Dossier to China

Oh, for the longest time I've wanted to be able to say we are DTC... and now we are! Two years and twelve days since lodging our Expression of Interest in being assessed, and 8 months and 15 days since being approved (we do things quickly in Queensland, have you noticed?) our dossier is on a QANTAS plane and making its way to China. I saw a QANTAS plane in the sky on my way home from work tonight and choked up a little.

We are officially Qld batch #1 2008. Don't hold your breath, I doubt there will be any further batches from Qld this year. The China officer advised that in 6-8 weeks she will contact the CCAA (China Centre of Adoption Affairs) and find out our log-in-date.

To say I'm relieved is an understatement.

I know there is a massive wait ahead of us, but I do feel like we have finished one chapter of a book and are starting a new chapter. And that feels good!

Can someone say... slow?

Coming out of hibernation for a quick update. Wish it was better news - looks like our excitement at having an August 2008 (08/08) LID was a pipe dream. Probably was a bit too ambitious to think it could take less than nine months from being approved to being logged in.

*blink*.

Anyway,first update came from the Dept's China officer ten days ago:
'The files were sent to the Notary on 8 August 2008. The files have now been sent back from Notary and I received them this morning. I have now couriered the files to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Once I receive the files back from DFAT I will take them to the Chinese Consulate.'

Then another one two days ago:
'I received the files back from the Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday afternoon, and have now walked the files to the Chinese Consulate this morning.'

With a promise to keep us up to date.

That's all we know! No clue or indication yet how long things will take at the Consulate. I hope to share some DTC (Dossier-to-China) news in the not-too-distant future, followed by LID (log-in-date) news shortly after that.

And I will still update about the auspiciousness of the number 8 soon!

(photo by Randy Son of Robert via Flickr)

We're still checkin' those boxes!

I spoke with the China officer from the Dept today. Good news, eight couples (yah, I know... eight is news to us too!) are ready to be batched and our paperwork is being sent off to be notarised. There is just one document from one dossier that is missing - whoever it is please hurry! We are now required to get some bank drafts in US currency made up to be sent with our dossier to be paid to the CCAA and also to cover translation services.

It's nice to progress a little.

I asked whether everything is on track for the dossiers to leave on the 15th and was told, "I think so". Apparently the Dept is not sure how long the notarisation will take for eight dossiers, as their usual time expectations are based on batches of approximately five.

I am so hopeful that we will get an August log in date. That would mean eight files in our batch in the eighth month of 2008, and eight is a lucky number for the Chinese. I'll do a post about that later this week to explain why.

Previously, on Checking Boxes

Last week I wrote to the Department after receiving advice that they were now waiting to form a batch of seven dossiers, of which ours would be part of.

Here is an excerpt from my email:

"The inter-country adoption system in China works on a chronological basis, regardless of a dossier's country of origin. The China Centre of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) issues referrals each month. Presently couples receiving referrals from China have had their dossiers logged in for 28+ months. You can see from the referral table at the bottom of this web page that the eighteen month average is 6.3 days allocated/month. The twelve month average is 6.1 days allocated/month. This could potentially mean that for each week longer the current batch of dossiers stays in Australia, an extra month+ is added for the waiting couples."

"According to last week's telephone conversation, the Department wishes to create a batch of seven dossiers. As at July 4, 2008 four couples are ready to be batched and three are compiling their dossiers. We respectfully request that if these final three couples have not finalised their dossiers by end of July 2008 that they form part of a new batch. There are three weeks until the end of July. Three weeks is enough time to complete the dossier requirements. If it is not enough time for the remaining couples then they are really not close enough to be included in the current batch. At present referral rates, three weeks equals three and a half months extra wait after log-in. We are aware that referral rates can change, and are hopeful they do. All we have to go on at present is historical patterns and statistics."

I'm pleased that the response I received today included this information:

"Adoption Services Queensland has spoken with other eligible couples and has requested their documents be provided to ASQ by the end of July to ensure the timely batching of files for preparation and onforwarding to China.

I am confident that a minimum four files will be ready at that time and these shall be dispatched on Friday 15 August 2008 (allowing time for notarising and DFAT action)."

[un]Lucky number seven

I spoke with the China officer at the Dept today to find out the current status of our file and to see whether there were five files ready to be batched and sent to China yet. She advised that they had now decided to put seven files in this batch. Four are ready to go (including us) and another three still have to compile their dossier. While I love the fact that our child would have six other batch-buddies, I would also be happy with three or four.

I politely mentioned that we had been ready and waiting for months, and that every week longer at this end potentially adds months at the other end. She understands why we would be concerned and frustrated - although I'm not sure how much because from every conversation I've had with people in the Dept, I don't believe anyone there monitors the monthly China allocations closely and knows the stats, history, trends or realities. At least they have removed the '17 months wait from China' information from their website.

I asked how long we would wait for these last three files, and was it possible to draw a line in the sand somewhere and if they aren't ready by that date they could wait for the next batch. Apparently this is beyond her control and would need to be decided higher up.

I can feel a letter coming on.

An update, for what it's worth!

The latest info is that there are two dossiers ready and waiting (ours and another). The Dept will only send dossiers to China in batches of five. Apparently there are three more 'not far behind' that the Dept was going to follow up this week. A new officer for the China program has been appointed and starts on the 28th April. I never would have imagined that we'd get to May and still not be DTC (dossier to China), but it's starting to look that way!

Something? Anything?

Working for the Intercountry Adoption Unit (which I just always refer to as 'the Dept' because it's part of the Department of Child Safety) must be a tough gig. We've seen three coordinators for the China program come and go.

Right now there is no dedicated coordinator until they appoint a newbie. The team leader is looking after the China program, but she's a hard lady to catch. She only works Mon, Tues and Wed. I rang on Wednesday and was told she didn't start work until 1pm. I left a message asking her to call, but I guess she's snowed under. I'm not an annoying stalker. I've probably phoned the Dept twice in past two years (and if I hadn't, our file would still probably be on hold for no valid reason).

I would like to know whether there are any other files ready for our batch! I'd like to know an estimate of when our dossier might finally leave these shores. Actually, I'd just like any information at all. And I'd like to suggest that they might update their dossier paperwork so they're not still telling people it's a 14 month wait for a referral from China.

This probably sounds like a rant, so I want it to be known that I respect the team working at the Dept and I hold them in high regard. They do a good job under difficult circumstances and like most Government agencies are probably understaffed. So they should give me a job there to come and look after the China program :-) I'm a fully qualified hoop-jumper and box-checker. And I return phone calls. Sometimes. (Ok, I can work on that one).

About the dossier...

As I mentioned a few posts ago, we were approved for adoption by the Qld government last month. What that means now is that we are required to compile our dossier to be sent to China. The dossier must contain certain documents and information, so we've spent a few weeks chasing some of it up and still have more to go. We've been told we'll be the first couple in a new batch, and that we need to wait for four more couples to be approved and compile dossiers to they can all be sent to China together. This means that some of the documentation and requirements that have a life span (like finger prints and cheques) we have to hold off on arranging until further advice from the Dept so they don't expire too quickly.

In the meantime we've been busying ourselves with other dossier requirements, like doctor appointments - because the first comprehensive medical we did last year to prove eligibility isn't sufficient. Ewww. We have to have blood tests. Not cool. Ewwww.

When we've got everything ready for the dossier we'll be officially batched. It's not looking like it will be shortly after my birthday (next week) like we planned all along. Unfortunately for us, Queenslanders are no longer rushing to be part of the China program due to the massive increase in wait times. We were advised four more couples could be approved by March/April 'if we're lucky'. And then, if we're really lucky, we could even have a referral for a baby by the time the next millennium rolls around ;-) If you've got friends in high places, please send up a prayer for us!



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Brought to you by the letter W

It's been eight weeks since our final assessment, and still no report! (Can you believe it?!) I emailed a query three weeks ago and was told they would find out the status and get back to me. I'll make contact again this week.

I was thinking today about the annoying timing of it all. I turn thirty on January 30. We were hoping to have everything ready to go so that our file can be sent as soon as possible after that. Files from Qld usually go over in batches of 5-7, so I'm hoping we will be the last couple in a batch, rather than the first. Queensland doesn't have masses of files going over, so sometimes it's a matter of waiting weeks or months to have a complete batch. If we're the first couple in a batch it will mean a bit more waiting.

Chinese New Year starts Feb 7 next year. The whole of China basically shuts down and parties for a few weeks, so it's possible that we could be held up by that.

But we'll get there. Eventually. And we will be placed with a child. One day.

It was some time around the end of 1999 (when I was almost 22 years old and 30 seemed so far away) when we decided to adopt from China, so we know what it's like to wait. We just wish we didn't have to!

A new game at Checking Boxes!

First of all, check out the new blog header for Checking Boxes!

That's not the most exciting part. Now click the baby.

Woohoo! Now you can play Beat the Paperchase at Checking Boxes! The instructions should appear, including a Play button. You need a score of 1400 to beat the paperwork.

When you've had a play, fill in the poll on the left to let me know how you went. (Poll will be active for 60 days, so if you're reading this through the archives it won't be there).

I should note that I haven't tested this on any machine than my little Mac using Firefox, so it would be great if you would let me know whether it's actually working out there in different browsers etc. It's taken me hours of playing with code to get it to work in Blogger, so I hope it's all functioning correctly!

All credit to my magnificent friend and colleague Kristine (check out a couple of her many websites - like Flash Classroom or Games in Learning). Thanks Kris, love your work and appreciate our new header and game heaps. It'll give our adopting friends something to do during the loooong wait!

The long road ahead

The Dept contacted us today to advise that we are now required to pay for our assessment. Assessment is where an adoption case worker (social worker) interviews Aaron and I over a period of time and writes a report on our suitability as adoptive parents. Pretty darn suitable, I hope!

Workbooks and profiles submitted!

We submitted our workbooks and profiles to the Dept today. What a relief! They were a long time coming, not that there's a great rush - still 8 months til I'm thirty. In any case, we completed graphs, charts, responses to readings, family trees, financial statements and our life stories.

Some of the questions we each had to write about included the following toughies:

How has your position in the family (eg. youngest/third/middle child) influenced your roles and attitudes?

Describe your most recent disagreement with your partner - what was it about and how was it resolved?

Can you identify any patterns in the way in which you manage stresses?

What three things do you like and dislike about your partner?

What do you look forward to most as a parent?

In what circumstances could you see yourself allowing a child to win an argument?


and the absolute corker:

Why do you want to have children?

50 Questions

I was gathering our stuff together to drop off at the Dept last week ('the Dept' is our state government's Department of Child Safety: Intercountry Adoption Unit) and going through the checklist to make sure we had everything, when I realised that we hadn't finished our 50 questions. One of the requirements at this stage is to answer fifty questions that the Dept has set about our chosen country.

You would think we'd have finished this by now, afterall, we got the questions in December. I've googled heaps and found some awesome websites... which often take me off on a tangent and then after an hour I've only found half an answer to one of the questions. I've also asked Evangeline, a Chinese friend, some of the more difficult ones, which was great. Many times I've intended to take them to our Chinese teacher to ask, but always forgot. Anyway, despite our efforts, we still have more unanswered than answered ones right now!

I think it's because some of them are so random that it's not as easy as looking it up. Here are some examples: 'If you were invited to a party, who would you expect to find among the guests?', 'What kinds of television programs are shown? What social purpose do they serve?', 'If, as a customer, you touch or handle merchandise for sale, will the shopkeeper think you are knowledgeable, inconsiderate, within your rights, completely outside your rights, or other?'

I worked on them this afternoon for a while, then we worked on them together a bit, but I kept getting annoyed and quickly bored. Not bored with learning about Chinese culture - heck, I have a mild obsession with that - but bored with frustration at trying to find out things like 'how long a hairdressing appointment should be made for' in China. Aaron said, "if you're gonna whinge, just let me do it". So he is.

One profile done, one to go!

What's 19 pages long, has 7870 words and discusses a whole lot of interesting questions?

Yup, my family profile - it's FINISHED!

I feel so elated, this was something I really wanted to get finished before I head back to work on Wednesday.

Aaron still needs to work on his profile, but he has spent most of this afternoon completing exercises from his workbook. Now I need to get wiggling on my workbook.

Yay, what a great start to 2007. We are hoping to have our profiles, workbooks and readings all done by the end of January. At this rate that seems very achievable.

Plodding away!

So, there are two things we need to complete to progress a bit more; a workbook each and a family profile each.

We're still plodding away through our workbooks... drawing up family trees, ecomaps, time charts, loss timelines etc. One of the workbook exercises is to answer 50 given questions about China, and it's driving me bonkers! I'll search for an answer online for one, only to get carried away on a tangent reading something about Chinese culture and customs, and then not end up finding an answer to what I was looking for.

I haven't worked on my profile since the first Education Day, so I need to get back to that. All the self-reflection and deep thinking gives me a headache.

Medicals

We had our medicals today. There is an official form that the doctor needs to complete. It's a little invasive (chest x-rays, urine samples, breast examination etc)- sorry to gross you out, but we got lots more boxes checked and everything is good, good, good!

Ptooey... referee issues

I received a phone call on Friday from the Intercountry Adoption Unit (DoCS). We provided them with two referees, but they are not suitable. The referees need to be people who are not related to us or each other, have known us longer than two years and visit us regularly.

We lived in Mt Isa for seven years, until Dec 2005. We have been in Brisbane for nine months. Everyone who knows us well but isn't related is from Mt Isa, so we provided contact details for people who know us very well and are in a good position to speak of our relationship - but because they don't visit us regularly NOW (even though they did for the seven years we were in Mt Isa), they can't be used.

I said we've only been living here for 9 months. Most of the people who visit us are related in some way. I was told that it was okay, the referees don't really need to have known us for longer than two years (... so why is that written on the form?)

I can find people in Brisbane who have known us for five minutes and certainly can't speak about us with the same authority as our original referees... doesn't make sense, but if we want to get this box checked we must comply.

Establishing Eligibility

Aaron and I were lamenting earlier in the week that we probably wouldn’t be asked to progress our application for another ten or so months. This is because I read posts to a discussion list of other Queenslanders who said it took a year from submitting their application to being invited to establish eligibility. At the IAFQ information day in August, this ‘timing’ question was asked a few times.. with the responses ranging from “that’s the million dollar question” to “how long is a piece of string”.

Well, looks like we’ve hit the jackpot and that our piece of string is 7 weeks long!

We received a letter in the mail today dated October 4 inviting us establish our eligibility.

What does this mean? It means we need to have a rigorous health assessment, provide references about our suitability (these people will be contacted in writing to provide information about us) and have criminal history checks.

What wonderful news - now we need to get busy booking appointments!

Expression of Interest Received

Received a letter from the Department of Child Safety (DoCS) today. No news, just a receipt for payment from lodging our application and a letter advising that eligible couples will be invited to progress their application at some stage in the future.

Expression of Interest is IN!!

Just after midday today I submitted our expression of interest in being assessed as adoptive parents. A happy day :-)