The Adoption Process
The adoption process is different for every one and for every country. One thing we can say is that it is unpredictable, exciting, stressful and certainly not something anyone does on a whim. We've been interviewed, researched, background checked, examined and processed. We have no complaints though and wish other parents went through a fraction of what we had to go through. There might be a few less children in orphanages or foster care.
Our
Process
The
First Step: April, 2002
Our first
meeting with our adoption agency, ASIA (Associated Services for International
Adoption). We had selected this particular agency before we even left
the Netherlands. There were a lot of reasons why we choose them, but mainly
because they specialize in Chinese adoptions. Their staff is fluent in
Mandarin and is well versed in all the laws and processes of adoption
through China. During this initial meeting we went over the mountain of
paperwork that we needed to complete, the costs, and the timeframe.
The
"Paper Chase": April 2002-July 2002
This phase is affectionately known around the adoption community as the
"paper chase". It's really up to you (not your agency) to gather,
certify, notarize and authenticate all the forms and documents that go
into an adoption dossier. Luckily for us, we had done a lot of this type
of leg work when we moved to the Netherlands. So the process wasn't as
daunting for us as it might be for others. Our agency says that we completed
the paperchase process very quickly. To us it seemed like forever. The
government never does work as fast as I think they should!