We are just starting the ICA process in NSW, would love to hear from anyone also going through the ICA process or anyone who has words of advice or wisdom!
I'm not going through the ICA process...but just wanted to wish you all the very very best...
I just heard from my cousin today, that her and her husband have been approved to adopt a little boy in the Phillipines...they will officially become a Mum and Dad in October...
Thanks for your help Jacinta, I do think Korea will be out for us, just looks like it won't reopen for a little while yet, well that's according to the DOCS website. I think we will probably will go with China, though I've heard waiting times at the moment are really long for China (as well as everywhere else). Can I ask anyone how they made their decision which country to adopt through?
DH and I are leaning towards Sth America at the moment. Similar reason to why you are considering Russia I guess Niass - we are very interested in Sth American culture and we think it would be an amazing place to visit. The Bolivian program looks promising (in terms of us being able to meet the criteria), but we are hoping to find out more when we attend the Docs workshop in a couple of weeks time.
Has anyone out there had any experience in adopting from Sth America? Love to hear from you!
Apart from the obvious criteria, our decision will be very much driven by waiting times...even though that can be hard to judge.
Well we have now lodged our application for adoption (as of yesterday!). The DoCS seminar was excellent, and DH and I both came away more excited about the idea. It was a little disappointing that the waiting times are soooooo long, but I guess we'll have to learn to be patient! Apparently the approval process alone will take around 9 months.
We still haven't decided which country to nominate...apparently we have until our first or second interview to work that out. So I will be very busy trying to gather as much information as I can.
Jacinta - Thanks for the advice, that gives me somewhere to start! You are right, I should be prepared for the approval process to take longer than the advertised 9 months. Love your signature btw!
Hidgi- That's great that you could get into a seminar so soon! I thought the seminar was really good. They spend most of the time telling you how tough it can be to raise an adopted child & talking about all the challenges, but always with the message "we know you can do it". They gave some very practical advice on how to handle things. DoCS had some good books for sale at the seminar. I purchased "The Colour of Difference" and "Adopting from Overseas" which a lot of people at the seminar had already read - it's an Australian book & very practical.
The only advice I can really give you is to make the most of this opportunity to meet & talk to some wonderful people. You'll get your application form at the end of the seminar. There is quite a lot involved in getting your application together, eg medicals, writing your life story, organising referees etc. I had to pay extra postage because our final paperwork weighed over half a kilo!
Has anyone joined any support groups? We joined ASIAC…we would have preferred to leave choosing a support group until after we nominated a country, but that still seems a way off for us.
Just thought I'd pop in here. My darling Guan, now 4, adopted from China is asking me when we will go to bed. (It should be now, but hey, it's Friday night)
As others have said, China chose us. We fitted best into the criteria, and it seemed to offer us the best chance of getting a baby in our arms. It took us 3 years from the time we attended our first information night to holding our baby girl in our arms - and things seem much tougher now. Good luck to all who are thinking about adopting and who are going through the process
Warm Regards
Barb (that's Guan in my photo) She has 3 sibling "home made"
A quick update....things move so slowly, it's always very exciting to make some progress (no matter how small). We received a call from one of the social workers at Docs last week & have arranged to meet her in our home in two weeks time. This will be our first interview...not sure what it will be about, but she said to allow a couple of hours. We have just moved into a new house, so the place is a bit of a mess, I better have a quick tidy up!
I think we must have been very lucky to get through the police checks so quickly, as Docs originally told me it would be three months before we would hear from them.
Thanks Barb for your message & gorgeous photo...it certainly is encouraging to know there could be a light at the end of this long tunnel! I think we are leaning towards China now...we seem to be ruled out of many other countries because we're not religious enough...hmmmm
Hi Everyone
Just wanted to drop in and wish you all the patience and luck in the world! DH and I are just at the beginning of the adoption conversation as we are ending the IVF road. We have been foster parents which we loved...challenging but fantastic all the same...so this seems like 'the next step' for us....but still alot of talking to do...and research. Will be following your journeys with great interest xxx
Great to hear from you! This is a very quiet thread, as I guess there aren't many people going through the adoption process. Would love to hear more about your fostering experiences.
Hi RG
Thanks for the warm welcome. We fostered two little brothers who had been in 8 homes in 6 months when they came to us. It was sooooo hard but the most rewarding thing we've ever done. They had some serious behaviour problems linked to abandonment issues...all to be expected but we got there in the end. I'm happy to say they are now back with their mum...and doing well. Our little guys taught us alot about love and the power of unconditional love...I like to think they learned alot from us too...but I know in my heart that they know there are at least two people on this planet that love them to bits and would move heaven and earth to keep them safe and happy. All a bit deep for this time of the morning!!! We have also done short term respite care which I didn't enjoy...I think I was emotionally 'unavailable' at the time as I was still grieving for the boys...plus the longer you have the kids the more time you have to invest etc...when it's short you let alot go due to the time factor, not worth stressing eveyone out for a week or two IYKWIM....anyway...how are things going with your application???? So interested to hear about your journey and how you made the decision to adopt?
Ellie xxx
Wow, Ellie, that's very inspirational. I think you are wonderful to have given so much to your fostered boys, and also to have provided valuable respite care for a family. DH and I have never seriously considered fostering as we think it would be so tough, but it may be something we look at down the track.
As for our story, we've been TTC for just over three years. We spent a lot of time in the last 12 months trying IVF, but no success from three embryo transfers. I think we would get there eventually if we kept trying, but at the moment I'm really over it. I know there are people who try for a lot longer than we have, and I admire them, but it's not the road for me.
We have been considering ICA for a long time, and the more we read & researched, the more keen we became. We are hoping to get "approved" by Docs sometime mid-next year, and then it will be another 2 to 3 years at least until we get allocated a child. So we have plenty of time to get ourselves prepared! I believe it will all be worth it in the end
RG I think you are inspirational! I am so sick of this IVF journey...I really don't know if I'm going to be able to go ahead with this next cycle...I admire you for having the guts to call it as you see it and do what's right for you! I get so excited about adopting and always thought we would regardless of having 'biological' children or not. Don't know what our future holds at this point. I feel like I'm standing at a crossroad...exciting and scarey all at the same time. I am so inspired by your excitment and positivity...keep me posted xxx
ICA
Registered User
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks