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Chinese Adoption Has Changed. Are You Still Eligible?

April 10, 2007 - Tuesday
12:48 PM to (EST)
Guest Speakers: Pamela Thomas
Homeland Adoption Services

Categories
Adoption • International Adoption


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Lorrainemae Hello this is Lorrainemae. Hope this forum spreads the word about the wonderful China Program that Homeland has.
pam_thomas Hi Lorraine, How kind of you!
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pam_thomas Hi polkadot!
polkadott Hi, how are you?
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Hi Poldadot - welcome to this special edition of the AFA chat series.
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Moderator_Daniel_Becker We will begin in one minute -
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Hi wooddigt welcome
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Oh and I missed Lorrainemae
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Tonight's topic will be on Chinese Adoptionand our guest this evening is Pamela Thomas, Executive Director of Homeland Adoption Services in New York - Welcome everyone!!!!!
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pam_thomas Thanks, Daniel. And thank you all for joining me tonight.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker My pleasure
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Welcome Ames
pam_thomas I just want to mention that I am an adoptive parent as well as an adoption professional.
pam_thomas And I'm looking forward to answering your questions.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Just to get things rolling a bit - can you tell me the main difference between domestic and foreign and then specifically Chineese adoption currently??
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pam_thomas Sure, there are some significant differences.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker welcome back
pam_thomas Most children adopted internationally have been orphaned or abandoned.
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pam_thomas Children adopted domestically typically have information about birthparents and medical information.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Aegrusznski, welcome to tonight's special chat
pam_thomas There are differences in the process.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker How about average time to and cost to
pam_thomas Domestic adoption can take from 6 months to several years.
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pam_thomas International adoption requires a more extensive dossier process, and placement can take from 1-2 years, typically.
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polkadott what makes for such a long difference in times? Is there an average length for China specifically or is it case by case?
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Estelle61, Welcome to tonight's Special Chat with Pamela Thomas, ED of Homeland Adoption Services
pam_thomas Right now, in the regular program in China, the wait to referral is 18 months from the time the docments are registered at the China Center of Adoption Affairs.
pam_thomas When the wait was six months, CCAA became deluged with dossiers, and there is a backlog.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Please feel free to ask questions - no question is silly, remember knowlege equals power and control in this process.
pam_thomas the wait is expected to increase in the coming months before the tipping point is reached.
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Moderator_Daniel_Becker Welcome Catherine
pam_thomas Since China will impose new regulations this May 1, fewer families will qualify.
pam_thomas This will bring the wait down eventually.
polkadott given that's the case, would you still recommend China over other countries? If so, why? If not (until the backlog goes away) what would you recommend those who want to adopt do?
Moderator_Daniel_Becker what are some of the new or expected changes that will cause a negative impact
Catherine thanks! sorry if this waas answered already-- my husband was born and raised in Hong Kong. Now he's a US citizen. How will these regs affect us?
pam_thomas CCAA also informs us that fewer children are available for placement.
estelle61 What will make a family qualify? Do both parents need to be American citizens? My husband is from New Zealand.
pam_thomas As long as one parent is a U.S. citizen, you may qualify to adopt from China.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Just a note of reference, if your question is not answered - please post it again - it is sometimes confusing to type and read at the same time
pam_thomas We have placed a good number of children in such families.
Catherine I mean: I understand that if one spouse is Chinese, the process is expedited. will that still be true-- and what does that mean exactly?
pam_thomas The spouse or the spouse's parent(s) must have been born in china to qualify for expediting.
pam_thomas The new regs eliminate singles from adopting.
polkadott do you still recommend china over other countries for adoption, given that the wait will be long for a while. If so, why? If not, what are your recommendations?
pam_thomas And those with a body mass index of 40 or higher.
pam_thomas Applicants in the regular program must be under 50.
Catherine yes, but doesn't Hong Kong count as China? It's part of China, and I think it specifies that it counts on the application form I got from Homeland. What does expediting mean? Sorry to repeat myself.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker WOW that one is interesting - is that unique or do other countries mesure BMI??
pam_thomas I think families still want to adopt from China for all the same reasons as before, long wait or not.
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pam_thomas The children are in need. Conditions have improved dramatically over the years and the children already here seem to be thriving, overall.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Cburnsmarketing, welcome to tonight's special adoption chat
estelle61 You may have already answered this, what makes China the best country for adopting from?
pam_thomas Applicants cannot have been taking antidepressants during the past two years.
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pam_thomas And couples must be married for two years, but if there has been a prior divorce, they must be married for five years.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Hi carollyn - welcome to tonight's special AFA chat devoted to foreign adoption, with Pamela Thomas, ED of Homeland Adoption Services
pam_thomas China's process has been stable and predictable since it opened in the nineties.
pam_thomas There is a tremendous amount of support for the children from China, post adoption.
carolynb It's great to be here!Why did China change its policies so suddenly?
estelle61 Is there any online guidelines about the process that we can read?
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Great Question
pam_thomas Rumours have circulated for some time that certain policies would change. Change is the nature of international adoption. Many countries have regulations stricter than China's.
Catherine I realize that this question may not interest a lot of people. Doesn't Hong Kong count as China? It's part of China, and I think it specifies that it counts on the application form I got from Homeland. What does expediting mean? Sorry to repeat myself.
polkadott Is it possible to adopt two children at once? I know a couple who did this with children from the Ukraine (the children are not biologically related) and seem to feel there were a lot of advantages for the kids and themselves to doing it that way.
pam_thomas I have created a page of resources for you all which contains links to sites where you can get a lot of information
pam_thomas www.hometown.aol.com/homelandchina
pam_thomas Click on AFA Resources
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Pam that is wonderful
Lorrainemae That is true that other countries have strict regulations. I am a social worker and I do both Chinese and Russian adoptions. I have found Russian adoptions to have restrictions also.
pam_thomas The only way to adopt two is to qualify to adopt twins. This is infrequent.
pam_thomas China will allow you to adopt repeatedly if you qualify.
pam_thomas While CCAA imposed tricter regulations in the regular program, it loosened its requirements in the Waing Child Program.
pam_thomas Large families are now welcome to apply, if they meet other criteria.
pam_thomas The waiting children's adoptions are expedited.
pam_thomas Do you know about that program?
estelle61 How can you qualify to adopt twins?
Catherine I do; we'd prefer to adopt an infant or healthy young child.
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Moderator_Daniel_Becker This is just a general reminder that the AFA will be holding "Familymatters - the National Fertility and Adoption Conference" on Sunday April 29, 2007 - it is never to early to register for this great event!!!
carolynb Pam, can you tell us a little bit about the Waiting Child Program?
Catherine is the expediting the same as for the Chinese-spouse policy? like 1-2 months? or am i misremembering it?
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Hi M, welcome to tonight's special chat devoted to adoption
pam_thomas You must both be under 45, have no other children in the home, and show significant resources so that CCAA will be assured that you will be able to meet their needs.
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pam_thomas Twins are rare, but we once had two sets in one travel group!
pam_thomas The Waiting Child Program was developed to place preidentified babies, toddler and children.
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pam_thomas Each either had a past medical need already remediated or has a current, usually surgical need.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Hlboon, welcome to tonight's chat
hlboon Thanks.
Catherine the link on your page to rainbowkids.org doesn't work. it's supposed to outline the new laws. is there another site you'd recommend?
pam_thomas Babies in this program have been as young as 6 months. The majority are int he 2-6 year range.
cburnsmarketing are singles excluded from the waiting child program as well?
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Also as a general house keeping matter - I hope that you all are members of AFA, with the "No Barrier's" program it is free - check out the web site for further details
pam_thomas I will repair the link after our session. Thansk for letting me know.
pam_thomas Singles are now, unfortunately, excluded from the Waiting Child Program.
Catherine can i ask about the anti-depressants? does that mean mood stabilizers too?
Catherine in other words, if i'm bipolar (I am), does that disqualify me?
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Catherine and this is terrible question--but surely i'm not the first to think of it-- what if I just don't disclose thsif act?
hlboon I have a general adoption question. My husband had a DUI on his record 2 years ago. He actually doesn't even drink now. Bit ot
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Fourtnk, welcome to tonight special chat on adoption
hlboon OOps. Does that disqualify us from any type of adoption?
fortynk thank you
estelle61 Do both husband and wife need to be working to adopt?
pam_thomas the DUi might not disqualify you. You can have no more than 3 misdemeanors.
pam_thomas Both parents do not need to work outside the home.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Note- if you don't get an answer to your question after awhile - please ask again it is hard to type and read and type all at the same time.
pam_thomas Here is the exact quote from CCAA:
hlboon The major agency here is a Christian agency, so we were afraid that the DUI would end all. My husband hasn't had anything even as much as a speeding ticket since because he was so ashamed.
m I turn 45 in june my wife is younger than me, will we be disqualified?
pam_thomas 10. medication for severe mental disorders, like depression, mania, or anxiety neurosis, and stopped, not more than two years.
carolynb So does that mean if you are on antidepressants or mood stabilizers currently then you can't adopt from China.
pam_thomas You must be under 50 in the regular program to qualify.
fortynk being on med can stop you from adopting
Catherine OK. But what if I don't say anything about it? I mean, plenty of parents have these mental disorders and do just fine. No one would find out. So is this theoretically possible?
pam_thomas If you have taken medication for anxiety within the past two years you will not qualify.
m How does this differ from the regular program?
fortynk do they go throgh all this in a home study
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hlboon IS the antidepressants rule just for China or for ALL adoptions?
pam_thomas Look, it's the responsibility of the agency to present applicants according to each country's regulations. They depend upon us to present qualified applicants.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker aijia, welcome to tonight's chat on adoption
pam_thomas This regulation is new from the CCAA. Part of this is cultural.
Catherine so if you're on these meds and you apply pre-May 1, then it's ok? that is my last question, I swear!!
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Catherine - it is good to ask questions - we all learn from the answers to them!!!!
pam_thomas While we might agree that it is beneficial for someone to take medication to remediate a condition, the chinese thought may be quite different.
fortynk well isnt most people trying to adopt on some thing cause we all have anxiety
hlboon Amen.
Catherine yes exactly!
pam_thomas Their view of certain issues is quite different from western views.
pam_thomas I understand completely.
hlboon Half of us half been through the infertility ringer. How could we NOT be anxious?
pam_thomas I was there. I'm with you.
fortynk true fact
m Please explain what is the regular program and how it differs from this program.
hlboon Is that a Chinese rule only or do other countries view it the same way?
fortynk life is stressful enough without the feritilty issues
pam_thomas Catherine, it's been CCAA's policy that ALL medications must be explained with a doctor's letter, attached to the notarized medical statement.
Catherine does the date May 1 mean anything in terms of these drugs/disorders? In other words can I file before then and still be able to qualify?
pam_thomas If you could submit a dossier before that date, the old policies would apply.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker fortynk - and don't believe that it ends when you have sucess - anxiety is just a part of our crazy hectic lives in the 21st century!
pam_thomas Many families have raced through the process in the past months.
hlboon How are the old policies different?
fortynk i do understand
pam_thomas Medical conditions could be explained by a medical doctor, provided that the condition did not affect longevity or parenting.
Catherine thanks!! very helpful.
estelle61 Do you go to China before the adoption process begins, or afterwards?
pam_thomas You travel to adopt about 6-8 weeks after receiving the referral of your child.
m can you please answer my question?
pam_thomas The referral contains photos and pages of medical information including a developmental profile.
estelle61 How long do you need to stay in China to facilitate the adoption once you are there?
aijia My question is a bit different. I am from China. I am a US green card holder and I still have a Chinese passport. My husband is a US citizen. Do I also have to adopt through an agency in the US, or can I adopt independently?
pam_thomas In the regular program, children with thepotential for good health are matched with applicants.
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pam_thomas In the Waiting Child Program, certain agencies receive files from CCAA of children who are pre identified with past or present medical conditions.
pam_thomas These adoptions are expedited.
pam_thomas Families can request a file, and can have the file evaluated by medical professionals of their choosing before making a decision to adopt the child.
fortynk what is a normal wait for a baby from china
m Currently how long is the waiting period under the regular program?
pam_thomas Rigth now it's 18 months in the regular program, and expected to rise more.
pam_thomas That's 18 months from registering documents in Beijing to referral.
aijia How long do we have to wait if we are expedited (I am a Chinese citizen)?
pam_thomas Hi estelle, parents are in China for about 12 nights.
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pam_thomas About a week in the city where their child is, then several days in guangzhou, where the U.S. consulate is located.
fortynk do both parents have to go and is that the only stay
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Hi Traceyawood - welcome to tonight's chat - it is ending at nine - so get your questio in - it's not too late
pam_thomas Expedited adoptions are taking longer than before, but expect to receive a referral some months before the non expedited referrals.
traceyawood Are single women eligible to adopt in China?
estelle61 This may seem a silly question--what financial deposit or payment is required?
pam_thomas One parent can traval to adopt with power of attorney from the other.
m Do these adoption programs have any restrictions on biracial couples adopting?
pam_thomas Payment schedules are agency specific. our application fee is $250.00
pam_thomas Biracial couples are welcome.
pam_thomas Sinlges are no longer allowed to adopt from China.
pam_thomas I want to invite you to contact me at any time with questions. The contact info is on the special resource site listed above.
fortynk thank you for your imformation
estelle61 Thanks so much, Pam. Will you be at the conference on the 29th?
hlboon Thanks for your help tonight, Pam.
carolynb You have been terrific, Pam!!
m thanks alot
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Estelle - YES she will be
pam_thomas I will be there. Come on over and say hi!
aijia Is it true that if we already have a baby's room ready in our house, we will score high in home study report?
estelle61 I will definitely do that!
aegruszynski Thanks Pam!
pam_thomas You don'y have to ready a room for the home study. Sounds like you're ready!
Moderator_Daniel_Becker I think we still have a few minutes left
carolynb Thanks for making yourself available to everyone beyond tonight's chat.
Moderator_Daniel_Becker I like squeezing every second out of our special hour as we can!
estelle61 What is the home study?
pam_thomas It's a pleasure. Adoption has changed my life in every way. My kiddos have taught me everything!
Moderator_Daniel_Becker ON behalf of the American Fertility Assoc, It has been an absolute pleasure having our guest Pam Thomas, the Executive Director of Homeland Adoption Services
pam_thomas The home study is an assessment of your resources to parent. It's conducted by a social worker who collects info and writes a report approving you for the placemtn of a child.
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carolynb Daniel, you have been a great host. Thanks so much.
pam_thomas Thanks Daniel, and everyone!
hlboon Thanks, Daniel.
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Catherine thanks to all!!
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Thank you and please visit AFA often - what a great resourse to have and use!!!!!!!!!!!!
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fortynk thanks to everyone
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aijia Thanks alot.
pam_thomas You're all very welcome!
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Moderator_Daniel_Becker Have a good and safe evening everyone
Moderator_Daniel_Becker Good Nite
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Lorrainemae It was great Pam
pam_thomas thanks for coming, lorraine
Lorrainemae my pleasure
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