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Hi all,

Donna here. OK, let me clarify that the other night at the meeting when I introduced you guys as the "troublemakers", I meant that in the nicest way! *grin* I think you guys are alot of fun - not that I know you all that well, but I can just tell. Your group reminds me of MY "group", some of whom we ended up travelling to China with, and became known as the "riff-raff at the back of the bus" (which is where we always sat because of course everyone knows that the most fun to be had is at the back of the bus)!!

Anyways........

"Secret Agent" - let me also clarify that I did NOT say, "it's 3 yrs or go elsewhere". I would never say that. We were having a conversation about the wait time for China, and the possibility of other options. Some families just can't take the wait anymore, and are considering other countries. It's always a very personal choice. We would never say to someone (essentially), "take it or leave it". There are quite a few of us on staff who are adoptive parents - we know all too well the emotions and stresses that are involved in building your family through adoption.

Someone else asked what we do about rumours. Well, we typically don't really pay attention to rumours to be honest. Mostly because we usually have the information direct from the horse's mouth to begin with anyways (horse's mouth being the CCAA in this case). We're in constant communication with the CCAA. Our staff person has a very good relationship with the Director, and they communicate by phone pretty much every week. If something is brought to our attention from a waiting family that we hadn't heard of, we ask the CCAA to confirm. Again, speaking just for our agency (but I hope this would go for ALL agencies), we would NEVER give any information "officially", if we hadn't confirmed it with the CCAA first. We also never "sit" on anything! It doesn't serve us any purpose whatsoever to keep information from families. Again, since alot of us on staff are adoptive parents, and our Director is an adoptee herself, we know first-hand the need to have information. Whenever we know something, we communicate it.....good or bad.

For those who were at our chat night the other night.....a question came up wondering why you can't foster a child while being in process to adopt. The answer I rec'd actually makes perfect sense. Again, it's all in the best interests of the child. Children in foster care already have too many placements. If you have a foster child in your home, and then change your mind about fostering once you receive your own child, what happens to that foster child?? Or what if you receive a foster child just weeks before receiving your own child?? That wouldn't be in the best interest of anyone involved.

Re: Taiwan. Ende looked into this a few years ago. China will not work with us if we have a licence for Taiwan.

I didn't forget about the SA question or the question about why you can't be in process for 2 int'l adoptions at the same time. I'm waiting for a response.

Hope everyone is staying cool - it's HOT out there!

Donna