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The Paper Chase

 

Ancient Past
Our journey to Ava began nearly 2 years before she was born. It all started in July 2006 when we took a week to interview agencies and learn more about the adoption process. By August 2007 we were well into the “paper chase.” We gathered birth certificates, marriage licenses and background checks. We were interviewed, analyzed and physically examined all with the purpose of evaluating our suitability as parents. (The bar to create and acquire Lex and Jack was substantially lower.) Anyway, moving on our initial home study and social worker reviews were completed in August 2007 but we continued to fulfill additional requirements including multiple finger print submissions by Michelle. In January 2008 we wrote our letter of intent to adopt and finalized our dossier to send off to China. Our “log in date” - when the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) received our dossier is February 25, 2008.

Modern Era
Cricket sounds…

The Hague Adoption Convention, an international agreement to safeguard intercountry adoptions was entered into force for the United States in April 2008. This development changed some rules and would prove to create some delays for us later on…

Current Events
August 28, 2009 we received an email from our agency describing a 1 ˝ year old baby girl. We read through the narrative, medical reports and looked at her three pictures. By the end of the evening Fan had captured our hearts . . . but we did want to know more about what to expect in treating her cleft palate. So, the next day we consulted with our adoptive medicine pediatrician. She provided invaluable information. The Dr. had some very unique experiences to share with us. We learned that she also adopted a child with cleft palate years ago and that she had also visited the very orphanage in China where Fan was living. The Dr.'s personal experience and insight gave us substantial reassurance. That we would come to meet this doctor with such specific experiences to ours was a positive sign affirming the next step of our journey. The next day our agency put a “hold” on Fan. This means that she would be removed from the pool of prospective adoptees while we formalized our commitment.

On September 14, 2009, we wrote a letter to the CCAA expressing our desire to adopt Fan.

On November 15, 2009, we received acceptance from the CCAA to adopt Fan. We signed and returned our confirmation to the CCAA.

The coming new year was filled with happiness and an anxious anticipation that we would be traveling to China by March 2010. The quick time-line was not to be.

As of May 2010 we have completed supplemental home studies and some additional paperwork required to comply with the Hague convention standards. We continue to wait and hope that our travel approval will arrive soon. Most positive estimate puts us in China by early June.
 


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