Everything I read said that the agency was key. Pick the right agency and this adoption thing is easy, or pick the wrong agency and there will be an excess of work, worry, and waiting. So there was just a little pressure for me to choose the right one.
The agency search took me back to the Internet to research. It seemed that just about every agency provided a liaison to China. That sure didn't help me with my plight. Then I looked at requirements, and although the agency requirements differed a bit, we still qualified for the same child status regardless of who we chose. When that also didn't help, I looked at cost. Now Charlie and I were not in a position where an extra thousand dollars would have made a difference, but it was something to take into consideration. The differences still weren't that immense.
So, I did the only other thing I could think of to do, which was to call someone. I had requested informational packets from several of my top agencies, but I didn't have the patience to wait for them. My friend's oldest adopted grandchild was adopted from China, so I knew that she could either recommend or not recommend the agency they used. Her response was overwhelming! Yes, they loved their agency and highly recommended them.
After a bit of research and viewing the informational DVD that finally arrived, we decided to go with their agency. What sold us on them was something we hadn't previously considered. The agency's connection to China. Our agency actually had an office in Beijing and had connections with the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA), which was a definite plus. It didn't mean that we could get our daughter any faster, but it gave us piece of mind that our agency was in touch with the Chinese organization responsible for pairing up children with adoptive parents.
Once we made our agency decision, we still had to apply and be accepted. Although in the end, since we met the basic adoption criteria, we really only owed them the money. However, at the time it felt like when we filled out security clearance paperwork. I will also add that the only reason we were able to complete the application in so timely a manner, is because Charlie and I had both at one time been in the position of filling out security clearance paperwork, and therefore already had gathered most of the information.
After completing the form and submitting it with our application fee, we began the first of what seems an innumerable number of "waits." They didn't care how qualified you were, how much money you had, or how badly you wanted to adopt - you still had to wait. This is when I learned a sad truth about myself. I am NOT a patient person when it comes to paperwork and bureaucracy. Little kids I can handle, a two-hour commute I can handle, but having to wait while someone holds our family's future in their hands was simply unbearable!
We made it through those long six days and were approved! Approval from our agency just meant they would take our case, but it meant the world to us! Somewhere, someone out there thought we would make good parents. That's when the fun began.
