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Sections this month (click to jump to section):

Important Announcements

•   CAWLI Annual Newsletter - out in September - Please make sure we have the correct mailing and e-mail address for your family.

• USCIS ADDRESS CHANGE FOR ALL FAMILIES - ALL APPLICANTS FILING I600A or I800A WILL USE THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS FOR MAILING TO USCIS:

    Regular Mail I800A:

    USCIS
    P.O. Box 660087
    Dallas, TX 75266

    Express Mail and Courier Service deliveries for I800A:

    USCIS
    ATTN: Adoption
    2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business, Suite 400
    Lewisville, TX 75067   

     Regular Mail I600A with Fee:

    USCIS
    P.O. Box 660088
    Dallas, TX 75266

    I600A without fees:

    USCIS, National Benefits Center,  Attn: Adoptions,PO Box 8025,Lee’s Summit, MO 64002

   

For More Information: USCIS ADOPTION
USCIS Centralizes Processing of Orphan Adoptions Change will Streamline Processing

* you will no longer file paperwork at your local (state) USCIS office.
However, you will still be assigned fingerprinting appointments in your State.


PLEASE CHECK YOUR USCIS APPROVAL EXPIRATION DATES. YOU CAN DO SO BY LOCATING YOUR USCIS APPROVAL (797C OR 171-H), AND CHECKING THE APPROVAL DATE.  ADD 18 MONTHS TO THAT FOR AN I600A APPROVAL.
PLEASE CONTACT CAWLI IF IT APPEARS THAT YOUR APPROVAL MAY HAVE EXPIRED.

• POV on PBS will feature three films about adoption — Wo Ai Ni (I Love You) Mommy by Stephanie Wang-Breal (airing Aug 31); Off and Running  by Nicole Opper (airing Sep 7); and In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee by Deann Borshay Liem (airing Sep 14) — and launch a national public awareness campaign to examine issues facing adoptees and families who choose to adopt. You can find the schedule on-line :  http://www.pbs.org/pov/

• Autumn Moon Festival - Saturday, October 2, 2010 ● 5:30 to 10:30 pm

• Waiting Child Informational Meeting

• Financing Your Adoption:  tips and insight from a financial advisor. Led by: Jennifer Adams

Return to China Trips
We are so excited to have had two successful journeys so far, and hope to have at least 3 more this summer.  If you are interested in making a return trip to China contact us at :  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

(Events elsewhere)




Adoption Discussion Group for parents; topic is adopting children 3 and older :
We meet monthly & have a yahoo group!!
 If you are interested please e-mail, to Meg at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more details.



*  If you have allowed your I600A to expire, you are now required to have an updated home study which meets the new Hague requirements. Additionally, you must file an I800A with USCIS.  If you are in this situation please contact your social worker and CAWLI office asap!!!

*PLEASE CHECK YOUR USCIS APPROVAL EXPIRATION DATES. YOU CAN DO SO BY LOCATING YOUR USCIS APPROVAL (797C OR 171-H), AND CHECKING THE APPROVAL DATE.  ADD 18 MONTHS TO THAT FOR AN I600A APPROVAL.
PLEASE CONTACT CAWLI IF IT APPEARS THAT YOUR APPROVAL MAY HAVE EXPIRED.

*  If you have allowed your I600A to expire, you are now required to have an updated home study which meets the new Hague requirements.  Additionally, you must file an I800A with USCIS.  If you are in this situation please contact your social worker and CAWLI office asap!!!

 
check our homepage, www.cawli.org , for any new information throughout the month

Updating Addresses and Email Addresses - Families who wish to continue to receive correspondence from CAWLI need to make sure that we have your most current address and email address. We received several of the New Years Party invitations back, if you didn't receive one it may be because we don't have your updated address. If you would rather not receive things from us please let us know that as well and we will note it in our database.

Referrals!

EXPEDITED WAIT:

Ex-Patriate and EXPEDITED WAIT:

We received 0 expedited referrals this month. (these are families of Chinese Descent who are now US Citizens)

We received 0 Expatriate Referrals (these are families who are US citizens, living in China)



We have received expedited referrals for families up to 4.27.07 LID.
The next Expedited LID is 6.25.2007.
* The current wait appears to be about 38 months for expedited families.



Referral Wait:
The wait we see continually increasing.  Currently some families have waited 49+ months since they were Logged In. Truthfully, we would predict that the wait time is likely to get longer but, we do not know exactly how much longer it will get.  Our understanding is that the CCAA is doing all that they can to match as many children with families every month.  There is no specific information about what the expected wait time is, although  we(as an agency) can recognize the potential for the wait time to continue to grow longer; particularly for those who will be submitting applications now. Yet, we can only determine the true/current wait by the referrals we get each month, once we have received them we can figure out how long the next group can expect to wait.  We do not get advanced notification of when referrals are coming, the only information that we have is either when they arrive in the office or when the CCAA changes their website.  We would again like to stress to all our CAWLI families that as soon as we have valid information from the CCAA or otherwise we pass it along to you.

While, we are not walking even a day in your shoes; we are also anxious and feeling stressed while waiting for information and hoping for more.  It may not feel like anyone can feel the same way as you while you wait for your child, please know that we are here to support you and experience our own feelings as we work as hard as we can to make your family complete.  We urge you to reach out to one another and utilize your support system at this time.  As long as there continue to be abandonments in China the the children will need you.  The CCAA has said that they could not imagine closing their doors to international adoption even with the increasing wait time, since they cannot predict how many children may be available at any given time and would not want the children to be left in the orphanages because there are not waiting families.

We know it can feel discouraging when there are only a few referrals a month, but we hope that you can all find the support you need during this time and have faith that in the end it will have been worth the wait.
 

Sincerely,
China Adoption With Love, Inc

Note from last month: This brings up an important note.  If a family is asked for further documentation while they are having their dossier reviewed by the CCAA, there is the possibility the dossier itself may not move past review to matching at the same time as other files with the same LID.  This could in turn delay a referral for a given family.  We have only seen this happen a few times, as typically once the CCAA request further information we (in combination with the family) are able to get the additional information returned to CCAA very quickly.  However, ther have been a few instances where it took us a few days or a week to get the information back to the CCAA and families have been delayed their referral.


Many families have shown interest in the Special Needs/Waiting Child program and we continue to make successful matches through our Special Needs/Waiting Child list from CCAA!

Currently, CAWLI is matching of the the CCAA"s common/shared list.

Or call Meg for more information - # 617.731.0798 ext 4

* Congratulations to those families who found their special match!

New information on the Special Needs Program:
* The CCAA is using an electronic system to send lists to agencies who participate in this program. This system offers a quicker response system between the CCAA and the agency. There are no more original documents on these children though, just the electronic copies. Additionally, there is a common list of children that all agencies plugged into the system can view and no current individual list just for particular agency's. Those children on the common list can be matched with families from any of these agencies, however, the files for the children can only be locked for 72 hours at a time and only once per agency; which gives families limited time to consult with everyone they need to before deciding a child is a match for them. CAWLI's view on this common list is one of concern. We do not want our families to be in competition with other families/agencies in matching with a child. It is important to us that our families have time to review the file of the child they are interested in and make sure they are certain about the child as a match for their family before making a decision. The common list really limits a family's ability to think things through. However, we will do everything in our power to continue to make successful matches for our waiting families.
Please keep us informed of the special needs your family is open to and also make sure you are researching those needs so you are best prepared to review a file when it is presented to you.

Currently, CCAA is primarily using the "common list" for matching SN children. Our agency has not received a new "individual" list. CAWLI is encouraging the CCAA to continue to send those "individual" lists, however, we do not know when/if we will receive another.

To the best of our ability we are trying to match children from the "common" list with our waiting families. If you are one of those family's considering a SN match please keep in mind the following:
- CCAA is only giving 72 hours to review a file
- It is important for CAWLI to be aware of the needs your family is particular comfortable with, in order to make the matching process go smoothly for you
- Getting new information on the children (especially in 48 hours), may not be possible; so be prepared to look at a file and already have research the need the child has as well as having a Doctor ready to take a peak as well.

*China does allow concurrent adoptiong for families waiting, as long as they are adopting through another country's program and the child they adopt will be home one year prior to their adoption from China.

If you are a family who is interested in the Special Needs/Waiting Child program contact your social worker so they can help you to make the best decision for your family. You can also get additional information by contacting Meg, the In House Social Worker, through e-mail ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or by phone, 1.800.888.9812.

Other News

If you are looking to touch base with other waiting familes, or families who have already adopted from China, do not hesitate to contact the office.  We will help you to get in touch with families who can be a support and resource for you.

If you have allowed your I600A to expire, you are now required to have an updated home study which meets the new Hague requirements. Additionally, you must file an I800A with USCIS. If you are in this situation please contact your social worker and CAWLI office asap!!!

The orphanage donation has increased in all provinces to $5000 minimum donation.  CCAA has now published an official letter on this, clearly statingtheir hope (and the orphanages) that adoptive families will donate $5000 when they travel to China. Please keep in mind the the orphanage donation, is truly a :child care fee", or a donation of money to the orphanage to thank them and repay them for caring for your child up until the point that you brought them home.

USCIS has changed their I-600A to an I-800A. All NEW applicants to USCIS will use an I-800A, and all families/persons who have a current I-600A approval, will continue to use this until you have used your one time FREE renewal. Then you will start filing and I800A.

If your I600A is expired, you did not renew prior to it's expiration, you will need to file an I-800A with USCIS before traveling to get your child in China.

USCIS has changed their I-600A to an I-800A. All NEW applicants to USCIS will use an I-800A, and all families/persons who have a current I-600A approval, will continue to use this. If your I600A is expired, you did not renew prior to it's expiration, you will need to file an I-800A with USCIS before traveling to get your child in China.

Here is a link to common questions and answers from USCIS:

* Please consider: Adoption Study on Language and Behavior's in adopted children. Contact: Joel Shulkin, M.D., This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


Did you know?

Read National Geographics Top Ten Places in China

How Big is China?  

• Total Land Area of China  is 9,596,960 Sq. Kms. It is the fourth largest Country in the World. 
• A July 2006 estimate of China's population was 1,313,973,713
• Han Chinese is the largest majority group in China and Mandarin Chinese is the official language. However in total, at least 55 official minorities exist and there are over 200 used languages.

Notes:
Thank you to all who are helping to organize the CNY party and also helping with Parent Groups!

*If you would like to share your blog with other families please send the link via e-mail to : This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


Updating Addresses and Email Addresses - Families who wish to continue to receive correspondence from CAWLI need to make sure that we have your most current address and email address.  We often receive several of the New Years Party invitations back, if you didn't receive one it may be because we don't have your updated address. If you would rather not receive things from us please let us know that as well and we will note it in our database.

The monies earned for the Rainbow Fund go directly back to the children in the orphanages. We have had some great success so far this year, selling jewelry from the orphanage children. You can go to our website to read about some of the projects we have sponsored.

Below are some articles about waiting and the blogs of some of our families. If you find any articles that you think other waiting families might find helpful please email us the link:

                 NEW!    Is She Your Real Sister?

• Gerber family Story
  
  http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/waiting.php
• 
  http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1246
• 
  http://www.jcics.org/waiting.pdf

Follow our families through the adoption process:
(families traveling now or soon!)

http://whereislilly.blogspot.com
http://home.comcast.net/~benjenn/index.html
http://acdbeach.blogspot.com/
http://www.ouradoptionjournal.blogspot.com/
http://tayloradoption.blogspot.com/

http://babygraceking.blogspot.com/

Other articles of Interest:

Do We Need Therapy

Positive Adoption Language

• Each month has different families who have volunteered to be the 'email family' of that month. Many groups have set up chat groups and some have even arranged for waiting family gatherings. If you are not sure who your email family is please give us a call, sometimes it helps to talk with families who are at the same point in the process as you.

Updating Your Paperwork Facts

• Families who received a brown envelope from the consulate in Guangzhou before May 2007 can download the new contents of this envelope @ http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/adoption.html
• The main reason we keep this section in the update, is that we continue to get calls on what should be done to update documents. We want to keep it in the same place every month so everyone knows where to go to get these answers. We, of course, will be happy to answer any questions you have about updating documents but we want to have it in writing as well. Thanks!
• Due to the referral wait time getting longer, more and more people need to get documents updated. Once your dossier is in China, there are three items that you want to keep track of in terms of expirations dates: (1) home study, (2) fingerprints, (3) USCIS, a.k.a. INS, approval. Please note that while we are happy to answer questions about updating documentation, it is most helpful if you have the dates from your documents ready when you call/email us. See below for more information on how to locate your dates on these items.

Home Study

• How long is it valid? In most states, your home study is valid for one year, this includes  NH, RI, ME and FL. Home studies in MA are now valid for 18 months and in CT are valid for 2 years. For those of you who live outside of the states where we're licensed, please check with your home study agency. Your home study must be valid OR be in the process of being updated at the time you receive your referral. Most people need to get a home study update due to the increased referral wait time. It is your responsibility to ensure that your home study remains valid. Even if not expired, the home study would need to be updated prior to renewing with USCIS.
• Locating your home study date — You should have a copy of your home study. Your home study should be signed and dated by your social worker on the last page. This date is your home study date. It is valid, in most states, for a year from that date.
• How to update your home study? Contact your social worker or home study agency about a month or so before it expires and let them know that you need to update your home study. For CAWLI home studies, you can ask us for the "Home Study Update Package." It is OK if there is a "window" where the original home study expires and the update is approved. It is also OK if the dates overlap. Typically, you'll need to re-do your criminal record check, your child abuse registry, and anything that may have changed since the time your home study was approved (financial statement, employment verification, etc.). Your social worker may or may not need to do a home visit depending on what, if anything, has changed. The cost of updating your home study through CAWLI is $150. Please send this fee when you begin doing the update.

Fingerprints

• How long are they valid? Fingerprints are valid for 15 months in all states. Your fingerprints MUST be valid during your entire trip in China. It is your responsibility to make sure that your fingerprints do not expire.
• Locating your fingerprint expiration date — The expiration date should be listed on your USCIS (a.k.a.INS) approval. You received this document before your dossier was sent to China and it says, "Notice of Favorable Disposition Concerning Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition" - it is also referred to as your I-1797C form or I-171H form (depending on what state you live in). The fingerprint expiration date is usually found in the middle of a paragraph in the text of the approval. If you can't find the date, call us and we can try to help you. The American Consulate is now requesting we include Fingerprint expiration dates when we make visa appointments.
• How to update your fingerprints? You can now update your fingerprints at the same time as updating your I600A!!!
• Send a copy of your original USCIS approval to your local USCIS office (do not include a money order for $80/person if this is your 2nd re-filing). Include a cover letter stating that your fingerprints will be expiring and your I600-A will be expiring. Make sure to include their expiration dates. Request that you receive a fingerprinting appointment to have your fingerprints re-done as you have not yet completed the adoption and additionally that your current I600-A approval be extended. They will then send you a fingerprinting appointment letter in the mail. (Please note: making an InfoPass appointment is NOT a fingerprint appointment.) After fingerprinting you will receive a new approval from USCIS, please notify CAWLI or send them a copy of this new approval.
• Because it takes several weeks to get the fingerprinting and USCIS extension of the I600-A we recommend requesting the extension about 6-8 weeks prior to the expiration date.

USCIS Approval — NEWS!!!

http://www.uscis.gov/files/nativedocuments/FinalUSCISFeeSchedule052907.pdf

USCIS has a new fee schedule as of July 30th 2007. Families who have USCIS renewal dates after July 30th 2007 are entitled to a free renewal of their approval. For families renewing before July 30th 2007, this new policy unfortunately, will not apply.

The new fee for USCIS Orphan Petitions is: $670+ $80/person over 18 years old.

USCIS approval of your I-600A is only valid for 18 months. You received your approval way back before you were DTC on a document that came from the Department of Homeland Security, stating “Notice of favorable disposition concerning application for advance processing of orphan petition.” This document is often referred to as your USCIS Approval, INS approval, I-171h or I-797c – all mean the same thing. Part of this approval process involved you getting fingerprinted. As you know, fingerprints are good for 15 months. Please refer to the section on renewing fingerprints for more information about this. You should re-do your fingerprints before re-applying for your full USCIS approval.

Your USCIS approval must be valid at the time you travel to China and must remain valid for the duration of the trip. Please keep a close eye on when your approval will expire (you can do this by looking at the “Approval Date” listed and adding 18 months or 15 months if you are using an I800A), this is your responsibility. About 6-8 weeks prior to your INS expiring, you must re-apply.

We recommend that about 6-8 weeks before your approval expires you submit your new application and documents.

At the time that you are ready to re-apply, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to request the "Re-Filing your USCIS I-600A / I-800A Petition" package and we will send you the instructions along with a sample form.

PTAG (Parent Training Advisory Group)

We have had a wonderful response from parents volunteering to lead PTAG sessions for our parents currently in the adoption process. THANK YOU! These leaders will ALWAYS be needed so, if you are interested in leading the group sessions in the office or individual phone sessions, please let us know! We need family support to keep this valuable resource for waiting families going.

PTAG offers one session every 2 months, usually the first Saturday of the month. It will be from 9-12. Please contact the agency to sign up for a session at the This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it email, please put PTAG registration as the subject. The staff at the office has recently taken over the PTAG registration, please contact us directly to register for a session!

We STRONGLY encourage all our families in state and out to attend a PTAG session! This is a great source of information and the people who run these sessions can provide you with many helpful hints for traveling!! Please email the office to sign up for an in office PTAG session ~OR~schedule a phone PTAG session if you are out of state. PTAG is most helpful if you attend the session closer to when you expect to receive your referral. As you all know the wait time is a little uncertain at this point but it would be better to sign up for a session after you have been waiting for a few months.

PTAG is different than the travel meeting we have right before travel. PTAG is led by parents who have adopted and therefore traveled before and know the ins and outs of traveling in China with babies. They will tell what you need to bring and what you don’t!! We really hope to have all of our parents attend this meeting before they even receive a referral.

Upcoming PTAG meetings:

2010

July 10th

September 11th

November  6th

 
We need family support to keep this valuable resource for waiting families going, so let us know if you are interested in helping out.

Travel

Travel continues to run between 6-8 weeks after your signing to accept referral.

We apologize if we want to you decide on your assignment as soon as possible, while you have two weeks to make your decision! Just imagine my pressure: families have different plans; doctors can only go at certain dates; holidays around all appointments in China and availability and cost of airline tickets, etc. Please tell me not to worry, Sherry! So far we are lucky that the travel after accepting your assignment is still 6-8 weeks!
Sherry

Things to keep in mind before you travel:

• Please be sure that all travel companions (i.e. children, grandparents, friends, etc.) who are planning on traveling with you have a valid passport! This should be done well before you expect your referral to come as it sometimes takes weeks to obtain a passport. If you wait until the last minute to apply for a passport, it leaves little time to obtain the visa.
• If only one parent is planning on traveling please let us know at your referral meeting. You need to have a signed, notarized, certified, and authenticated Power of Attorney form. We can take care of this for you as long as you notify us at the referral meeting.
• HEPATITIS A and B: The series of shots required to be immunized for Hep A and B take several months-if you are planning on having this done do not wait until you receive your referral!! That will not give you enough time. Check with your doctor to find out exactly how much time is required to be vaccinated. We have had some families who have waited too long and run out of time

Upcoming Events (others listed under Resources or Events )

* Adoptive Parents Group: Held every 4th Monday of each month from 730-945 pm. At Adoption Choices, 475 Franklin Street, Suite 101m Framingham, MA 01701(1800.872.5232)

* Adjustment of Internationally Adopted Children; sponsored by ACONE Call 508.366.6812 or visits AdoptionCommunityofNE.org, for a current schedule also ACONE offers a Waiting Parent Support Group Monthly (Call 508.366.6812 or visit their website: AdoptionCommunityofNE.org)

* Adoption Associates offer a monthly group : Partners in Parenting! call 617.965.9369 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for further information.

* Support Group for Families Who Recently Completed an International Adoption-- THE NEXT SESSION HAS STARTED!!
Get information : call: 781.693.5677 or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

ACONE offers a Waiting Parent Support Group Monthly (Call 508.366.6812 or visit their website: AdoptionCommunityofNE.org)

*SPACE-Single Parents Adopting Children Everywhere
For more information on SPACE, please contact Claudia This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or Kathy This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it


*Chinese Language Instruction for Adults @ Zion Lutheran Church in Stamford, CT. For more info call 203.327.7751