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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