Sunday, February 26, 2006

DTC to China

Our dossier is FINALLY on its way to China! After what seemed like an eternity of filling out paper work, the paper chase is finally over. I know the upcoming months are going to be a LONG wait, but at least we are in the queue and can officially start counting. I don't have to keep track of 15 documents, where they were in processing, and wait for a number of agencies and not be officially wating! It seems as if my 7+ months of labor are finally over!

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Adoption Acronyms

BCIS - Bureau of Customs & Immigration Services (now USCIS)
CA - Consulate Appointment
CCAA - China Center for Adoption Affairs (in China)
CIS - Customs & Immigration Services (now USCIS)
CN - Chinese Name
CoC - Certificate of Citizenship
DOR - Date Of Referral
DOT - Date Of Travel
DTC - Dossier To China (the date our dossier was mailed to China)
FCC - Families with Children from China: www.fwcc.org
FCM - Families of the China Moon (Local organization consisting of families who have adopted or are adopting children from China)
FP - Fingerprint / Fingerprinting
GWCA - Great Wall China Adoption, our adoption agency
HS - Home Study / homestudy
IA - International Adoption
I-600 - Petition to Classify Orphan as an Immediate Relative
I-600A - Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition
I-171H - US federal approval to adopt foreign-born child
I-797 The new I-171H
INS - Immigration & Naturalization Service (now USCIS)
LID - Log In Date (official date our dossier was registered with the CCAA)
LOI - Letter Of Intent (SN adoptions)
NSN - Non-Special Needs
PA - Permission to Adopt (SN adoptions)
PAP - Prospective Adoptive Parent(s)
PPR - Post Placement Report
SN - Special Needs
SW - Social Worker
TA - Travel Approval
UMFS - United Methodist Family Services (the agency that completed our home study)
USCIS - US Customs & Immigration Services (Dept. of Homeland Security)
WC - Waiting Child