Friday, August 8, 2008

I'm still so frustrated and I'm really getting frustrated with CHI. One they should have limited their waiting list. Other agencies had temporarily stopped accepting new applications when they felt their waiting list was getting too big. Also, they allowed way too many people to send in dossiers. Had we not sent in our dossier at the beginning of April to Vietnam and spent all that additional money, we probably would have been more likely to switch countries right away, but we already had even more money invested than we did before submitting the dossier. Others who are working on Ethiopia can work on their dossier while they are working on their homestudy and waiting for CIS approval, but we have to wait!!! We've been waiting over a year and a half from when we first started this adoption and they've had no problem accepting our money, but now when we and they know without a doubt that Vietnam will close, even if it is temporarily and we will be switching countries no matter, since everything is moving at a snail's pace anyway, they just want us to sit and do nothing when there is so much we caould do, if we knew exactly what it was we needed to do. No wonder there atre many people who would love to adopt, but don't one because of the cost and two because they make it so difficult to do so. Well, I'm getting off my soapbox and doing some work, since lunch is now over.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

We too are in the same situation as you plus we had tried adopting in the US 2 years ago and we got so frustrated with that system we moved over to Vietnam and now we too are in limbo, stuck and are going to lose a tremendous amount of money not to mention the time we have lost. There is no accountability , they just say change programs to a different country but the time, travel and money and work to redo all the paperwork is ridiculous and then we go to the bottom of the waiting list...this is so stressful, disheartening and plain sad.Even if referrals are handed out in August they will not be processed and the program is going to shut down again no one will just state it at this point but there is no agreement or action being taken by Vietnam to do the things to keep the program active ....so who knows how long this will take again. The children and the couples trying to adopt are the ones getting hurt and taken for a ride. So much governmental beauracracy going on it will never get straightened out this way. Good luck with your journey, just know there are alot of people in the same situation as you are trying to figure it all out and what to do next. I just pray the little boy we almost got to adopt finds a loving home and doesn't stay in the orphanage much longer, it breaks my heart that we cannot go get him and give him a wonderful life.

Becky and Keith said...

Hey there! I just caught up on your blogs and I'm so sorry you are going through so much limbo. I understand your frustration as we dealt with some of the lack of direction ourselves. I hope you are able to get your paperwork turned around quickly and in line so your time will pass quickly! Love the look of the blog by the way!

Mellie said...

I wanted to say thank you for the card. It is beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Girl, I SO understand your feelings about CHI! One of the main reasons that we quit our adoption was because we were becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the way they were doing business. From their grossly misrepresented wait times (we were told one month AFTER getting on the wait list and paying a big chunk of cash that our wait time had DOUBLED), to the fact that they kept accepting applications when no one else was, to the fact that they encouraged so many families (including us) to prepare dossiers, to the whole Hague mess...it just kept getting worse. They were all about getting as many families as possible on the wait list because more families = more money for them. Never mind that most of those families would never be able to complete an adoption. I believe that it was tremendously irresponsible of them to have so many families in limbo when international adoptions have a track record of being so unpredictable. If I could do it all over again (after a LOT more research!), I would never chose an agency who takes in more applications than they know can be completed in the forseeable, reasonable future. Especially not if they require money up front and make no provision for a program shutting down other than switching countries. Ah, well..hindsight is always 20/20... We were told the same as you- either wait it out (for what?) with Vietnam, or switch countries. Um, no thanks. We decided to cut our losses and move on. My husband and I still very much want to adopt, and I hope that some day we will be able to. I know what agency we will NOT be using!

Sorry about getting on my soapbox! I was never brave enough to vent about it on my blog because I knew they read it... I hope everything works out for your family, and that you will soon be welcoming a child into your home. Take care.

Jodean

Anonymous said...

I am sorry that your in limbo, and all of your paperwork has to be redone for a different country. I had hoped that CHI would understand and refund more money to those who sent in dossiers when they said they could have more in Vietnam. I hope their Ethopia program is better.

Anonymous said...

Okay, I'm not going to say too much b/c this is your blog and I could write pages, but I've been wondering when someone was going to have enough. Good for you for saying what you feel. Even though I'm not in your position, I've said everything you mentioned here over and over. I'm thinking of you and I hope that your experience with their ET program is a better one. Hang in there, okay?

dwayne and melanie said...

Kathryn,
I am right there with you. Our dossier was sent over a year ago and I guess no one could have predicted where the program would be today, but I really feel for all the families who just sent dossiers to make the May cutoff. I myself am really disgusted with the lack of communication. I feel like they have just let us all hang out there.
Melanie

Anonymous said...

I am so sorry. This is all so horrible. I remember that first meeting with our CHI social worker and wanting to leave the agency after that. Had I done it right away, we probably would have a referral already. But what is done is done. Hang in there and something will happen. We are in limbo now and it is so frustrating, but try to take each day one at a time. I hope things start looking up & if you need anything please let me know.

Anonymous said...

We were a CHI family who chose to leave and find a new agency. It would take up to two weeks sometimes to get a call back or an email response from the director. Instead of being number 80 on a wait list, we went with a smaller agency and got a referral in less than 6 weeks after our dossier was in country. I strongly urge all families to go to adoptionagencyratings.com and leave comments to help other families avoid this situation. CHI is preying on vulnerable families who want children. My heart aches for you and your family.