Preparing for the worst, I just didn't know what to expect but he started out the meeting by telling us that this call was not regarding a referral nor was it regarding our wait. ( knot in stomach loosened a bit)
He went on to explain that for the last year the board of directors at Spence Chapin has been considering changing the mission of the company back to what it was when they started. He went on to inform us that when our agency started it was really an advocate program for children in foster care or with special needs in NY. As time changed and international adoption grew the company got involved in the international scene.
If you have read my blog or looked at my FB page you know about the movement called STUCK and how politics and red tape are ruining the international adoption process. Our agency agrees and has decided that they want to change their focus to waiting children or children with special needs. When I say waiting children that means older children or children with special needs. After reviewing the new focus of the agency we were informed that Korea does not have a program for older children or children with special needs so our agency is going to be dropping out of Korea all together. (Insert Big Sigh) The whole time we were getting all of this information all we kept saying was OK. It's the only response that fit, what else are we supposed to say. Not that other phrases didn't come to mind...
So what does this mean for us? This means that now we will be working with another agency out of Connecticut that Spence Chapin has high regard for and has been working with for the past few months to make sure the programs transitions is smooth and successful. We are assured and reassured that this will not change our wait time. Spence Chapin has had 3 of their top people in Korea hashing out the details and one of them will be going back Monday to continue to work on all the families in the programs behalf.
I talked to our case worker today and we had another phone conference with our current agency as well as the new agency. It went well. Our current case worker, whom we love and will miss as we have grown familiar with one another, encouraged us today regarding our wait. He said Korea was aware of our extended wait time and that they had acknowledged the "nudge" email he sent to them last month. He told us that things should be happening "very soon" and all I could say was "OK"
Please keep us in your prayers!
