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Helping to Make your
Adoption Trip a Wonderful Adventure for Everyone
It is our hope in
CHI that your trip to adopt your child is going to be the ?trip of a
lifetime? and beautiful in every way. What we include below, we
believe will help make it better for you and all others in your group.
Both Parents Should Travel if at All Possible
CHI highly encourages
both adoptive parents to travel to adopt their child. If only one
parent can travel, we encourage the traveling spouse to take one
companion along on the trip. We also encourage singles to take a
traveling companion to assist. Now what about others accompanying?
What about your children; would it be a ?good? thing?
We have
helped thousands of families make this great journey
Over the years we have
dealt with thousands of families making this journey of love to get
their child. What they have told us, added to our own observations,
might help you to answer these questions.
It is Wonderful but not Easy
Probably first and
foremost to consider is that international
adoption travel is very rigorous. Even though it is a great
adventure, it is important to remember that the adoption trip is
not a vacation. Jet lag, strange places and unusual food along
with a strict schedule conjunct together to require all one?s
concentration. That is why we urge adoptive parents to never schedule
business appointments during the trip. (Rare, yes, but it has
sometimes happened). And the schedule? Parents will travel to 3
cities in 10-12 days, having many appointments, and completing much
paperwork with a child they just have met and are getting adjusted to
(and vice versa).
A Time for Bonding
This is a very special
time for parents to bond with their new child and adoptive parents may
never have this special time alone again! When others (children or
adults) are along, it can detract from the bonding process. We have
found that children bond with one person at a time and additional
traveling companions may confuse the child. Attachment may be harder
for the child in the long run. The newly adopted child may bond with
the traveling companions and not the parents. Thus adding extra
stress to the newly adopted child and the adoptive parents and causing
additional problems later on. Having another child along can cause
jealousy issues on the part of either or both children. Adoptive
parents can compare their first or other child(ren) unfavorably to the
newly adopted child and adoption agencies have seen a higher
disruption rate in these cases. There are positive results that we
have seen too, of course, but we feel it is important to share with
you the experiences of others.
And What About the
Other Families on this Trip of a Lifetime?
One of the great,
great results of traveling with a group of families, all caught up in
the wonders of adopting a child is that they often become almost
family. As you make your plans for your adoption journey you will
want to consider how your decisions affect others in the group. Often
couples traveling alone have expressed to us they felt the adoption
process was neglected when a particular family brought along their
children and perhaps grandpa and grandma. They may feel some
resentment that a large part of the time is devoted to the families
with a lot of accompanying members that are taking so much time and
attention. You would understand that all families want the CHI
Coordinators to be able to concentrate on helping them finalize their
adoptions. Even though the additional traveling companions are not
allowed to participate in any of the adoption process and meetings,
just getting on and off the bus, planes, taxis, and in and out of the
restaurants, you probably can understand how others in the group might
feel.
And
All Those Wonderful Appointments
Our families normally travel in
groups of up to 16 families. That?s 32 people plus perhaps 16 more,
totaling 48. Adoptive parents may start out with a smaller group and
meet other CHI groups in Guangzhou, while completing the American
Consulate paperwork process at the same time and grow to 60 families.
That then becomes perhaps180 people There are many issues in
scheduling and making travel arrangements for large groups: Tour
buses have a limited number of seats and space. They are not the
large seats Americans are accustomed to. We do not want our families
to be uncomfortable so we have to work out all of this from the
beginning.
There are many appointments involved in the adoption
process in China and when groups are large just the basic logistics of
getting people to be on time; listening to the CHI coordinators; and
arriving at the appointed times can become very difficult. It has
happened that people traveling with our parents became ill or were
injured and it put added stress on the group and that adoptive
family.
Of Course You Can
Take Additional Family or Accompanying Members
If it sounds like we
are recommending that a couple travel alone and that a single person
travel with one other accompanying member, it is because we think this
is the best in most cases. We want to thank you for considering the
reasons why we think this way. But we are happy to consider your
particular situation and make special arrangements for other approved
travel guests. We hope you will also understand, based on everything
said above, that we feel it necessary to include an additional fee of
$250 per additional person for your extended family members
(grandparents and other relatives), and family friends, because of the necessity of adding
additional staff and vehicles for transportation, etc. This will be
included in the inside-China Travel Invoice.
There will not be
an additional travel fee for other children of the adoptive family.
If you want additional
travel companions to accompany you, please complete and sign the
agreement/waiver
as soon as your referral is received and your travel form is emailed
to the St. Louis Office Travel Coordinator.
May yours be the
greatest trip you have ever made and the Lord?s blessings and
protection be on you every day --in every way.
AGREEMENT/WAIVER FOR SPECIAL TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS
I/We have read and
understand the issues, costs and concerns listed in the Children?s
Hope International Travel Policy and request that additional
persons, children or travel companion(s) accompany my party to China.
I/We understand that we can take our child(ren) and that a single
traveler may take a companion without any additional
service fees.
This additional travel
companion: is in good health, is flexible, will be on time, will not
in any way interfere with the adoption process nor attempt to
influence group decisions, will not make special requests other than
the normal adoption trip
Below I have provided
the information for my additional travel companion(s): Includes
extended family members, grandparents, or other relatives and family
friends (one form for
each additional person).
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NAME
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ADDRESS |
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PHONE |
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FAX |
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E-MAIL |
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PASSPORT # |
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DATE OF BIRTH |
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Basic in-side
China travel *
for adoptive parents (2
adults)
based on double occupancy, includes hotels with breakfast, 2 flights
in China, sightseeing, ground transportation,
coordinator travel expenses,
service fees and tipping for
larger groups. .
$2000-$2500
Costs for additional
travel
companions beyond two persons
(All costs approximate):
which will include
a
rollaway bed in each hotel room.
$1000
includes a rollaway bed in each hotel room and
$250 additional travel companion fee) $1250-$1500
OR
in
private room and including $250
additional travel companion fee) $2000-$2500
Most hotels have 2
twin beds and we will request a crib for a child under the age of
two. For children over the age of 2 (either adopted children or
children accompanying their parents from the US) we will request a
rollaway bed and breakfast will be included. Only one rollaway bed
will fit in a room. Two rooms are required for 4 people. Adjoining
rooms can be requested, but it will depend on the availability at each
hotel when checking in.
There will not be
an additional travel fee for other children of the adoptive family.
By our signatures, we
agree to all of the above.
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______________________________
Signature of Adoptive
Parent Signature of
Adoptive Parent
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Signature of Additional
Travel Companion Date
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