Many times you will read posts that have hundreds of abbreviations. Even for those of us who are actively involved in online communications it can be confusing at times. One abbreviation you definitely need to know is the JCICS. This stands for the Joint Council on International Children's Services. Their brief description on the front page of their site says.

Joint Council on International Children's Services is the oldest and largest affiliation of licensed, non-profit international adoption organizations in the world. Our membership includes adoption agencies,... more

Unfortunately, many times in the midst of the excitement that surrounds an adoption some very important things and people can be forgotten. As adopting/adoptive parents it is imperative that we maintain a correct perspective about those who have made the decision to place their child with another family to raise. There is a wide range of emotions that come with a discussion about this.

Let me first say that in our situation, we never knew the birth parents of our daughter. It is not even known who they were. Mia was left outside of a small hospital in a remote region... more

As I write this blog, I realize there are many different viewpoints out there. I make mine known in hopes of hearing from those of you who agree, disagree or fall somewhere in between. Some issues are cut and dry right and wrong and others are not. This issue of calling a day "Gotcha Day" is one that is not easily right or wrong.

Just for the record, "Gotcha Day" for some people is the anniversary of the day that either the adoption was declared completed or the day the family took custody of the child. Some families celebrate this day each year in numerous different ways.... more

The I-171H is a document you ultimately receive from the INS after filing form I-600A- Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition, along with the application fee and all required documents. You should begin this process as early as possible because it takes a while. Specifically, the fingerprint check through the FBI can take up to 3 months (and possibly longer). It doesn't always take this long, and seems to vary considerably state by state, but, to be safe, you should get this particular ball rolling... more

Many of you see the term "Hague" or "The Hague Convention" and see reactions to those words but never have familiarized yourself with them. Most are somewhat aware of the stoppage "The Hague" caused in Guatemala almost 3 years ago. If you are not up on the latest information on any information about "The Hague Convention" then you must read the following statement. This was provided to the Moose by fellow Adoption Forum member Tifany E Markee, Esq. who has extensive knowledge in immigration law. A special thanks is due her for providing the forum and now... more

Another common wait list you will find on adoption boards, lists, etc. is called and "FC wait list" or some variation of that title. These are families whose case is now in the hands of the "Family Court"

Although the term "Family Court" gives an impression of an official court setting with testimony and trial, it is almost completely an administrative process. This process mainly involves a social worker, the attorney, and the family court judge as people who are working on the case here.

Once the attorney submits the dossier and a request for a social worker to be assigned... more

"We have pink!!!" or "Here's to a speedy pink for you" are two of the common phrases you will read or hear on forums and in adoption groups. Pink is such a beloved color by those who have adopted and those who are adopting. By no means is this some passing "Pink is the new black" fad but rather a celebration that the adoption is almost complete.

When the adoption is completed in the PGN and the birth certificate has been received, the attorney will submit documents to... more

Purpose: Petition for visa approval for a yet unidentified orphan to be adopted from another country. Submitted to: USCIS (local office) Fee: $545 + $70 fingerprint fee for each adult 18 years and older

Once the homestudy is completed, or shortly before it's completion, the I-600A should be filed with the USCIS (Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services). This form is 6 pages in length and generally asks questions about your residence, your citizenship, and other questions of that nature. The I-600A is known as the advance processing of orphan petition. This is done because there is... more

A very important issue to consider before and during the process is which Visa your child will be obtaining from the US Embassy in order to come the United States. There are two visas that are issued called the IR-3 and the IR-4 visa. The state department website gives a little information regarding this by saying:

Adopted or To-Be-Adopted

U.S. law distinguishes between orphans adopted overseas and orphans coming to the United States for adoption. An orphan fully adopted overseas may receive an IR-3 visa. To qualify for an IR-3, the child must also have been seen by both parents prior to or during the adoption proceedings. An orphan who has not been fully adopted,... more

When you read of an adoption that has received "preapproval" this is regarding the US embassy. This is in the earlier stages of the adoption. While this is a very important stage of the adoption, preapproval does not guarantee anything. To put it simply, preapproval is the US Embassy's way of saying everything looks OK with the parents and with the status of the infant. Most of the time this includes a DNA test to check if the relinquishing parent is truly the parent of the infant. This is done to prevent fraud.

The time between submission of the documents and preapproval being granted is fairly short. The time consuming factor of the preapproval process is often the DNA tests... more