Waiting Child Program Information

Waiting Child Program

FEATURED CHILD

DJDR1111.1.8
1/15/2000
Male

	Due in large part to the pressure of China’s “One Child Policy,” the high cost of medical expenses, and fear of discrimination, many children with medical special needs are abandoned by their birth parents, only to enter state-run orphanages with little hope of being adopted in China. Fortunately, many loving American families are bringing these special children into their homes, giving them not only the best medical care, but more importantly hope, dignity, and the love of a permanent family. These very special children with varying degrees of medical conditions are both boys and girls, between the ages of 8 months and 13 years, most often under 2 years of age. Occasionally, older children (ages 6 to 13) with no known medical conditions are available for adoption in the Waiting Child Program.

This chart provides a breakdown of the special needs most commonly seen in the Waiting Child Program.

Waiting Children have special needs such as cleft lip and palate, missing or malformed limbs, congenital heart disease, spina bifida, or vision or hearing issues, etc. While some special needs may be considered minor in the US, other conditions may be more severe and even encompass multiple issues.

About 21% of the children seen in our Waiting Child Program have more than one special need. Families considering the Waiting Child Program should carefully evaluate and research the special needs they are prepared to accept. Please visit our website http://www.chinesechildren.org/WaitingChild/documents/MedicalGlossary.pdf for a Medical Glossary with pictures.

The CCCWA regularly releases information on these children to selected adoption agencies, either through an online Shared List (a secure electronic listing of children’s files that is viewed by multiple adoption agencies) or an agency-specific Designated List (in which files are assigned to one specific agency for placement). CCAI uses both the Designated List and Shared List to match as many children as possible to our waiting families. The information available in a Waiting Child’s file includes:

Several photographs, including, if applicable, the physical appearance of a visible medical condition
A physical examination (typically including a blood test, urine test, hepatitis B panel, and HIV/syphilis tests)
Medical information relating to the child’s condition, if available
Basic developmental information
Background information, generally outlining the child’s personality, preferences, history in the orphanage, and daily routine

All of this information is translated and available for families to review when considering a Waiting Child. CCAI will request updates for families on the child they are considering, but cannot guarantee the availability of such information. In addition, it is important for families to remember that a child may be placed with you with physical and/or emotional problems, minor or major, that have remained partially or totally undiagnosed and which were unknown to CCAI. When considering a Waiting Child, CCAI encourages families to work with their pediatrician, medical specialist, insurance company, and social worker to ensure that they are physically, financially, emotionally, and practically prepared to parent their Waiting Child.

Child Profiles