January 22, 2011
China Adoption Thoughts 1
Today our local Families With Children From China group met for lunch and then a shopping trip to pick out new outfits for the upcoming Chinese New Year. I have been a part of this group for five years, two of those years spent waiting for Catherine. The group languished for a bit but with some new blood on the board and some great families that are members, the group has been thriving.
While we were at lunch, I couldn’t help but notice that Catherine was the youngest NSN adoptee there, at least that I was aware of. It saddened me greatly that our adoption fell at the beginning of the end of NSN adoptions through China. And while China will not officially state that they are ending the NSN program, the writing is on the wall. A family that happened to be at the lunch today stated that an agency told her that at the rate they are referring children, someone entering the NSN program could wait up to 20 years. In other words, they are phasing out ‘healthy, normal’ children and instead China is wanting families to consider children with special needs. Not all families want to choose that option.
It makes my heart break for my friends who are so close and yet so far away. It’s been agonizing watching their wait. I still remember the hurt that I felt at a measly 27 months. If only the wait was 27 months now. Life would great! It was just amazing to see the age variance amongst such a large group. I hate that Catherine is one of the last NSN adoptions from the Houston area.
Jan 23, 2011 @ 08:10:29
I agree. I’m so glad we didn’t try to adopt another. Just the military moves alone would have be expensive and upset the whole paperwork process….and the extended wait on top of it. Wow. We actually were in if not the fastest referral period than the second….less than 6 months from log in date to referral. Sad on one hand but at least the Chinese government is now pushing domestic adoptions.