Wartman Chinese Adoption Info There are over 1.2 million orphans in China
currently. One of them will be joining our family, home and
community. Click here to listen to Chinese
music as you read
We are adopting Adelie Mei
Wartman, currently known as Yu Xuan. Born 1/8/06.
She'll be home in late January, a
couple weeks after her 2nd birthday!
Wartman Timeline for Chinese Adoption
July 17, 2006 -
submitted application to
FTIA and Adoption Assistance
July 18 - acceptance email received from
FTIA
July 20 - submitted I600-A
July 25 - acceptance packet from Adoption Assistance
August 11 - fingerprinting appointment with CIS in
Louisville, KY
August 11 - home study visits, Louisville, KY (turned in
all documents needed for home study)
August 13- home study visits, in our home
August 14 - We approved the draft of the home study,
hopefully final copy will be off to CIS this week
August 16 - final home study approved by
FTIA
August 22 - notarized home study received by CIS
September 7 - I-171H arrived from CIS!!! (2 weeks
and 2 days, in Kentucky)
September 11 - took documents to Frankfort for state
certification, sent by Express Mail to Washington DC to
Caring Hands courier for Department of State and Chinese
Embassy authentications
September 19 - received documents back from Washington,
made copies, organized papers and overnighted them to
FTIA
September 20 -
FTIA called - our dossier is ready for
China!
September 22, 2006 - DTC = Dossier to China (cause for
celebration!!) 2 months and 5 days from beginning the
whole process!
October 17, 2006 - LID = We are officially in China's
system and the wait begins.
January 4, 2007 - Filled out Special Needs Checklist -
it's possible we'll be matched by our agency with a
child that matches something we indicated on our
checklist.
April 6, 2007 - From talking with our agency, it's
POSSIBLE that we might be matched with a special needs
child soon.
April 18, 2007 - We will probably be matched on the NEXT
special needs list, due in about 3 months.
August 24, 2007 - Our agency called with a match from
their Waiting Child list!! Once we have Children's
Hospital review her file, we'll post more.
August 31, 2007 - We have accepted this beautiful
child's file and have submitted our Letter of Intent.
Now we wait. We're still hoping to have her home
by Christmas (that's my dream!)
Her birth date is January 8, 2006. Her special
need is that she is blind in her right eye, otherwise
she is a very healthy girl. She currently weighs
24 lbs and is 29 1/2 inches tall. I'll post her
pictures as soon as we have our next approval!
September 7, 2007 - WE
RECEIVED OUR PA (PRE APPROVAL) IN ONLY 7 DAYS!!!
This usually takes 3-10 weeks. Now we await
our LOA (Letter of Approval), and that takes 2-4 months,
however, I'm thinking maybe much sooner! :-)
November 5, 2007 - WE RECEIVED OUR LOA!!!
This is day 66 after submitting the LOI. Next we
need the Travel Approval, then we can make travel
arrangements. We're hoping Nancy Ann can go get
Adelie and have her home before Christmas! It will
be a 2 week trip.
November
26, 2007 - WE RECEIVED OUR TA!!!
This is 3 weeks since the
arrival of our LOA. The
travel arrangements will be made
for January 15th or very soon
after that. This allows
time for Nancy Ann to be inTulsa for the Usborne
Books Advanced Leadership
Retreat and then to bring Adelie
home!
Required Documents for our Home Study
(can vary by state and agency, we're in Kentucky)
Copy of birth
certificates for all members of household
Copy of marriage license and divorce decree
Copy of financial information form
Copy of FTIA's financial information form
Copy of front page of federal and state tax return for
last 3 years
Statement from banks
Letter from employer, Neonworks of Cincinnati
Letter from CPA verifying self-employment with
Usborne Books
Copy of city water bill
Medical forms for each adoptive parent and all children
in the home
State Police criminal checks on parents
Child/Spouse Abuse registry check on all members of
household over 12 years old
Residential history form
Confidential disclosure form
Home study agreement form and home study release form
An invisible red thread
connects those destined to
meet, regardless of time,
place, or circumstance.
The thread may stretch or
tangle, but never break.
-- Ancient Chinese Proverb
Nancy Ann and Tom
What
is the significance of ladybugs?
Many
adoption websites, books,
announcements, and other items
feature ladybugs. Interestingly
enough, this has no roots in Chinese
culture (although they are
red). The
basic story is this: Several years
ago in China, as the international
adoption programs were beginning to
take off, there was a fall season
where the ladybug population grew
unusually large. This was thought to
be a lucky charm for those that were
adopting, so now whenever ladybugs
are seen, it is said that more
beautiful children are being
referred to wonderful waiting
parents and families.
Day 3 Adjust to new time
and sightsee. Visit the Great
Wall & Cloisonne Factory.
Day 4 Visit Tiananman
Square, the Forbidden City, and
take the Hutong Tour.
Day 5 GOTCHA DAY! Fly to
your child's province.
Receive your child in the
afternoon!
Day 6 Filling out
paperwork - adoption
registration and notarization.
Day 7 Visit pagoda and a
porcelain shop.
Day 8 Free day to explore
the city and get acquainted with
our new daughter.
Day 9
Receive all the documents. Fly
to Guangzhou and rejoin the rest
of the adoption group. Stay in
the White Swan Hotel.
Day 10 Medical exam and
visa pictures for the children
Day 11 Prepare consulate
documents.
Day 12 Visa
appointment.
Day 13 Take oath in the
morning. Pick up visa at 3pm.
Fly to home and your baby will
be a US citizen!
Every adoption trip is
different. This is simply a
sample agenda of a trip. The
stay in China generally varies from
10-14 days. Your agency will
make these arrangements for you.
