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About Adoption: Frequently Asked Questions
- How long has St. Lucy Center been in
existance?
St. Lucy Center was created in 1982 to serve the unwed mothers
and the children. Please refer to About St. Lucy section for
more details.
- To which countries are most of the
children adopted?
Recent years, fewer children are adopted by local Taiwanese
couples while majority of the international adoptions are
from the US. A small percentage are adopted by couples from Europe and Pacific Rim countries.
- Who will take care of my case in
your agency?
After receiving the complete dossier from you, or your adoption
agency, the St. Lucy staff will handle court hearings,
translations of adoption decree certificate, birth
certificate, immunization records, passport photos,
passport and other legal documents the US requires to issue
your child a visa. Please refer to the "About Adoption" section for
more details.
- How will you help me with my
paperwork?
With limited staff to handle unwed mother cases and adoption cases, as well as to provide social services, we are unable to provide individual help with paperwork. Please consult with
your adoption agency, or our "About Adoption" page.
- Who will handle my child's adoption
hearings?
With your limited power of attorney
letters, the St. Lucy director can and will represent you
at the adoption hearings.
- Do you have particular Adoption
agencies you work with?
Currently St. Lucy Center only works with three affiliate adoption agencies in the US. Each agency work differently with adoptive parents. Please contact them to get more information about adoption in St. Lucy Center.
- Why do these women give up their
babies?
With love, courage and their baby's best interests at heart,
these women have given up their babies to loving parents.
- Who will take care of my
child while we wait for the adoption to be finalized?
There are currently twelve nannies on staff to care for
the babies around the clock. Doctors and nurses visit
the nursery weekly and volunteers visit
regularly. All babies receive medical screenings after birth,
well-baby checks and immunizations at the hospitals.
St. Lucy also provides monthly developmental reports and photos to the agencies, so the adoptive parents can know the babies' development before adoption is completed.
- What are the conditions of the
nursery?
With loving care, the four rooms of the nursery are clean and
well maintained. (See the "Take A Tour" section.)
- Can we visit the nursery where my
child comes from?
Yes, we welcome international
couples to visit the nursery. With the generous donations
from the adoptive parents, we are able to continuously
improve the unwed mother home and the nursery and would
be proud to show you where your child was raised.
For domestic couples, we regret we can not offer the tour
of the nursery at this time. The nursery is located in an
unspecified location, which is essential to limit
access to the nursery for the safety of the babies and
nannies.
- Can I specify the age range of the
child?
You can state your preference of age range. St. Lucy will
try to match your preference with the needs of the child.
St. Lucy will try their best to give you a referral that
does not exceed the maximum age you have specified.
- Can I specify the child gender?
You can state your gender preference. St. Lucy will try to
best match your preference.
- Can I visit my child while the
adoption petition is in court?
We welcome you to visit your child. For US parents, if both parents see
the child before the adoption is completed, an IR-3 visa
is issued by INS and automatic citizenship is granted. If
neither parents see the child before the adoption is
completed, an IR-4 visa is issued by INS. (If this is the case, readoption
in US is highly recommended to obtain US citizenship.
Please refers to INS and The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 for more detailed
information; there are links to the US State Department website at the bottom of this page.)
- Currently, how long is the wait
from the time the St. Lucy Center receives my dossier to
the time I receive a child match?
With the increased number of international adoptions it
various from several months to six months.
- What medical tests/exams are given
to the children before they are assigned?
Hepatitis, Down's Syndrome, G6PD, and all common birth defects or infections are screened prior to
hospital discharge. Abnormal test results are noted on the child's referral sheet.
- Do I get any family information on
the child assigned to me?
Usually a brief description of the birth mother and her family is included in the child referal sheet. Birth
father's information is generally unavailable.
- What kinds of special needs, or minor
and/or correctable medical conditions has your agency dealt
with in the children you have placed?
CMV, G6PD, heart defect(s), and
blindness.
- What will happen if I refuse a
child match?
If the international adoption agency does the matching,
you must refer to the adoption agency policy. On a
individual case basis, a second referral may be given if
the first referral was a special-needs child.
- How long does it usually take a
family to accept a child?
Most of children are accepted within a week of referal.
Special-needs children take longer.
- What is your experience with
Hepatitis-B?
Babies are screened for Hepatitis-B
at birth and appropriate treatments are performed by
doctors.
- Have you ever lost any dossier?
No
- Has St. Lucy ever refused any family's request to adopt?
Yes, because the childrens' welfare and best interests are our main
concern.
- How many US families have you
matched with children?
As of 2004, we have placed about 150 children including
six sets of twins with US couples since 1982
- Do I travel with a group?
It is up to the you as an individual or your adoption agency's discretion.
- Does St. Lucy arrange my travel?
No,
but there are volunteer interpreters who accompany you while
you receive your child(ren) at St. Lucy. Hotel concierge services in
Taipei usually can arrange transportation, flights and
accommodations for you.
- Does anyone from St. Lucy accompany
us during my trip?
St. Lucy's is located in Tainan, in southern Taiwan. Most international visitors arrive in Taipei, in northern Taiwan. It is a short plane trip between both cities. Rail and coach transportation is also available.
While in Taipei, you are on your own. At St. Lucy, a volunteer usually
accompanies you. It is up
to the volunteer's discretion to accompany you in Tainan.
- How long do I stay in Taiwan?
A week of travel time is needed to travel between the US, Taipei and Tainan, in addition to obtaining the child's visa at AIT.
- Are physicians readily available
for my child and me in Taiwan?
Contact St. Lucy for referral, or your hotel concierge if a
physician is needed.
- What are some travel-related costs?
Hotel, air transportation, taxi rides, food, and airport
tax.
- What kind of placement assurance do
I receive from St. Lucy?
All children are pre-screened for common birth defects and illnesses and receive regular check-ups
and immunizations. However, problems previously undetected by the common exams or minor illnesses
might arise after the placement. We encourage birth moms to disclose any health conditions to St.
Lucy, as well as to the OB-GYN, to provide better prenatal care. As with biological children, there are no guarantees a
child is without rare birth defects or undiscovered health problems.
- Do referrals come in big groups
or one by one?
Referrals may come in a group or one by one. The adoption
hearings usually take four to six months to completion
after the paper is filed in court.
- How are we notified when our match
is received?
You are notified by your adoption agency.
- How much information do we get with
the child match referral?
You receive one or two photos, a brief decription of the
birth mom's background if available, child's current
health status, medical information and screen test
results from birth up to the time of child referral. You also receive a monthly update of your child's physical development and medical consition.
- How much notice will we get before
we travel, after the child match?
The adoption petition can take from four to eight months to complete, with an average of six months
from the time the dossier is filed in high court to the time the final adoption decree is issued. You will
receive the final adoption decree and its translation. You should file your I-600A to receive
pre-approval for international adoption. When the adoption is completed, notify the INS orphan
unit to wire a cable of visa approval to AIT in Taipei, Taiwan. You can travel as soon as you have
verified that AIT has received the cable from your local INS orphan unit. It is recommend they you file your
I-600 at AIT to eliminate delays from INS processing.
- What if my documents expire while
we are waiting for a match?
Consult with CIS or your adoption agency. FBI finger prints and home study are valid for up to 12 months. You may need to file new documentation with CIS after
12 months. Check with CIS on how to extend your I-600A application.
- What happens to our dossier after
it arrives in St. Lucy?
St. Lucy staff will file an adoption petition on your behalf. They first files your case to the Supreme court if you are non-Taiwan-Born adoptive parents. After the verdicts
in the supreme court, your case will move to the family court in local district. St. Lucy staff and the birth mom will appear in the family court's adoption hearings. After St. Lucy receives the decree and final certificate from the local court, they will notice your agency. At that time you can make a travel arrangement and come to Taiwan to pick up your child.
- What documents do I need to take
with me if my spouse isn't travelling to Taiwan?
Consult your State DCFS, adoption agency, social worker, or INS. There are ramifications to one
parent traveling. Please refer to question 13 about IR-3, IR-4 visa or INS web site.
For more information CONTACT US or learn how you can Volunteer to Help
U.S. State Department Links:
U.S. State Department Pages on International Adoption
Taiwan Page, U.S. State Department International Adoption information
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