Written by Maury Reising

We received the current Waiting Children list in May and hope to keep the information on the children another month or so, in hopes of placing the remaining available children with forever families. We received information on 32 children. They range in age from one year to 11 years. The children have a wide range of needs, from congenital heart defect and cleft lip and palate to albinism, club feet, missing digits, and hearing and vision issues. Brief information on each child and a photo of each child continues to be posted on the website at Waiting Children/Waiting Children List. In order to access this information, families can fill out and submit the short questionnaire and, if approved, will receive a password to access the child-specific information. The password a family receives will also give them access to any future Waiting Children list.

If you are interested in a specific child, please contact me by phone at 888-797-9900 or by e-mail at mreising@ftia.org.

Families can continue to find information about the Waiting Children Program at Waiting Children/Waiting Children List and Waiting Children from China. The time frames for receipt of pre-approvals and Final Approvals have been moving quickly in the last couple months! Families are receiving their pre-approvals an average of 3-5 weeks after submitting a Letter of Intent. After submission of a dossier, families can expect to receive a Final Approval within 1-3 months and then travel 3-6 weeks later.

We continue “A Child’s Plea” page on the website, although a child is not featured currently. Two children featured earlier this year have now returned home and are doing very well! A third child does have a forever family and they are working to complete his adoption. All three children have loving, committed families!!

One option that has been very successful for the Waiting Children Program is the availability of veteran families as resources for prospective families. Some veteran families who are parenting a special needs child have volunteered to provide prospective families information on their own experiences parenting a child with the same need or who is the same age. This has proved invaluable and it is so reassuring for families to talk with others who are handling a child with a similar need on a daily basis! We are very grateful to all the families who serve as such resources!! If you are not currently serving in this capacity, but would be interested in doing so, please contact me.

Another great resource for families is veteran families’ stories of their adoption experience; some of these are currently posted on the website. These serve as a great way for prospective families to read an overview of other families’ adoption experiences. These stories can be found on the website at References, Family Stories and Pictures/Family Stories, Letters, Photographs and are listed by each child’s first name. If you would like us to include the story of your special needs adoption, please you're your story to me and I will then be in touch with you.

This year’s Celebration of Children reunion was very enjoyable and it was great to meet or see again so many families of special needs children and the children themselves. It was a very hot day, but the food, location and company were great! I hope to see even more of you next year! It was also an incredible experience to travel to China this year to witness several families finalize their adoption of special needs children!!

It continues to be a great experience working with all the wonderful families interested in the special needs children and the children themselves. It is so reassuring to know how many of these children have been able to receive the medical care, family life, opportunities and support they need and deserve!!! I have come in contact with families all over the country and several families overseas who have so much concern and love in their hearts for these precious children! Thanks to all of you who have adopted a special needs child or children, advocate for these children, serve as resources for prospective families, make donations and/or support each other through the process!! I am truly blessed to work with the Waiting Children program and all of you!  

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