Adoption Timeline

July-September, 2005 Decide to begin the adoption process for our daughter from China

9/11/2005 Filled out application for adoption
9/12/2005 Mailed application and fee to CCAI (Chinese Children’s Adoption International)
9/19/2005 Officially accepted by CCAI for adoption. Jumped for joy
9/22/2005 Set-up necessary home study appointments.
9/27/2005 Began the “dossier” process
10/2/2005 Ordered 'certified' birth certificates
10/3/2005 Applied for passport
10/7/2005 Received Brian’s ‘certified’ birth certificate in mail.
1^st home study appointment at our home (China requires 4 home study visits)
10/8/2005 2^nd home study appointment at our home
10/11/2005 Sent Brian’s birth certificate off for certification.
10/14/2005 Received Ruth’s birth certificate in mail today.
3^rd home study appointment at social workers office
10/15/2005 4^th and final home study appointment ~ YEAH! More steps closer
10/17/2005 Received passports in mail, and Brian’s birth certificate from certification.
10/20/2005 Received 4 notarized final copies of our home study in mail today! Yahoo.
10/24/2005 Received Ruth’s birth certificate in mail from certification
10/31/2005 Applied for I-600A application @ USCIS-were fingerprinted on sight.
11/30/2005 Received official I-171H approval from immigration allowing us to bring our orphaned daughter into the US. YEAH-Celebrate!!!
12/1/2005 Fed-ex’d docs to Washington Secretary of State for certification
12/6/2005 Received our certified docs from WA Sec. of State. 1 more step away!
12/7/2005 Overnight Exprs’d docs to Chinese/Am. Embassy/Consulate in SF, CA
12/13/2005 Thought we would be able to track our docs from SF, CA, but no record yet ~ and again we wait. Most recent word out of China is that the expected wait time for a match has been extended to 9-10 months. Our hearts are sad though we remain hopeful! “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” Proverbs 13:12
12/19/2005 Received our docs today all authenticated ~ really cool – all in Chinese and I don’t understand a word of it! Will make necessary copies and plan to express mail it to agency by tomorrow
12/20/2005 Well, hard to believe only 13 short weeks ago we began on this journey. Our paperchase process went incredibly quickly without any hiccups in the road ~ God is faithful. Now it’s time...we’ve come to that place in the road where we wave good-bye to blood, sweat, & tears (our dossier) and hello to ...”Wait”! Lord, give us patience to withstand the long journey ahead.
12/21/2005 Our dossier was received at CCAI ~ right on time.
01/09/2006 Dossier sent to translation at our agency
01/13/2006 Dossier officially sent to Beijing China to CCAA office
01/17/2006 Dossier received in Beijing at CCAA
01/27/2006 We are officially logged into China’s system at CCAA
And now we get really good at waiting!