A Texas Style Welcome to the China Ministry Officials & Orphanage Directors
The recent visit to Austin by Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs members and orphanage directors was by all means a great success.
The delegation visited Casis Elementary School, where they were greeted by numerous students and administrators with a welcoming “ni hao.” They toured the campus with adopted students and their parents. The delegation learned about the implementation of special education into the public school system and how Casis successfully meets the needs of students with disabilities.
We also met with staff of Helping Hand Home for Children. The delegation was extremely interested in the success that Helping Hand has had providing foster care to children for over 116 years. The delegation was able to ask the staff questions on how to best care for children who have suffered emotional or physical trauma, as well as the way that a foster home operates within legal and governmental parameters in the U.S. We toured the facility and met some of the children residing at the home.
Wednesday night adoptive families at all stages of the adoption process met with the delegation at a BBQ reception. Families were able to visit with the delegation and ask questions about China and the adoption process. Children wore costumes and showed the delegation how to “Trick or Treat.”
We hope that you will be able to join us for future Great Wall events. Please enjoy the photos, as well as the delegation’s responses to questions asked at the reception.
Q: What do you feel is the most important part of Chinese Culture that we can teach our Daughter when she comes to us from China?
A: The essence of Chinese culture is respecting your elders, caring for young and taking responsibility for your family and society.
Q: Who at an orphanage usually determines which children will be made available for international adoption? How do they determine which children will be made available for international adoption?
A: It is the responsibility of the local Civil Affairs officials, rather than orphanage directors, to determine whether or not a child is legitimately orphaned, and therefore available for international adoption. Once this has been determined, it is the orphanage's responsibility to prepare the child's paperwork for international adoption, and send that information to the CCAA. It is also important to note that in order for a child to be adopted internationally, the prospective parents must work with an adoption agency that is fully Hague accredited, and in a country that has been approved by the Prime Minister of China to participate in the international adoption program.
Q: Can the delegation comment on whether CCAA anticipates making any changes to the number of children referred for international adoption?
A: The CCAA does not determine which children are available for international adoption. Instead, it is the responsibility of the Civil Affairs officials in each province. The focus of these officials is not necessarily to increase the number of children referred for international adoption, but to make sure each child is legitimately orphaned and that the process meets the highest ethical standards. A thorough screening process is associated with each stage of international adoption that must meet committee approval.
Q: What can we do to add more orphanages to the international adoption process?
A: The current reality in China is that the strengthening economy is affecting the number of children in need. Today, Chinese citizens are able to devote more resources to social welfare and are committed to caring for those in need. This is a very positive trend that is decreasing the amount of abandoned children. It is our responsibility to ensure that EVERY child receives care, and we will continue to work to find loving homes for China’s orphaned children.
Q: Why is it taking so long for China to complete the referral process? This is very frustrating. Will the process begin to move more quickly anytime soon?
A: We are continually working to make progress to promote the welfare of all children in China, and a key component of that is to find proper home for all abandoned children. Right now, we are conducting surveys to collect accurate statistics on abandoned children. With this information, we are building a database that will aid in managing the adoption process with increased efficiency.
We are also focusing our attention on placing children with special needs with forever families. With so many children with special medical needs in need of loving homes, the wait time for these children is often shorter.
