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| 9 Months Old - What a Sweetheart! |
Musings of a Breakfast for Dinner Kind of Gal and Her Sauerkraut and Kimchi Loving Guys
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
New Photos!
Weekly Agency Updates
Our local agency, Children's Home Society & Family Services, provides weekly updates for the various international programs they work with. Sometimes they are brief, sometimes they provide some extra information (like the below).
When Tony or I talk about how many families have gotten to travel this year (so far 13 families have gotten notice to travel in 2012, including the 6 referenced below), or how long families are waiting for girl or boy referrals, this is where we get the information. If you read to the end you'll see there's some fun birthday info too!
I don't plan to share this every week -- it can be kind of boring -- but thought it might be interesting for others to see what kind of details we get. For more on what the abbreviations mean, see the FAQ page for more. (Note that our little guy is an ESWS child).
When Tony or I talk about how many families have gotten to travel this year (so far 13 families have gotten notice to travel in 2012, including the 6 referenced below), or how long families are waiting for girl or boy referrals, this is where we get the information. If you read to the end you'll see there's some fun birthday info too!
I don't plan to share this every week -- it can be kind of boring -- but thought it might be interesting for others to see what kind of details we get. For more on what the abbreviations mean, see the FAQ page for more. (Note that our little guy is an ESWS child).
April 10, 2012
This weekly program update line is intended to provide a brief overview of recent activity in the Korea Program. All activity that directly affects you will not be posted here until you have been notified. Please remember to contact your social worker or specialist for more information specific to your own adoption process.
During the last week, April 2-6, the following happened in the Korea Program.
Referrals and Acceptances
There were 0 referral received.
Please note that referrals are not accepted by families the same week they are given out.
There were 0 referral received.
Please note that referrals are not accepted by families the same week they are given out.
There were 0 acceptances last week.
Travel Notifications
There were 6 travel notifications received last week.
There were 6 travel notifications received last week.
Emigration Permission Status
Currently the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare is processing the emigration permissions for children whose acceptance paperwork was sent to ESWS through February 10, 2011 with the exception of some cases through our Waiting International Child Program. It is not typical that SWS contacts CHSFS when emigration permission submissions are made, but we will certainly communicate with SWS families as we receive more information.
Currently the Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare is processing the emigration permissions for children whose acceptance paperwork was sent to ESWS through February 10, 2011 with the exception of some cases through our Waiting International Child Program. It is not typical that SWS contacts CHSFS when emigration permission submissions are made, but we will certainly communicate with SWS families as we receive more information.
Families Waiting For Referrals
As of this update, there are 21 families waiting for girl referrals and 7 families waiting for boy referrals in the Regular (non-Heritage Program). Based on the current numbers of families waiting for referrals, new families coming into the Korea Program are being given the following timelines to wait for referrals. (This refers to the time expected to wait in order to be presented with a referral for the first time.)
As of this update, there are 21 families waiting for girl referrals and 7 families waiting for boy referrals in the Regular (non-Heritage Program). Based on the current numbers of families waiting for referrals, new families coming into the Korea Program are being given the following timelines to wait for referrals. (This refers to the time expected to wait in order to be presented with a referral for the first time.)
The following are the new current times to wait for referrals.
- Boy referral wait: 2-4 months
- Girl referral wait: 6-13 months
Heritage Families
There are currently 5 families waiting in the Heritage Program for referrals.
There are currently 5 families waiting in the Heritage Program for referrals.
For families matched with a child from ESWS
An update most recently consists of photographs and measurements. This is a great improvement compared to over a year ago when we were struggling even to receive this. These photographs and measurements are coming pretty regularly--about every 2-3 months. Sometimes, matched families from ESWS also receive a developmental checklist with notes as to the child’s habits, personality, etc. Some developmental checklists have additional handwritten notes by the social worker, others do not. The Korean worker is not required to make these additional notes and adds them at their own descretion.
An update most recently consists of photographs and measurements. This is a great improvement compared to over a year ago when we were struggling even to receive this. These photographs and measurements are coming pretty regularly--about every 2-3 months. Sometimes, matched families from ESWS also receive a developmental checklist with notes as to the child’s habits, personality, etc. Some developmental checklists have additional handwritten notes by the social worker, others do not. The Korean worker is not required to make these additional notes and adds them at their own descretion.
For families matched with a child from SWS
Because families currently matched and waiting for children from SWS are considered Waiting International Child Program cases, the updates come from SWS as tests are performed or as questions are submitted by the families. If more than 6-7 months passes from the time of acceptance, SWS does send a general update on the child. These updates include developmental and physical updates and usually a video of the child.
Because families currently matched and waiting for children from SWS are considered Waiting International Child Program cases, the updates come from SWS as tests are performed or as questions are submitted by the families. If more than 6-7 months passes from the time of acceptance, SWS does send a general update on the child. These updates include developmental and physical updates and usually a video of the child.
First Birthday Updates
A child’s first birthday is equally important in Korea as in the United States. Children in care have their first birthdays recognized and in almost all cases, a little celebration is held for the child. There is also a traditional “tohl jahbee” via which the child grabs an object from a collection of objects and the chosen object, per tradition, represents what the child will be when he/she grows up. Both SWS and ESWS provide one-year updates on the children, but it sometimes takes up to 4-5 weeks AFTER the first birthday for Children's Home to receive the update. There are a variety of reasons for the delay including scheduling of the celebration by the foster family, a later date coming in for the check-up, pictures that they want to develop before sending, etc. The update usually includes any details about the birthday celebration, what the child grabbed in the “tohl jahbee” and developmental updates. Sometimes photographs are also sent. We ask for your patience in waiting for these First Birthday Updates.
Friday, April 6, 2012
Technically Speaking
Though it is only mid-morning here (Friday), technically speaking it is tomorrow (Saturday) in Seoul. That means our little guy is officially 9 months old! I'm hoping we receive an update with new photos sometime soon, though it is possible we won't get updates each month (if/when we do, I will post them right away).
I hope he is having the sweetest of dreams right now. How I wish I could lean down and kiss those cute little cheeks!
I hope he is having the sweetest of dreams right now. How I wish I could lean down and kiss those cute little cheeks!
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Sharing in the Excitement
I previously mentioned that Tony and I have different approaches to how and when we share our news with others (surprising, I know!). Tony would prefer to continue keeping things a secret while I am ready to share it with anyone and everyone. Our compromise: he's told a few close friends and his family; I've been quietly sharing the news as opportunities arise. We are both keeping it off Facebook and other public forums.
As I have been sharing the news, I've found that I don't feel the sense of excitement I thought I would feel. Now, before you start judging me, know that initially there was a great sense of excitement, lots of smiling and even some jumping around and being giddy. But now, a couple of months in, it seems unreal. Just a series of "to-dos" and paperwork. A photo we can look at. Questions we get asked. It's all far away, disconnected.
When I share the news with a friend, sometimes they are so excited and happy for us that they tear up! And my excitement and joy...it doesn't compare with theirs. Maybe it's a self-protection thing (it can be painful and sad to think about all that we are missing while we wait). Maybe it's because I have a heard time getting excited for things until they actually happen (like vacations, where I don't feel like it's "real" until we are actually on our way).
After confiding my fears of being a horrible, cold, insensitive person to one of my friends who is pregnant, she shared with me that, though she can feel the baby kicking and has watched her body change over the past several months, she doesn't even feel like it's real. That was reassuring!
So maybe I'm not alone in this after all. Maybe it's how most soon-to-be moms feel (or, in my case, eventually-will-be mom). :)
As I have been sharing the news, I've found that I don't feel the sense of excitement I thought I would feel. Now, before you start judging me, know that initially there was a great sense of excitement, lots of smiling and even some jumping around and being giddy. But now, a couple of months in, it seems unreal. Just a series of "to-dos" and paperwork. A photo we can look at. Questions we get asked. It's all far away, disconnected.
When I share the news with a friend, sometimes they are so excited and happy for us that they tear up! And my excitement and joy...it doesn't compare with theirs. Maybe it's a self-protection thing (it can be painful and sad to think about all that we are missing while we wait). Maybe it's because I have a heard time getting excited for things until they actually happen (like vacations, where I don't feel like it's "real" until we are actually on our way).
After confiding my fears of being a horrible, cold, insensitive person to one of my friends who is pregnant, she shared with me that, though she can feel the baby kicking and has watched her body change over the past several months, she doesn't even feel like it's real. That was reassuring!
So maybe I'm not alone in this after all. Maybe it's how most soon-to-be moms feel (or, in my case, eventually-will-be mom). :)
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