Important Announcement From the CCCWA
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE CCCWA
We have recently received a notice from the China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) regarding issuance of referrals (Letter of Seeking Confirmation) to adoptive families. The CCCWA has become aware that after the issuance of the Letter of Seeking Confirmation to adoptive families there has been a delay in the return of the signed Letter of Seeking Confirmation (acceptance of referral) and required documentation back to the country. The CCCWA realizes that some families need to renew their expired government approval letter which has consequently delayed the placement of children with families.
In order to avoid such problems and to protect the best interest of the children, CCCWA has implemented the following policy as follows:
1. Adoption agencies must pay close attention to the timeline and schedule of the matching of regular referrals through the traditional China program. For families who are soon to be matched, agencies should make sure that the family’s USCIS approval letter is within the validity period. Agencies will need to send a copy of the renewed approval letter to our Review Department as soon as possible.
2. For families with dossiers submitted under the traditional China program for a regular refer and later transfer to the non-Special Focus Waiting Child adoption program, agencies are required to ensure that the USCIS government approval letter is still within the validity period before locking a child for the family. Families with an expired approval letter cannot lock a non-Special Focus child.
3. If the Letter of Seeking Confirmation and necessary documentation is not signed and returned to country within three months after issuance of regular referral or waiting child referral, the CCCWA will relinquish that child’s referral from the family and assign child to another family with current USCIS approval.
Therefore, effective immediately GWCA will require a copy of each family’s current, valid USCIS I800A Notice of Approval before the family can be issued a referral from CCCWA or lock a file for non-Special Focus child. Please be aware that USCIS quotes 90 days to review and adjudicate the I800A application. We recommend families who anticipate an imminent referral complete their home study and apply to USCIS as quickly as possible. Please remember your GWCA case manager must review and approve all home studies prior to finalization. We ask that families with a current USCIS approval send a copy of their approval notice to GWCA. For LID families that are expecting a healthy referral and we have not received a copy of the current USCIS approval per CCCWA new policy, GWCA must notify CCCWA to postpone issuance of a referral until the family is able to provide a valid, current USCIS approval.
Please do not hesitate to speak directly with your GWCA case manager regarding any questions concerns about CCCWA’s new policy. Thank you for your cooperation.
China
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