This is a wonderful video clip that describes an option within the adoption path that may be the right path for some people to choose. Jerry and I were very frightened at first when we heard the words "special needs"; however, through much research and education we came to find that the needs many of these children have are manageable and/or correctable. Unfortunately, our agency does not have a special needs or waiting child program, so we continue to wait in line for the "non-special needs" referral that we originally sought.
If we do choose to adopt another child in the future you can be assured that that child will be one that is waiting on an agency list because we are no longer frightened of the many possible needs that we can meet.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
TB Testing Procedures and the CDC...
The CDC is responsible for new TB testing procedures, and they are supposedly rolling them out to the various consulates around the world, with the intent to make sure children with active TB do not come into the U.S. They recently implemented these guidelines in Ethiopia in March of this year; they are now active in all China adoptions, as well.
Our understanding of this is:
If the skin test is negative then you get the child’s visa and go home. If it shows positive then a chest x-ray must be done.
If the chest x-ray is clear then you get the child’s visa and go home. If it is not clear then a “sputum test” is done, and that culture can take 8 weeks to show or not show TB.
If the culture does not show TB then you get the child’s visa and go home. If it shows TB then the child has to stay in country to be medicated. The embassy site says six months, but it could be 9 months to a year of medication; perhaps they figure the child isn’t contagious anymore at 6 months? We don’t know. We just know that they say six months.
What does this mean for families? Even if the skin test shows positive then the x-ray probably won’t delay travel as long as the x-ray is clear.
But, if the x-ray shows something then we’re stuck in country another two months. And, if the culture shows TB then our child (and, we're assuming, at least one parent) must remain in country for another six months - for a total of 8 months after adoption.
What percentage of babies will have active TB? A very very small percentage, but it is possible as China is known for having a high concentration of TB cases.
It appears that the CDC is just trying to keep children who are infectious from coming into the country, not children with latent TB. They estimate that less than 10 children a year will require the six month stay in Ethiopia.
It also appears that some agencies have started having the children in Ethiopia tested before the family travels. That way the family doesn’t get into a situation where they can’t bring their child home for 2 to 8 months. We do not know if that option is possible in China.
Realistically speaking, this is yet another stressor in an already stressful situation, but the odds are that most families will only make it to the skin test or the x-ray stage and will not have to stay for the culture or the medication phases.
Unfortunately, one family has now realized the nightmare described above - the link to their blog is below:
http://jayscruggs.livejournal.com/
There is a petition which one can sign to make their voice heard to the CDC that the implementation of these instructions is not in the best interest of these vulnerable children and should not be implemented for this population for many reasons. The link is below:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/build-families-not-barriers.html
Please feel free to add your name to this list so that more families do not suffer through senseless restrictions during an already stressful time.
Our understanding of this is:
If the skin test is negative then you get the child’s visa and go home. If it shows positive then a chest x-ray must be done.
If the chest x-ray is clear then you get the child’s visa and go home. If it is not clear then a “sputum test” is done, and that culture can take 8 weeks to show or not show TB.
If the culture does not show TB then you get the child’s visa and go home. If it shows TB then the child has to stay in country to be medicated. The embassy site says six months, but it could be 9 months to a year of medication; perhaps they figure the child isn’t contagious anymore at 6 months? We don’t know. We just know that they say six months.
What does this mean for families? Even if the skin test shows positive then the x-ray probably won’t delay travel as long as the x-ray is clear.
But, if the x-ray shows something then we’re stuck in country another two months. And, if the culture shows TB then our child (and, we're assuming, at least one parent) must remain in country for another six months - for a total of 8 months after adoption.
What percentage of babies will have active TB? A very very small percentage, but it is possible as China is known for having a high concentration of TB cases.
It appears that the CDC is just trying to keep children who are infectious from coming into the country, not children with latent TB. They estimate that less than 10 children a year will require the six month stay in Ethiopia.
It also appears that some agencies have started having the children in Ethiopia tested before the family travels. That way the family doesn’t get into a situation where they can’t bring their child home for 2 to 8 months. We do not know if that option is possible in China.
Realistically speaking, this is yet another stressor in an already stressful situation, but the odds are that most families will only make it to the skin test or the x-ray stage and will not have to stay for the culture or the medication phases.
Unfortunately, one family has now realized the nightmare described above - the link to their blog is below:
http://jayscruggs.livejournal.com/
There is a petition which one can sign to make their voice heard to the CDC that the implementation of these instructions is not in the best interest of these vulnerable children and should not be implemented for this population for many reasons. The link is below:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/build-families-not-barriers.html
Please feel free to add your name to this list so that more families do not suffer through senseless restrictions during an already stressful time.
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