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July proved to be a busy month in regards to changes in the China Adoption Program.
The CCCWA announced, through two separate memos, significant changes in regards to the requirements of prospective adoptive parents, as well as changes to the program as a whole. We have summarized the most noteworthy changes below.
Changes to the requirements of PAPs:
- There can be no more than five minor children in the home.
- The youngest child in the home must be at least three years old.
- In the case of a married couple, if one spouse has one divorce, the couple must be married for at least two years. If there is a history of more than one divorce, the couple must be married at least five years. There can be no more than two divorces per spouse. Time spent living together as a couple can be counted towards the length requirement.
- For both married and single cases, the age between child and one parent can be no more than 50 years.
- There must be at least one year between adoptions.
- PAPs are not permitted to adopt two unrelated children at one time.
- If there is a history of cancer, PAP must be cancer free for three years, if the cancer was of skin, thyroid, breast, or testicular; or five years, for any other cancer type.
Please refer to the requirements section of our website
- Effective December 31, 2017, the CCCWA will no longer recognize 1:1 partnerships between orphanages and agencies.
- Hosting programs, including orphanage advocacy trips, will no longer be permitted.
- Agencies can expect to receive partnership files that have been submitted to CCCWA through December 31, 2017. (Translation once in CCCWA will add additional time before release to agency’s list.)
We will continue to monitor the implications of these changes, and vow to keep you informed of any pertinent updates that we hear.
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International Adoption:
Pre-Adoptive Parent Training in Illinois
The Department of Children & Family Services in IL(DCFS), requires that every adoptive parent receive a minimum of 4 hours of In-Person Prospective Parent Adoptive Training.
Madison Adoption is now offering this training!
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Speaking of Illinois, the Delaware office welcomed Misty, Shelly, & Brooke for a visit last month! It was a pleasure to show them around our new digs. We enjoyed getting to know each other better, breaking bread, and strategizing as a team. We hope to better serve you as we grow!
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Have you wondered about adopting from the Philippines?
Do you have questions about the programs?
We are here to introduce you to Philippines adoption!
Madison Adoption Associates earned accreditation in the Philippines in 2009 to place children with special needs, and earned accreditation in 2014 for the limited placement of healthy children.
There are two main programs to consider when adopting from the Philippines – the healthy tract, and the Special Home Finding program.
In the healthy program, Madison receives a certain number of ‘slots’ to submit family applications. Once those slots are filled, we must wait for our next allotment of slots. We are very grateful to ICAB (Inter-Country Adoption Board) for continuing to increase our number of slots!
The Special Home Finding program is dedicated to finding adoptive families for children with special needs, be it medical, psychological, age related, or sibling groups. We receive summaries of available children on a monthly basis. However, in an effort to respect the privacy of their children, ICAB does not allow agencies to openly advocate for these children by posting pictures or information. This can make advocacy challenging, however just because you cannot see the children on our website, does not mean they are not still waiting for a family!
If you would like to learn more about our Philippines adoption programs, please email Program Director, Amanda Felizardo at Amanda@madisonadoption.org or visit the Philippines Adoption Program page on our website.
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These families arrived home in July!
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Change. Change can be scary. It can be nerve-wracking and anxiety-producing. It can set you back, and put you in places, mentally and physically, where you are just trying to survive. It can cause you to give up, and think ‘why bother?’ But, depending on how you look at it, change can also be opportunity. It can be opportunity to rise above those around you trying to weather the same storm, and come out stronger.
Change in the international adoption world is not new. That doesn’t make dealing with new changes any easier. But, one thing, sadly, never changes. And that is children, orphans, needing our help. We must never lose sight of that. So while those around us weathering these same winds of change are building shelter just to get by, let’s put up those windmills and use these changes to do even bigger, better things than we have in the past.
"When the wind of change blows, some build shelter, while others build windmills.”
– Chinese Proverb
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A Note from Sara Lang...
When I joined Madison Adoption Associates in 2007, it was still a mother-daughter run agency, and I was the first non-family member to join the staff. Aleda and Diana quickly made me feel like I was part of their family.
It has been an exciting 10 years, watching MAA grow into one of the most respected and successful international placement agencies. As each new staff person has joined the MAA family, they have added a new dynamic and brought new energy that makes MAA the best agency!
I have learned so much while working at MAA, not only from the staff, but from each adoptive family. It has been an honor to play a small part in your child's story. My refrigerator at home is covered with pictures and cards from families who have continued to share their story with me. It is a daily reminder of how thankful I am for each family who stepped out in faith to love a child from a hard place.
As some of you already know, my last day at MAA is July 31. I will greatly miss my work with MAA (but I will enjoy getting to spend more time with my dogs!). My departure is due to health reasons; the support and compassion that I've received from my co-workers has been humbling. If you are an MAA client, you already know how amazing they are!
I am grateful that God lead me into adoption work. I trust God now as He leads me in a new direction and purpose - to get healthy! And don't be surprised if you see me again in the future, working on special projects for Madison Adoption Associates!
Blessings,
Sara Lang
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