Written by Kate Boyd

We hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the last weeks of summer. What a wonderful time we have been having in the China Program lately!

The past couple months have demonstrated that the CCAA continues to work on behalf of children and families. Currently the time frame from dossier submission to referral is approximately 6-7 months. Travel is still around 6-8 weeks after families return their referral acceptances.

The fall also brings a busy time within China. October 1st is the National Day holiday. Typically the CCAA and provincial offices close for at least a couple days during this holiday. This is a great time to encourage adopting families to learn as much as they can about China's holidays and traditions to share with their children. The Trade Fair in Guangzhou also takes place the second half of October. Travel just before, during and just after the annual trade fair can be difficult, with flights being tight and costs much higher than at other times of the year. We do our best to have families travel around the Trade Fair as much as possible, while trying to balance getting everyone to China to bring home their children.

In our last newsletter we touched on the CDC health advisory pertaining to measles cases from China and wanted to do a quick follow up. In the past few months there have continued to be a few reported cases of Chinese children coming into the U.S. with measles according to both U.S. media and the CDC and the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. There has been no reason to be concerned at this time about travel delays. In a previous report the CDC states, "Adoptive parents should ensure that they and their families are appropriately immunized before traveling abroad for adoption". This is always good advice any time one travels internationally. These cases and the advice of the CDC continue to be a good general reminder that families should be prepared and well educated on matters regarding communicable diseases and international travel.

Finally, with so many families submitting dossiers, receiving referrals and traveling, our FTIA family with children from China is growing by leaps and bounds! Please remember that your China Team is thrilled to receive updated photos and notes as your children grow. We always welcome letters, stories and photos to share on our web site also!

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