Hague Implementation and The Wait
Part of the Implementation of The Hague involves parents receiving at least ten hours of training. I think this is a wonderful thing, and I love that agencies need to try to use some of this time to train families for a “particular child”. How wonderful if agencies might start to put training together to talk to you about the needs of a particular age range and how to best foster attachment for this age range and what developmental things you should be working towards for that age range.
Technically the treaty goes into affect three months after the U.S. officially ratifies it, and it only goes into affect for those who do not have a current I-600A/I-171H. If your I-600A expires after it is ratified then you’ll fall under the new rules, if you have a valid I-600A from before Hague ratification then it appears you’d fall under the old rules.
There is an agency out there who is asking their December 2005 families to get this training within the next 60 days as part of the agency working towards accreditation. It sounds like this agency thinks the December 2005 families are going to travel at least three months after ratification. I’m told by other agencies that the U.S. is still many months away from ratification and at least a few agencies don’t think they will need to be fully compliant until January of 2008, so this does not bode well for what this agency thinks The Wait is going to do.
If you’d like to know more about Hague Implementation, the State Department has put together a good pdf pamphlet about it:
http://travel.state.gov/pdf/Prospective_Adoptive_Parents_Guide.pdf
I’m hearing some interesting things about how the process will change in the U.S. There is talk that the I-600A might change into something else, and that the process will be digital and families will be able to check the status online. There is also the question of how the U.S. is going to get around the fact that they need to approve for a particular child. When we apply for the I-600A we don’t have a referral for a particular child, so some think the USCIS will need to be involved again between referral and travel to approve your referral. But no one really knows for sure how things are going to work, it all seems to be theoretical at this point.
As you can see, it does not sound like the USCIS is ready to ratify the Hague anytime soon. There are no clear answers yet as to how they are going to implement some pretty important parts of it, and these things don’t happen overnight in our bloated government that loves to tie itself up in red tape. It’s possible they’ve worked it out and just aren’t sharing yet of course, but everything still seems to be in the “talking about it” stage of the game.
There is also talk that another government agency will be formed and the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS will no longer be involved in the process. This new agency could theoretically fall under the State Department instead. I have to wonder if this talk is out there because the USCIS doesn’t seem to be getting close to ratification?
I’ve been watching things and assuming that we are still at least 6 or 8 months away from ratification, but I admittedly don’t have the inside scoop on our government’s timetable. I find it very interesting that an agency thinks the December 2005 folks could begin falling under the new rules, though.
April 29th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Word from my agency is that April process is 5 days, 7 days over the past 2 months.
April 29th, 2007 at 9:24 am
fdchief – five days for what?
April 29th, 2007 at 9:26 am
I don’t disagree that giving prospective parents training, but you’d think agencies would be doing this already – at least on a volunteer basis.
The problem with the hague mandating “10 hours of training” is with the definition and certification of what constitutes acceptable training. Mrs. Giant Robot raised her little brother – does that mean she’s got the check in the box? Is the training intended to help you with a baby that has been starved and neglected in a Chinese orphanage? Or is it supposed to teach you how to change diapers and prepare formula. Children adopted from different countries have different needs – the Hague is going to need to give some latitude in what this means.
But one thing’s for sure: lots of people are licking their lips at the potential for making lots of money contracting out to do “Hague Certified Adoption Training.” I can only imagine the cottage industry this will create.
The Hague would have been better off leaving this training crap out of the agreement IMHO.
April 29th, 2007 at 9:31 am
I think most of the training is going to be around attachment issues and basic issues that you see in an institutionalized child. And no, I don’t think prior experience is going to count, though I’d assume if you already know it you can probably just take the test and breeze through the instruction. Personally even though I think I probably know a good bit of it, if we were doing it again I’d pay attention to the instruction just in case there is something I might pick up.
And I do think it is a very good thing. Especially if agencies take the time to work with parents a little about the specific child they are referred.
April 29th, 2007 at 10:03 am
My agency did not require training but my husband and I took several classes anyway because they thought they would give out good knowledge. So do you think that classes taken when we started the adoption will count? They were with a different adoption agency and were all about attachment and such.
April 29th, 2007 at 10:37 am
I wonder if the November 05 people might come under the new regs too. If it takes the US 6 months to implement, November 05 Lid’s probably won’t have completed travel.
April 29th, 2007 at 10:53 am
I don’t mind having the additional training;however, with the increased fees and renewals due to the longer wait times, I feel like the agencies should absorb some of these fees.
April 29th, 2007 at 11:31 am
My State requires that all adoptive parents take 24 hours of parenting classes. All of my classes were geared towards adopting from China – I took several classes in attachment, developmental delays, being a multicultural family, single parenting, etc. While not all of the classes were “great,” I learned a alot and am very glad they were required (despite the expense).
April 29th, 2007 at 11:36 am
We are a Dec 05 LID. We have not heard anything about this yet from our agency.
It makes sense that we will not travel in the next 6-8 months. I am trying to learn how to accept that.
I would not mind taking classes and I think it would be a good thing. The thought of another “hurdle” to get over in this process, though, is pretty frustating though to say the least after waiting almost 17 months. I feel like we are not getting anywhere.
If you live a good distance from your agency, I wonder if they will offer the classes in your area or does it mean travel to your agency for the classes? we live a good distance from our agency and have already traveled 3 times and I didn’t want to do the travel thing again..
I guess this proves just how far away Dec 2005 people are from referral.
April 29th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Our agency had a day long training session required of all clients that had to be done before they were homestudy approved. These classes were covered as part of the fee we paid the agency… we didn’t pay anything additional. Our fees are no more than any other agency that I’ve seen.
The class covered attachment issues, developmental delays etc. and how to best start the process of bonding with your new baby while in China and once you got home, and that it is a process and doesn’t usually happen immediately. They talked about research studies in this area too. I thought it was excellent. They also had a panel of adoptive families who had completed the process so we could ask “real life” questions.
In addition, they told us of community resources if we should have any issues once we were home. They had a table of books/ magazines that would be helpful reading. They had a couple of books that were required reading as part of the homestudy process.
The class also let us meet other families going through the process.
I actually assumed all agencies did this as part of the homestudy process. I thought it was important and helpful.
April 29th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Do you think this training will be required also of those of us who already have adopted a child and are in the process of no.2 or 3?
April 29th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
In Illinois, the USCIS does “get involved” between referral and travel. Maybe other states will adopt something similar if it works with the Hague requirements.
When we get our I-171, instead of the paperwork being sent to Guanzhou, the paperwork is “retained at this office”. (That is why we don’t “ususally” get the brown envelope in Illinois) After referral, there is a department in the State of Illinois DCFS that “OK’s” the referral (sent to them by your SW). This is to make sure that your child meets the requirements in your HS. Then the person at DCFS sends the “OK” to USCIS, who then wires your info to Guangzhou.
Sounds complicated and time consuming, but somehow it all happens in a few days! I know I was stressed out before referral, thinking “what if DCFS doesn’t get it to USCIS in time etc.” but it works out OK. We got a new I-171 indicating that our paperwork was sent to Guangzhou about 2 weeks before we left for China.
We also were required to attend about 10 hours of adoption education/parenting-type class. I am not sure if it was our SW’s requirement (she was not with our agency), or if it is a state requirement. There were plenty of opportunities to get this adoption-ed; our agency, our SW, regional adoption seminars etc.
April 29th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Sorry about the “guangzhou” typo in the previous post!
April 29th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
I am soooo confused.
Does this mean that those who have a valid I-600A -original or renewed before ratification that they DO NOT have to take the training?
I would assume that 12/05 LID’s will have their new 171-H before the ratification–so why do they need to do it.
And I plan on renewing mine by August of 07–if they haven’t ratified it by then, then I assume I am okay. Is this correct?
(Another confusing bit of aggravation to add to this sickeningly long wait! ).
April 29th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Unless I’m not doing the math right it doesn’t seem like the education req’t would affect the dec 2005 families. If it doesn’t go into effect until 3 mos after ratification and its not going to be fully implemented til jan 2008, that means they’re anticipating another 6 mos til ratification. So, if a 12/05 family had their new 1600 in let’s say, nov or dec 2007 it would be good for plenty of time to travel even if things continue at this slow pace (assuming 2 days is not the new rule).
However, I do think the education req’t is a good idea. We weren’t required to do anything at all but I have spent at least 10 times the 10 hour req’t educating myself. I’m sure that many others have not and DH hasn’t, mostly just gets his info from me. We discuss and I occasionally print things out and say “read this” LOL!!!
I, for one, expect that this will move at “govt speed”
April 29th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
I wonder how this will work for people out of state from their agencies. Our ‘training’ in our area is pretty pathetic.
April 29th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
We were “out-of-state” from our agency. We found out about most of the education seminars from our “in-state” SW, and nearly all were in our state, close by.
April 29th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
We also are adopting while living in IL. The education hours were part of the state requirement for the homestudy. Our homestudy agency (we’re working w/ an adoption agency in a different state) held monthly training sessions, and they also accepted some hours from conferences or adoption books. We had completed our first adoption in a different state that didn’t have any education requirements, so I do think that the educational componet is a good thing. Maybe they’ll count RQ reading towards the hours!!! ;)
April 29th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I guess what concerns me about this is that a lot of Dec 05 people are in the process of renewing their immigration approval right now so those should be good for another 18 months it sounds like, regardless of when the Hague is implemented. So it sounds like at least one agency may be predicting we won’t be traveling for another 18 months (is that what you’re getting at?)
April 29th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
My husband and I belong to a local FCC group and we meet monthly for meetings. Sometimes there are 2 families talking about their recent trip, sometimes the discussion is on bonding and attachment, and we even had CPR training. There is all kinds of literature available at the meetings as well as recommended books to read on attachment issues. Do you think this would be covered as a parenting class?
April 29th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
I know of several web sites where you can find ideas to foster attachment by age group. I used to work on one such project but got busy.
If you would like a link to the site I’ll be happy to send it to anyone that emails me.
April 29th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
I am with a texas based agency but used a local social work agency with a lid of 12/19/05. I was required by my agency to do 10 hours of adoption education for the updated homestudy- it was easy- on line- education. I dont think it was much of a big deal and cost no more than 30 dollars.
April 29th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Our state requires 24 hours of training for adoptive parents. Our agency provides it and it is included in our fees. Once you take it, you don’t have to take it again for future adoptions. I really learned a lot from the classes and think the state should require all parents to take them!
April 29th, 2007 at 10:34 pm
I’m a child, adolescent, and family therapist for our state mental health center. I wish all parents (biological AND adoptive) were required to do a homestudy, background check, parent education, etc. But then I wouldn’t have a job…
April 30th, 2007 at 6:08 am
I have an LID 7/11/06 and my agency required that each of us take a self-directed training before DTC. We had to read through a manual of chapters, then talk together about it, and record our thoughts and what we learned in another document. It was definitely a 10 hour plus exercise – and included attachment, how to handle racial issues, different diseases the child may have, as well as just parenting stuff. I believe 2nd timers have to do it too, but a different version.
April 30th, 2007 at 8:48 am
I have no problem with an educational requirement. Our agency required us to take several classes during the wait for our first child. As second time adopters this time, we did not have to take them. I run a support group in this area for waiting families and topics covered are fun things like: Packing for the trip, what to buy and where to shop in China, but we also cover heavier topics like: what to expect when you return home, dealing with medical issues, attachment issues, dealing with friends, families and strangers, post adoption depression. Even though I have run this group for 4+ years, I am still amazed at the number of people who say to me “I wish we had known about the group sooner” We publicize on our FCC website and by word of mouth through our local agencies. I think families are hungry for education before they go. I think the wait is a wonderful time to address all aspects of the adoption, not just the “ice cream and puppies” happiness. Our local Adoption Doctor and Developmental Specialist run a three class course in conjuction with a social service agency and at the end you get a certificate of completion. I think it totals 9 hours and is three hours on one Sunday (or Saturday, I cannot remember) a month for three months. I am not sure how much disruption occurs in Chinese adoption v. domestic or other internation adoption, but I think education of prospective parents is a good thing.
Oh well, better get back to work.
Jane