home study completed 11/5

3. We sent our own dossier and home study in so we skipped this step

4. Docs sent to USCIS 11/5

5. I-797 approval to adopt received 12/11 (it was delayed because we had a piece of information missing from our home study and had to submit the missing information)

6. I-797 sent to Adoption Agency to complete dossier 12/17

7. Documents to China 12/18

*8. This is where we are, waiting for our LOA.  The LOA is the Letter of Acceptance from China stating we can adopt the child we are matched with.