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)."

"A girl, a photograph, a homecoming"

This 25 minute video tells the remarkable story of a Korean adoption in the late 1970s. It is told by a man who worked as a photographer for Time Magazine. He was given an assignment to photograph Amerasian children (kids fathered by American GIs throughout Asia and then abandoned, of which there were some 40 000 at the time). Through this assignment he came to know a little girl and her grandmother in Korea. The story that follows from there is bizarre, serendipitous, intriguing and heart-warming.

[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.

Beijingaling

With the Olympics around the corner, it's useful to learn to pronounce Beijing correctly - particularly the 'j' sound. This short video explains it well; now we just need the newsreaders and journos to get it right!

Is it okay if I have a little rant?

Ya know what, we've been 'officially' in this process for two years now AND OUR FILE IS STILL IN AUSTRALIA! Lol! I don't know what I'll think or how I'll feel if we aren't batched and Dossier-To-China in July. I always thought (way back before the time-lines blew out and before Expressions of Interest for adopting reopened in Qld) that we would be travelling to China and receiving our baby in 2008.

Actually, the plan in my head went something like this:
2008 - adopt
2009 - bio baby
2011 - bio baby
2012 - adopt

I had it all worked out. I know, four kids in five years. I'm nutty like that, but let me live in my utopian world for a moment. Now the reality is probably something like this:

2013 - adopt
2014 - realise I'm probably too old for a bio baby. cry. raise an only child.

I'm being a drama queen. The wait is kinda getting to me, and we haven't even STARTED the real wait. I just want the security of being logged-in.

The Department has these insane rules, like you can't have a homegrown baby while you are in the adoption process because you need to show that you are 100% committed to the adoption, and apparently if you are pursuing pregnancy that means adoption really isn't what you want to do. No recognition there for people who choose to have a blended family and who ARE 100% committed to adoption AND having bio children (unless you have already finished having all your bio kids and are adopting to complete your family). It's one or the other. It stinks.

People go around the rules. They just don't tell the Dept they are having a baby and then at their two-year update go, 'surprise!'. I don't know if I could that. Aaron wouldn't do that (have you met the guy? he's the most rule-abiding, integrity dripping, straight down the line person God ever created).

So we sit here in limbo, wondering... waiting... aging LOL!

I know you love pics...

No adoption news. File is still in Australia. The new China officer started with the Department and sent us an email to introduce herself. Who are these other couples we are waiting for? PLEASE HURRY UP! Every week the file stays here could potentially add months to the wait. I've even had a few fleeting thoughts of trying to have a baby in the meantime. Don't get excited, there's been no serious contemplation, just fleeting thoughts as I ponder the extending wait and my age.

To more positive news, the IAFQ 30th Anniversary picnic was held three weeks ago. That's how long it has taken me to make the time to get the pics of my camera and write about it.

Official reports are that there were about a hundred attendees.


Country flags flapping in the wind.


Lainie, my adoption blogging sista, and I.


The patient couple.

Telling the kids

How gorgeous is this:

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).

One Child Policy to Continue

There has been speculation recently about whether China's family planning policy (commonly known as the One Child Policy) would change or continue. Earlier this month, China's Family Planning Minister announced that the policy would continue for at least another ten years.

While the policy is commonly deemed successful in curbing population growth, there have been massive social, economic, environmental, ethical and other implications and consequences as a result of this policy, directly and indirectly, including

• child abandonment, especially girls
  
• female gendercide
  
• child trafficking
  
• wife trafficking
  
• forced abortions / forced sterilisation
  
• gender imbalance
  
• 4/2/1 dependency ratio
  
• declining birth rate, hence declining population replacement rate
  
• aging population
  
• little emperor syndrome
  
• hugely disproportionate number of marriageable age males without female counterparts
  (this list is just a quick brain-dump and is by no means exhaustive)

The One Child Policy is not a blanket policy imposed on all families. In fact, the current birth rate in China sits at around 1.8 children per family (not down to 1 per family but certainly a shift from the average of 7.5 children per family in 1963). Here is some information about the policy:

• families are allowed to have two children if the first born is a girl or is disabled (resulting in second and third born females being abandoned)
  
• rural families are permitted to have two children
  
• if the mother and father are only children themselves, they are allowed two children
  
• the policy is enforced in different ways in different provinces
  
• ethnic minorities (the 55 different Chinese ethnic groups, ie. non-Han Chinese) may have two and sometimes three children
  
• breaching the policy can result in fines, withdrawal of family allowance, demotion or discharge from jobs, social rejection

I wonder what the Chinese would think of the policies of my nation's Government; we are paid to have children and encouraged to have larger families in an attempt to increase the fertility rate.

Similar/related earlier posts: The right to live, Family planning slogans, Population stuff.