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.

Many of you have probably heard about the upcoming changes in the CCAA Waiting Child Policies. We are still awaiting clarification about exactly what these new policies will mean for Great Wall and our families. Below is all the information we currently have. Rest assured that we will post an update as soon as we have additional news!

The new policies will include the following: 
1. The CCAA will now consider children who have been waiting on the list more than two months “Special Focus” children, and additional consideration will be given to these children.
 
2. If a family who is not logged-in, chooses to move forward with a “Special Focus” child, they will have 6 months to submit their dossier to the CCAA.
 
3. Agencies will be able to request “Special Focus” children to be placed on their Agency Only list in order to find the children a family.
 
4. Children involved in a Journey of Hope Camp will be considered “Special Focus” Children.
 
5. If a family is open to adopting a “Special Focus” child, they will be eligible to adopt two children either simultaneously or successively. 
 
We feel this will help many more children find their forever family by providing additional time to compile dossiers, special consideration for the children and families for the Special Focus children, reduced pressure for families to review of files for children on agency specific lists and the opportunity to adopt two children.

Institute of Children of All Nations (ICAN), operated by Great Wall China Adoption and Children of All Nations, has launched their first advocacy project. The project will focus on advocating for The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to require adoption medicine in residency and continuing medical education courses.  

ICAN’s mission is to provide families who adopt special needs children with the best possible medical resources. Over the last ten years, more than 175,000 children have been adopted internationally by American families. These children now have loving homes and a chance at a future that would have otherwise been unattainable. However, it also presents a tremendous challenge to educators, pediatricians and those working with children, to make sure they are educated about issues pertaining to adoption. “It is extremely important that we push for adoption medicine to be a required training in Pediatrics,” said Stephanie Couch, Waiting Child Program Manager, ICAN. “Once a child with special needs is adopted, we want to ensure that parents can get the best medical care needed for that child.” 

Pediatricians are well-trained in pediatric medicine, but few have been trained on the issues specific to internationally adopted children. As international adoptions increase, so should our knowledge about the adoption world. ICAN is looking to challenge the AAP on this issue, to include adoption medicine in residency and continuing medical education courses. ICAN currently partners with medical experts in adoption medicine and is willing to provide webinar training on why this education is needed.

To help make a difference in the medical care that these special needs adopted children will receive; we ask those in support to sign our petition at www.icanwaitingchild.org/advocacy.

We’ve added dozens of Waiting Children to Great Wall’s password-protected list. These little ones are all waiting for their forever families. Please visit today to see if your child may be waiting there for you!

These children are all part of the CCAA’s shared agency list, which currently has more than 1800 children! For the first 30 days that a child is on the CCAA shared list, their file can only be “locked” for adoption by a family whose dossier has already been logged in through the CCAA. These children will be designated as New on our list. After 30 days, a child’s file may be locked by families who have completed their home study but have not yet sent their dossier to China. They will be designated as Available on our list.

If you would like to learn more about any of the children we are featuring, you can simply scroll down to the bottom of the list and complete the Great Wall Individual List WC Application. This is the fastest way to get more information about a specific Waiting Angel.

Many thanks to Colleen Goodwin for your submission.

“I’d love to (I’ve always wanted to) adopt, but I’m just too old.”

 I hear this quite frequently.  It is usually blurted out (unsolicited) right in the middle of my attempt to answer their question.  I say “attempt” because I usually never get out the full answer before this statement comes out of their mouth.  The question?  Usually, why did two, healthy (OK, kind of chubby), graying, 47 year olds adopt two Special Needs babies from China when they already have two grown biological children. “You’re starting over?” they almost shout in disbelief as their eyes slightly bulge.  It really freaks them when we say we are in the process of adopting a third child.  I can almost hear the weird music from “The Twilight Zone” playing in the background as the questioning quickly stops, the proverbial “Oh” is uttered, and they silently back away as if we are diseased or smell or something…. ok, ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit.  Back to the original point.

Actually, that blurted out statement is a bit of an excuse.  I know because I’ve used it.  I’ve also used, “It’s not fair to make the kid have old parents.”  Psh!  Both of these statements are an attempt to sooth a pricked conscience.  I know of what I write; my conscience has taken many a pricking.  The truth is….nothing could be farther from the truth than these two statements.  God has put within ALL human beings the desire to be loved and cherished.   This includes the 140 million orphans who reside in the world today.  The orphans of this world know something that a large majority of the people on this earth do not.  It is this: that the condition of the outside of a human body has no correlation to the capacity of that body’s heart to love, and the ability of that body’s mind to parent.  The 140 million orphans of this world could care less whether that body is old or young, fat or skinny, black, white, brown or blue.  I’ve learned from experience that an orphan will take you as you are….extra pounds, gray hair, wrinkles and all… and they will never look back.   The only physical attributes that an orphan requires are arms that can hold, lips that can kiss, and a heart with which theirs can commune.

So, if you are one of those who have always wanted to adopt and think that the opportunity has passed you by, take another think.  Give no credence to the “world’s” version of what the perfect mom or dad should be.  The world is deluded.  The orphan knows the truth.  They know the perfect mom or dad is the one that will squeeze them tight (even with flabby arms), look into their eyes and say “I love you.”

Want proof?  Check out the former orphans in this promotional video from the Hope for Orphans ministry. 

Take note of what the kids do not say. http://www.hopefororphans.org/Display.asp?Page=hfovideo

Join us for a WC seminar this weekend in the Houston area!

Come learn more about adopting Chinese children with special needs at our Waiting Child Seminar in Richmond, Texas (just southwest of Houston). This free seminar is an opportunity to hear from Great Wall Staff members Stephanie Crouch and Cori Stites, Regional Officer and adoptive parent Allison Stock, and a panel of adoptive parents.

We will be focusing on understanding the entire waiting child process and some of the common special needs that families may encounter as they search for their child. Adoptive parents will be sharing their own personal experiences of waiting and searching, traveling for the adoption, and caring for their special needs child back in the U.S. For families in Texas, this is a great chance to meet staff face-to-face and hear about the process from families that understand it best. We hope to see you there!

Waiting Child Seminar
Saturday, June 26, 2010
10 am – 3:30 pm
Ft. Bend Library
1001 Golfview Drive
Richmond, TX 77469

Families in attendance will receive 5 hours of Hague training!

Please RSVP to Stephanie Crouch at stephanie@gwca.org.

In 2005, my husband and I found ourselves in a Chinese orphanage being shown where our daughter had spent the first eight months of her life.  This was our first adoption, and our daughter was a healthy child.  We were not aware of special needs adoption or programs at that time.

While trying to take in all that was around me, I heard a baby crying in the room.  I turned around to find an infant in a walker with basically no upper lip.  Uneducated at the time regarding this medical condition, I was shocked at what I saw.  I had never seen an unrepaired cleft lip before.  The picture of this precious child was permanently engraved in my mind.

Over the past couple years, I would find myself thinking about that little baby.  What if that child was me?  How would I feel?  An overwhelming urge was growing inside of me that every child needed a family.

After much prayer, we started the adoption process once again in December 2008, but this time we felt God directing us to a little girl with the special needs of cleft lip and cleft palate.  We have now been matched to our beautiful daughter and are currently waiting on our (LSC) Letter Seeking Confirmation.

The waiting can be very difficult at times, but I have chosen to use the time to do as much research and networking regarding cleft lip and palate children as I can find.  I have been very encouraged by so many other families that have had previous special needs adoptions, some at the time with severe needs.  To see these children thriving now in loving homes, just blesses my heart!

~ Cari and Sam Bacon

About 8 years ago one of my sisters and her husband adopted a little girl from China, and at the time encouraged Jason and me to do the same someday.  At the time we had two children and we kept the prospect of adoption in the back of our minds.  Fast forward about four years and we were expecting baby #3.  Maternal instinct told me the baby was a boy, so we decided that as soon as he was born, we’d start the paper work to adopt a little girl from China.  However, baby #3, came out to be Rebecca so we weren’t sure what to do at that point because like most people, we assumed that there weren’t little boys in China waiting for a family.  We knew that if we did try to add another child to our family, through birth or adoption, that we wanted him or her to be close in age to Rebecca, just as our older two are close in age.

When Rebecca was about six months old, Jason and I really started talking about what to do- actively try to birth another child, look into adopting a boy (if we had the choice, we wanted to have two children of each sex), or maybe our hands were full enough at the time and not actively try to pursue either one.  What to do was a nightly conversation in our house and our prayers centered around guidance in what path to choose.  We researched adoption in all forms on the internet and learned that there are healthy young boys in China needing homes.  We started leaning towards adoption because we felt we’ve been so blessed to have three biological children, and there are so many children in the world without families.

Right around that time (January-March 2006), GWCA (same agency my sister used) had a day-long seminar scheduled for March 18 in San Antonio (where we lived at the time.)  With some encouragement from Ruth (my sister), we signed up to go.  Jason attended the morning part by himself and I joined him for the afternoon.   After hearing stories and how the process worked, we were quite convinced that there was no way that we would NOT adopt a child.  Plus, the process had been moving quite swiftly- families were being matched with a child about 9 months after log-in date, which meant we could possibly have our new son before we had to move from San Antonio about 15 months later, in the summer of 2007.  This was a positive because we had some good friends in San Antonio that would be able to help with the other 3 kids while we traveled. 

Two days after the seminar, we faxed our application to GWCA.  Thus, the great paper chase began!  GWCA sent our dossier to China on September 1, 2006.  It was logged into China’s adoption system on September 26.  Then the waiting began!  At this point, it was taking about one year from log-in date to be matched with a child, so we were thinking we’d be matched in early fall of 2007.  However, as time went on, the wait became longer and longer.  By Christmas of 2006, if the wait did not continue to increase, we were thinking we’d be matched around Christmas of 2007, about 15 months after log-in date.  Time continued to pass and the wait continued to grow.

That same fall of 2006, our son Jacob began kindergarten.  Soon afterwards, he started talking about his friend, Willow, from his class and how he liked to be with her.  I joined Jacob for lunch within the first month of school and noticed that he was sitting by Willow, who happened to be in a wheelchair/stroller.  I asked him during that lunch conversation who his favorite friend in his class was, and he pointed at Willow.  Jason and I kept hearing more and more at home of the things that he did with Willow (helping her, partnering with her, etc.)  I chaperoned on his class’ field trip to the pumpkin farm in October and was able to observe for myself what was happening daily in the classroom between Jacob and Willow.  He took it upon his shoulders to make sure that she was safe, cared for, and included.  While on the wagon ride, they had their arms around each other (Jacob making sure that Willow wouldn’t fall over.)  At their picnic lunch, Jacob sat by her and afterwards grabbed her in a bear hug, saying, “Willow, I’m going to marry you!”  At home, Jason and I also started hearing from Jacob about the surgeries that Willow had and how she would be out of school for a few days.

At the same time, I attended a Bible study and started hearing prayer requests for one woman’s kindergarten-age daughter who was hospitalized or going in for surgery.  I discovered that this woman, Dawn, was Willow’s mom.  We started talking, and I learned about Willow:  She was adopted from Taiwan in March 2006 as a waiting child.  She was listed as having clubfeet, heart problems, and cerebral palsy.  Through much testing once back in the states, it was discovered that she had congenital myopathy.  Her overall muscle tone was very weak, and she had gross and fine motor skill delays.  She contracted illnesses very easily, had a weak walk, could not form a true smile, and her speech was difficult to understand, among other issues.  Jacob overlooked all of those things and loved her the same.  Mid-year, I started helping in his classroom on a weekly basis and got to know Willow, too.  She was a complete joy.

Dawn and her husband also have an adopted son from Korea who was also a Waiting Child.  Dawn shared a lot with me about the Waiting Child program (in general, not specific to any country or adoption agency).  Without much knowledge, we had previously assumed that all special needs kids waiting for adoption had medical conditions that were severe and profound and we weren’t sure we could handle that with three other children and moving so often (military family).   We discovered that was not the case; there are waiting children with minor and/or correctable medical needs!  After never even considering a waiting child, we were now riding a wave of enthusiasm in hopes that there might be a little boy waiting for us!  We felt like we had the capabilities, love, and resources to parent a child that might have special needs.  We know that Jacob and Willow being placed in the same class was NOT by chance.   By having them in the same class, our hearts were opened, and we were hopeful that there was a little boy waiting for us just as we were waiting for him.  This was all part of God’s handiwork in bringing Joseph to us.

We took our first look at Great Wall’s Waiting Child list in November 2006.  Although there were no children that matched our desired age and gender, we anxiously awaited the release of the new list at the end of April 2007.  Again, there was no match (age and gender) for us.

In August of 2007, GWCA changed how they did their waiting child program.  Instead of posting on their website the list of waiting children (names, gender, medical need) that they received from China and then interested families applying for a certain child that you wanted, GWCA asked all interested parents to send in an application for a waiting child.  The application consisted of essays plus stating whether you would take a child with mild or severe medical problems.  There was also a list of about 30 special medical needs and we had to check ones that we might be willing to accept.  We also stated our gender choice and age.  We completed our application and sent it into GWCA August 24, 2007 (this was nearly one year after our dossier was originally sent to China).  We didn’t think that our chances were very high for getting a young boy with a mild condition- from what we’d seen for waiting children, they had tended to be older and.  And even if there was one, what were the chances that GWCA would choose us to look at his file?

From the beginning we knew that this adoption was in God’s hands and He knew exactly who our little son was.  However, the waiting was very difficult at times.  At this point (August 2007) families were waiting 21 months from log-in until referral which would put our referral time at June 2008.  However, it was common knowledge that this timeframe would continue to lengthen.   Our biggest comfort was knowing that God was in control of this, and He knew the perfect time to add a little boy to our family.

On Tuesday, September 4 in my nightly prayers with the kids, we asked God to give us some sign of who our little brother might be.  On Wednesday, September 5, Rebecca and I got home around noon from grocery shopping.  There was a message from Sarah Clark at Great Wall.  She was looking over our application and had a few questions about it; we should call her back.  I thought, “There is no way they would leave a message like this without having a child for us!!!”    When we finally spoke about an hour later, Sarah asked a few questions and then said, “Well, we have a little boy that we think would be a good match for you.”  She went on to tell me a little about him, that he was 13.5 months old, born with imperferated anus, has had three surgeries, etc.”   I was so overwhelmed with how perfectly God had this moment arranged for us and had this little boy chosen for us long ago.  After telling me a little more, Sarah sent via e mail his photos, translated growth and medical reports, plus other documents in Chinese.  We had two weeks to decide if we would like to accept him.  When I finally got a hold of Jason two hours later, I just asked him to come home because I had to talk to him about something important.  He came home a little while later and I had Joseph’s picture on the computer screen.  The rest of Wednesday evening we studied the documents, pictures, and consulted with a few friends familiar with special needs adoption.  Really, we couldn’t stop looking at his pictures.  

Thursday, Jason went to class; I did a little more research about his condition.  Jason came home around 2:00 and after a little more discussion, we called Sarah to accept him. 
We felt so confident about God choosing this child for us…

God waited to reveal him to us so that we could be settled into our new home in Kansas and not have the added stress of a move while getting ready to travel to China.

God placed us in a cul de sac of neighbors who quickly became like family and were more than happy to help w/ our other 3 kids while we were gone.

Joseph is from the same province as his cousin (our sister’s daughter.) Joseph is very close in age to Rebecca, only 14 months younger, just as we had wanted.

A friend of a friend adopted a little girl from China with imperforated anus in early 2007 so we had a little background of what IA was.

Right after we moved to Kansas I was at the pool and met a mommy, Brandyn Affolder, with a newly adopted daughter from China (and asked many questions of her that day)   Thus, we had people right there who had recently traveled to China to answer our many travel questions.

Finally, there was another family at Ft Leavenworth who adopted a little girl from China with IA a few years prior..  Since they lived right there, we had someone to turn to for medical help if and when needed.

After accepting Joseph, we started doing a lot of research about Joseph’s birth defect and found out that there are many other complications that often come along with imperferated anus, including kidney, bladder, spine, and limb issues.  There were times when we thought, “Oh my goodness, are we really going to be able to handle this?” but we kept going back to trusting God that he planned this child for us.

We finally rec’d our travel dates and left for China Jan 10.  Meeting Joseph a few days later was a whirlwind- we had last minute nervousness about how to care for an almost 18 month old who we’ve just met..  Joseph was brought to our hotel; after about 15 mins the director and nannies left and Joseph was in our care.  We went back to our hotel room and fed him a bottle b/c they’d told us he was really hungry.  The rest of our time in China flew by and we returned home to our other children and settled into being a family of six.

In April, Joseph and I traveled to Cincinatti for about 2 weeks to have the experts in colorectal care look at him and also to have tests done to check for other issues with his spine, bladder, and kidneys (all normal).  He had surgery there to fix up what was done in China and his IA is a lifelong issue.  In light of all of this, his special need is such a small part of what he is!  It’s not something I think about when I look at him or think of as a burden. It just is what it is and we’ll help him along the way to do what he has to do to stay healthy.  In fact, if I had to do it all over again, I would choose the special needs route.  Although we know nothing about his birth mom, I think about her and pray that God can give her peace of heart and mind knowing that her son is loved so much. 

Now, nearly 2 years later, I feel like we are a family that has had Joseph since his birth.  Rebecca and Joseph fight like any siblings that are a year apart, but also are the sweetest, best playmates.  Joseph adores his older two siblings- running to and yelling their names as they come home from school.  I can tell that he is secure and happy within our family.

Come learn more about adopting Chinese children with special needs at our Waiting Child Seminar in Richmond, Texas. This free seminar is an opportunity to hear from Great Wall Staff members Stephanie Crouch and Cori Stites, Regional Officer and adoptive parent Allison Stock, and a panel of adoptive parents.

We will be focusing on understanding the entire waiting child process and some of the common special needs that families may encounter as they search for their child. Adoptive parents will be sharing their own personal experiences of waiting and searching, traveling for the adoption, and caring for their special needs child back in the U.S. For families in Texas, this is a great chance to meet staff face-to-face and hear about the process from families that understand it best. We hope to see you there!

Saturday, June 26, 2010
10 am – 3:30 pm
Ft. Bend Library
1001 Golfview Drive
Richmond, TX 77469

Please RSVP to Stephanie Crouch via email: stephanie@gwca.org

Thanks!

We hope you all have seen the emails circulating about our new project with the Yuncheng Welfare Institute. We are working to raise money to help the orphanage provide medical exams and care for all of their children. 

We have created a “chip in” account, and are asking for your help to get the word out!  If you would like to include the “Chip In” widget on your blog or website, please let Stephanie know and she forward you the code.  You can reach Stephanie at stephanie@gwca.org.  For more information, please go to: http://www.icanwaitingchild.org/node/118.

Thank you!!!

Join us for a Webinar on June 22nd!

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/692653217
 
Join us to learn more about spina bifida and hydrocephalus.  We will discuss definitions, treatment options and prognosis for children with these special needs.  We will also have a guest speaker, Susan, who will discuss her experience as a parent to a child with both of these needs.

Date:  Tuesday, June 22, 2010
 
Time:  12:30 PM - 1:30 PM CDT
 
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.