News from Lifeline re: switching agencies

New Information Regarding Switching Agencies
February, 2009

Families,

We have been reading all the new posts regarding switching agencies. This is an exciting opportunity for families to unite more quickly with their children. With this information we want all of you to know that Lifeline Children's Services is prepared and willing to help families who are requesting to switch agencies in order to be matched from the shared agency program.

Lifeline is part of the shared agency program.
-- Our representative in China holds the key and is able to lock files quickly and efficiently.
-- Lifeline has matched all of their existing families who have requested to be part of the shared agency program and is currently taking new applicants for the program.
-- To begin the process, families will need to fill out an application and pay an application fee to Lifeline
-- Modified agency fees will be charged to families who are approved to switch (contact us for questions regarding this).
-- Families who are currently logged in and want to switch agencies will be moved immediately to the shared agency program upon approval from CCAA and Lifeline Children's Services
-- Families who are in the dossier process will be moved to the shared agency program upon dossier completion.

We have contacted CCAA regarding the switching process and this is what they have told us (so far):
-- first, to re-submit dossier, you don't need to get the dossier back. We need a letter from the old agency to release the family. Then we send another letter to accept the family. The family will need to pay another $480 to CCAA to adopt a SN child under a new agency - you don't need to pay $150 to BLAS. CCAA will then transfer the family dossier to Lifeline with a new LID in their computer system.

--second, for the families who aren't qualified under the new rules (after May 1st 2007) but are already logged in before that date, they can't be transferred. For example, single parents, even if they were logged in before May 2007, can't re-log in with anyone else. So please make sure you are qualified under new rules before requesting a transfer from CCAA and your existing agency.

**There have been conflicting reports regarding this, so please bear with us as we continue to verify this information.

If you have any questions about Lifeline's shared agency program or would like to talk about more about switching, please contact Janell Lucas (j.lucas@lifelineadoption.org) or Karla Thrasher (kthrasher@lifelineadoption.org) privately for information.

Lifeline Children's Services is a reputable, Christian adoption agency who have been facilitating special needs adoptions from China for the past 9 years.

Sincerely,

The Lifeline China Team
Lifeline Children's Services