What kind of medical needs do these children typically have?
The children can be male or female and range in age from 6 months - 13 years. Some of the medical needs commonly seen are cleft lip and palate, congenital heart disease, vision or hearing impairments, club foot/feet, extra digits on hands or feet, Hepatitis B positive, limb deformity, developmental delays, spina bifida, or a repaired medical condition. The medical needs can range from minor to more severe, and are typically a physical condition that may or may not need surgery. Some of the children may have already had surgery, but require follow up care. Some are older children who are healthy.
What is the referral process?
The shared referral system allows agencies all over the world to try and place these referrals with their families. The CCCWA updates this system on a monthly basis with many new referrals. Additionally, there are always hundreds of referrals available for review at any time.The individual (agency specific) referral system is a program where America World has partnerships with specific orphanages and whose referrals are available only to America World families to review and accept. Agency specific referrals are received every few months, and can be for boys or girls of all ages with various medical needs, or healthy older children.The "Special Focus Children (SFC)" referral system allows a family to adopt two children with one dossier on a case by case basis depending on the family's referral requests and the referrals available. The CCCWA designates specific boys and girls of all ages with various special needs as Special Focus referrals. A family can adopt two referrals from the SFC list, one SFC referral in addition to another waiting child, or one SFC referral in addition to a referral through the healthy program. Travel can be in one or two trips.
What are the requirements for families adopting a waiting child?
Although the adoptive requirements for the Waiting Children Program are generally the same as the requirements for parents adopting through the China Program, there are a few differences. Families who are ages 30 - 55 at the time of dossier submission are eligible for the program. Families with 5 children in the home can also adopt through the Waiting Children Program.
On occasion, the CCCWA will make exceptions in the requirements for a family desiring to pursue the adoption of a specific waiting child who has been available for adoption for a certain period of time. Families can contact a China Family Coordinator to find out more about these specific children.
What is the wait time for a referral through the Waiting Children Program?
The wait for a Waiting Children Program referral is dependent upon the specific gender, age, and medical needs a family has requested on their Waiting Children Program application and the types of referrals arriving with each group.
For some families, there is no referral wait time as they are matched with a referral immediately upon starting the adoption process or shortly after they begin the paper-chasing process. For current wait times, please call or email one of our China program staff. Every month we match 5-30 families with their referrals, so the wait time is always changing.
Currently there are hundreds of children waiting for their families. There are boys and girls ages 6 months- 13 years old with a variety of medical needs or a healthy older child. Families with an approved America World and Waiting Children Program application on file can be matched with a referral.
What is the Waiting Children Program?
The Waiting Children (WC) Program is a compilation of the families in the China adoption process who are interested in being contacted about waiting children referrals. Families can join the program at any point of their China adoption process, whether paper chasing or in the dossier waiting stage. Families can apply to the WC program by completing an application indicating the age, gender and types of medical needs they are open to considering. A family can be matched directly with a referral that meets their referral requests. The application is emailed to the family by their Family Coordinator.
Can we submit a dossier to the healthy referral program and have the option to consider adopting a waiting child?
Yes. Many of the families that decide to adopt a child from the Waiting Children Program actually request a healthy child in the dossier. Families who are not matched with or who do not choose to move forward with a waiting child referral will continue through the healthy track with the CCCWA.
How do we speak to families who have adopted through this program?
You can view testimonies, adoption stories, and photos that families have submitted on our America World adoption blog. The blog also contains annoucements, general program information, and agency information. There are many previous America World (AWAA) families who have volunteered to be references for those considering adopting through AWAA. Their contact information is found on the references webpage. You can filter the the families who have adopted through the Waiting Child program by clicking the "W" icon.Additionally, America World Associates have completed adoptions across the country and can often help connect local families.
