The Process

I've had some requests to explain the process in a little more detail. I forget sometimes that not everyone knows the whole process like I do and that you don't understand what I mean when I refer to batches, referrals, LIDs, etc. So here it goes.

The Homestudy Process

Before sending paperwork to China, one must complete the homestudy process and receive approval to adopt from the provincial government. I did this for the first time in March of 2006. It involves lots of paperwork, forms, police checks, and interviews with a social worker. I had friends and family members who wrote letters of reference for me and eventually I had a report completed by my adoption practitioner and it was sent off to the Ministry for approval. I got that approval in July 2006. My niece F. was there to hear the phone message and happily relayed the news to my mom as soon as we walked in the door at Grandma's house.

After that, I chose an Adoption Agency and compiled a dossier, which consisted of all the additional paperwork that China requires. I had it translated into Chinese, and sent it to China in August 2006. Several weeks later, I received a Log-in Date, the date which China received and logged my file into their system. This does not mean China has given you approval, but that you are now in line for review by the Centre for Adoption Affairs.

The Review Room

The place in China where adoptions are handled is called the Centre for Child Welfare and Adoption Affairs. Basically, there are two main sections or "rooms" at the centre, the Review Room and the Matching Room.

In the Review Room, my dossier was reviewed by officials who are looking for certain criteria. Apparently I met the criteria because I passed! Each adoption agency has their own review person. They know how to put a dossier together based on how their review person wants to see it, and based on the things their review person will approve or deny. Periodically, China will update and post on their website as to how far they have reviewed. Right now they have reviewed files logged in up to Nov. 30, 2010. The process is a little more complicated than I describe here, but you get the main idea of how you receive approval from China.

Once your file is out of the Review Room, you commence THE BIG WAIT. There is not a whole lot more to do at this point except wait for China to match your file with the file of a baby, and as I now know, that can take a long time. My file left the Review Room sometime in early 2007 and is waiting to make it over to the Matching Room! Come on file, go! go! go!

The Matching Room

About once a month (but not quite), the people in the Matching Room begin the matching process. They look for something that stands out: a matching birthday, a baby who looks a lot like a parent, or a baby who likes music and a parent who teaches music. Several matching people have stated they match by bone structure of the baby’s face and the parent’s faces (this is why they need our passport photos) Some have stated that they used Chinese astrology, also.

Once all of the files have been matched, they send out word to the agencies that matching is complete and referrals are on their way. The referral is the paperwork for a match between baby and parent. This is the most exciting moment of the month because waiting families from all over the world receive referrals and information about their baby at the same time.

At this point, you accept your referral, prepare a whole bunch more paperwork, have it translated into Chinese, and request approval to go to China to meet your child.

This is simplified version of the process, some of it borrowed from Rumour Queen, I hope she doesn't mind the copyright infringement!