Nightlight Christian Adoption

We've added a new listing to our Agencies page: Nightlight Christian Adoptions.
They have recently begun to place SN children from China.
To learn more about their program, visit their site here.

Homeland's XingFu Program

Homeland Adoption Services has just received an invitation to place a large number of waiting children from Shanghai. Homeland's clinical director, Nancy Reffsin, will be traveling there in a few weeks to see the children and gather information. Once she returns, the matching will begin.

Families who wish to be considered for the children must have a home study completed, and be ready to submit a dossier within 90 days.

Anyone wishing to receive an info pack and application should send an email to: homelandadoption@aol.com or call Pam Thomas at 845-727-0500.

HAS is Hague accredited through the Council on Accreditation, a member of Joint Council on International Children's Services, RESOLVE and NYSCCCC.

New list posted

Bay Area Adoption Services (BAAS) has a new list of children posted on the Children Who Wait page.

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

Madison goes to China!

Follow Madison Adoption Associate's trip to China. Three representatives from MAA are currently in China at their first-ever "Camp Ox". CCAA has chosen 39 children, whose ages range from 4 to 13, who will participate in Camp Ox for the three day event. The camp runs from February 11 - 13th.

During this time Madison will be learning all they can about each of these precious children, with the hopes that they will be able to find adoptive parents for each and every child! The children who are participating in the camp have been working on a special performance for their hosts, including a talent show... so there will certainly be much learned about each of these 39 children!

Consider yourself forewarned, though.... you might just lose your heart to one of these precious faces on the Camp Ox blog ;)

Heritage closing

Heritage Adoption Services is no longer facilitating China adoptions. This is saddening because Heritage was a very well respected agency that placed many children from China.

If you are aware of a status change for an agency that places special needs children from China, please let us know by email at nohandsbutours@gmail.com. Thanks for helping us keep our information current.

News from Madison

Madison has been told to expect approval and implementation of CCAA's on-line referral system in late February or early March. This is perfect timing for families who are interested in adopting a child with special needs!

CCAA requires that families interested in adopting a waiting child must have a dossier already logged in through Madison in order to receive information about any child who is available for adoption from the shared on-line referral system.

It is no longer the case that families find the child FIRST, and then proceed with the paperwork. Families must be "paper-ready" before being matched with a child.

Families may still prepare a dossier for the traditional China adoption program and consider the referral of a waiting child once their dossier is logged in. Dossiers in the traditional adoption program can be transferred to the special needs program. If families do not identify a waiting child to adopt, their dossier will continue until they receive a referral in the traditional China program.

The interest in China Special Needs adoptions has increased over the past few years due in part to the long wait for a referral through the traditional China adoption program. Madison is very happy to be part of this new electronic referral system with CCAA so that waiting children can come home more quickly to their new families.

For more info, visit Madison's website.