Welcome to Great Wall’s waiting child forum. This forum is intended to provide current and updated information about Great Wall’s Waiting Child Program, provide adoption education resources and adoptive family stories for you to enjoy.

Last year we placed almost 160 children through the waiting child program. We are very happy to say many of our families are working on or inquiring about adopting again through this wonderful program.

We have been notified the CCAA will be adding children to the shared agency list on Friday, March 19th during the Chinese business day.  Stephanie will be up watching the list and calling families who are potential matches.  Please know the days following children being added are very busy and hectic.  Stephanie will be constantly reviewing children’s files and trying to find families for them, so the response time to your emails or phone calls may be extended.  After the major rush, if there are any children whose needs to not match any family’s application, she will be adding them to the listing on our website, so please check back there!

Last week we notified you of the CCAA’s formal release of their new policy on the shared list.  The wording of the announcement did leave some questions, which we have since clarified with a director.  The two main components are as follows:

ALL new children released to the shared list can only be paired with families who have a log-in date for the first month they are on the list.  If after a month the children have not found their families, older children or those with more significant needs will then be able to be considered by non-logged-in families.

If a family chooses to move forward with a child who is newly listed, they will have 72 hours to complete their letter of intent and formal application for the child once the file is locked.  All children currently on the list still only allow 48 hours.   

Please let us know if you have any questions!

There have not been any new children added to the shared agency list since February 8.  The CCAA will notify all agencies 2-3 days before children will be added, so we can be prepared.  At this time, we do not know when the list will be updated, however there remain nearly 1,000 children currently waiting to find their families.   

Great Wall is now utilizing our online listing to present information about children from the shared list, rather than adding a .pdf document.  Stephanie, our Waiting Child Manager, will be adding more children every Tuesday and Thursday, and will continue to add more as she has time, so be sure to check back on a regular basis!

We have updated the information presented above the listing, so please take the time to review this information thoroughly for information on the inquiry process. 

Please remember, we will be using the individual applications located below the photo listing.  If you wish to inquire about one of these children, you must submit this form.  Email only inquiries will not be considered.  If more than one family inquires about a child, we will review the submissions and will determine where the best potential fit for the child may be.  Please do not be discouraged if the file is being reviewed by another family. We take all circumstances in consideration when reviewing and base the decision on the child’s needs and personality as well as a family’s resources, preparedness, and status in the adoption process. 

If a child’s file is listed as “pending”, this means a family is currently reviewing the child’s file and we are no longer accepting any inquiries for that child.

Remember that this listing is ONLY to be viewed by families who have a current Waiting Child application with Great Wall.  Please do not share or copy any information presented. 

Thank you!

Last week, we shared that the CCAA had plans to require a log-in date for families to be matched with a child who has more easily managed needs.  The CCAA formally released confirmation of this statement to all agencies today.  We are very excited to see the CCAA working to make the system operate in both the best interest of the children and the families who want to bring them home.  

The CCAA has also extended the time period a child’s file is “locked” to 72 hours rather than 48 hours.  This will give families more time to prepare their letter of intent after they have made the decision to commit to their child. 

If you have any questions, please contact our Waiting Child Manager, Stephanie Crouch, at stephanie@gwca.org.

In the “Stephanie’s Corner” section of  this month’s Waiting Child Newsletter, Stephanie addressed some of the CCAA’s new policies and how Great Wall implements these policies within our own procedures. 

Since the CCAA will no longer be adding children’s information to individual agency lists, some families have understandably expressed concern about how this will impact the management of the shared agency list.  At Great Wall, we never attempt to interpret the CCAA’s statements; we always follow each of the CCAA’s guidelines as conservatively as possible in order to safeguard our program for both the children and our families.  For this reason, we will not change in the way we handle things! 

For children who are on the shared list, their information is readily available to all agencies.  This means all agencies have the ability to review a child’s information and look for potential families. Unfortunately, the CCAA’s database is not set up to allow agencies to see if a child is being reviewed by a family. We understand that when reviewing a child’s information, it is more than just having a doctor look at the child’s file.  We know that your family is deeply, emotionally contemplating whether you feel drawn to become that child’s parents.  To know that another family elsewhere could also be considering the same things can be a scary and stressful thing.  There is always a possibility another family could tell their agency they are ready to commit before your family has been able to make that decision. 

We would like to take the time to go over the most controversial part of the shared agency list: “locking a file.”  “Locking the file” is the process of placing the names and LID of a family on the child’s file, which then removes the child’s file from the shared agency list and places the child’s file on a separate list excusive to the agency for 48 hours. 

When agencies log-in to the CCAA’s online system, there are certain standards of practice agencies are obligated to acknowledge and uphold.  One of the items we must comply with is the rule stating that the 48 hour timeframe only be used for inputting information, rather than seeking families for the child.  We have confirmed directly with the CCAA this means a child’s file is never to be locked until after a family has reviewed the child’s file and made the 100% commitment to adopting that child.  The 48 hour “lock” is ONLY to be used in order to submit the family’s letter of intent for the child, NOT for the family to review the child’s information and make a decision.  This is why we will only “lock” a child’s file for your family if you have had the file reviewed by are committed to parenting that child. 

Aside from just being a CCAA rule, there are a couple of very significant reasons as to why this policy is in the best interest of both the child and your family.

• Often, the information in a child’s file can be much older than doctors feel comfortable with reviewing. There may also be information that is pertinent for a doctor to receive in order to inform you of what the child’s needs may be.  We can always request this information from the CCAA and the orphanage, but at times, this information can take several days or even weeks for us to receive.  If the child’s file has been locked, additional information is impossible to obtain within the 48 hour window.  We know that this can sometimes make families feel pulled to commit to the child for fear of losing the referral, rather than adequately evaluating their ability to parent that child.
• At times, after speaking with a medical professional, families may decide they are not able to provide for the needs of that child.  If the child’s file has been locked by an agency and they do not submit the letter of intent within 48 hours, the child’s file will reappear on the shared agency list.  Because the file is not to be locked unless the family is committed, the CCAA mandates an agency cannot access that child’s file again for 15 days.  This means, they will not be able to seek another family for that child within that time frame.  In addition, because the file was locked, the child’s information was unavailable to other agencies during that time, thus causing the child to lose two days towards finding their family.

We are aware that not every agency handles their Waiting Child policies and procedures in the same way. At Great Wall, we always respect of each of the CCAA’s rules and regulations.  We strictly adhere with all policies handed down from the CCAA to ensure our continued success and involvement in the Waiting Child Program.

If you have any questions about this Policy update, please email Stephanie Crouch at stephanie@gwca.org.

Thank you!

Many families have concerns about adopting an older child.  The truth is that the desire to have a family does not diminish as children age, nor does their ability to reach their potential once they are surrounded by the love and support of a forever family.

Amy Eldridge of Love Without Boundaries, a worldwide group of volunteers dedicated to improving the lives of orphaned and impoverished children in China, addresses the issues associated with adopting older children here.

If you are like so many families considering adopting a waiting child from China, attend a Great Wall Waiting Child Webinar to find out if the program is right for you.  Our webinars are hosted by Allison Stock, an adoptive mom of three.  Speaking from her personal experience, Allison will highlight the differences between the Waiting Child Program and the China’s non-special needs program, as well as important steps in the process.

Register today to learn about the Waiting Child program from the comfort of your own home. 

Greetings everyone,

The March 2010 Edition of our Angels of Hope Newsletter is now available online at:

http://www.gwca.org/files/wc_newsletter/march2010/

Enjoy and happy reading!

Sincerely,

Great Wall China Adoption

Good afternoon!

Over the last few weeks, the CCAA has been discussing the Waiting Child Program and looking for ways to improve both the function of the online system as well as increase the successful placement of the children. 

The CCAA has officially removed all children from agency specific lists.  They will no longer be assigning children’s files to a specific agency, but will be adding all children to the shared agency list.  This way, all of the children will have equal opportunities to find their families throughout all of the agencies.  The only exception will be if an agency holds a camp or has a special program.  The children from these special programs will be assigned to only the agency who held the camp or sponsorship.

Keeping with the idea that it will always be in a child’s best interest to come home with their family as soon as possible, the CCAA will be returning to the policy that children with minor/correctable needs can only be matched with families who have a log-in date (ie: congenital heart disease, cleft lip and palate, and anything else less severe than that). If your family is only open to minor/correctable needs and you have not started your dossier yet, you will need to submit your dossier in order to be considered for a child.

We hope that more positive things will begin to evolve as the CCAA continues to re-evaluate the program and process.  We will keep you updated of any changes!

Stephanie has put together another small list of children who are currently waiting for their families on the shared list.   These children were all added to the shared list on 2/25/2010.  You can access the new listing at http://www.gwca.org/node/251 with your family’s individual password.  This listing is only available to families who have a Waiting Child application on file.  Please note again this is not a full list of children, and it will not be updated if any of the children find their families in the meantime.  If you would like to learn more about any of the children, please email Stephanie at stephanie@gwca.org!