Adoption Terms & Acronymns
- Paperchase - working hard on all the paperwork (we are long done with this part, but sometimes renewing paperwork, especially from Japan, is a major feat)
- Dossier - the big collection of paperwork (our application) that is sent to China
- CCAA - China Center of Adoption Affairs
- LID - Log-in Date for the Dossier into the CCAA system (ours is 4/6/06)
- Referral - When the child is matched to the waiting parents
- LOA - "Letter of Acceptance" - Issued when the CCAA gives formal, final approval to adopt the child
- TA - travel approval (to go meet child and bring her/him home; travel is usually 7-9 weeks after one accepts a referral)
- SWI - Social Welfare Institute, orphanage
- Embassy Appt. - Appt. at U.S. embassy in China to get baby's visa (IR-3)
- CA - Consulate appointment, same as embassy Appt.
- IR-3 Visa - an adoption visa; allows the child to legally enter the US
- USCIS - United States Customs and Immigration Service (formerly INS.) They gave approval for us to adopt internationally, and will help secure our child's US citizenship.
- Rumor Queen ("RQ") - the lady who runs China Adopt Talk, a website we frequent for information about what is happening with China adoption
- Forever Family - adoptive family
- FCC - Families with Children from China
