2000  
March 18 Announce at the Ministry of Justice
We sent a request in order to obtain 'consent for adopting a foreign child' to the Ministry of Justice. After about a week we received a BKA number (Foreign Child to Adoption). Now we have to wait for over a year for an invitation to join the VIA adoption course .
   
2001  
February 23 Invitation to join VIA adoption course
Received a letter from the VIA with an invitation to follow the obligatory course. Because we are still having fertility treatment we ask for a delay.
   
2002  
May 16 Request to join VIA adoption course
When we decided to stop with the medical treatment we made a request to the Ministry of Justice for an invitation to take part in the VIA adoption course.
November 11 First meeting of the VIA adoption course
Today we had the first meeting of the VIA adoption course (the course contains 6 meetings). There were six other couples and the following subjects were discussed. Biological parents, child's separation, attachment, mourning process, how to deal with discrimination, possible problems one might encounter, puberty, the 'roots' feeling and an experienced adoptive mother talked about the adoption of her son. We also watched some video-tapes of a biological mother and an orphanage.
   
2003  
January 27 Last meeting of the VIA adoption course
Today we had the last meeting of the VIA adoption course. It was very positive and useful, and we're a step further in our adoption process.
April 10 Medical examination
The Ministry of Justice informs us that we need a medical examination. This must be performed by a doctor other then our own. We both pass the examination and now are waiting for the home study by the childcare and protection board.
May 8 Childcare and Protection Agency
A social worker from the Childcare and Protection Agency visited our home for the first interview. We had to make our biography in advance. We talked about our childhood, family and relationships, norms and values, health, our home and neighbourhood, social contacts, and of course extensively about adoption.
May 15 Childcare and Protection Agency
The second interview took place at the office of the Childcare and Protection Agency. Today we talked about the wish to have children and childlessness, our attitudes toward raising children, bonding and attachment, discrimination and future expectations. Sometimes it was hard but we had a very friendly social worker.
May 20 Childcare and Protection Agency
Today again to the office of the Childcare and Protection Agency, this time to read the draft report the social worker made. We could make changes in the report if necessary. This report will be send to the Department of Justice and contains advice about the consent in principle, in our case a positive one.
May 24 Consent in principle
Today we received our Consent in principle, maybe the most important part in the procedure, so we are very happy. A copy of this consent in principle and the home study report will be send to an Adoption Agency the licensee of your choice, in our case the Meiling Foundation
May 28 Message from agency
Today we got a letter from Meiling that they received the home study report and the consent in principle. They will invite us for an intake interview. On June 7 we received a phone call and made an appointment.
June 17 Intake interview at agency
Today we had the first intake interview with Meiling. For this we had to go to Apeldoorn. It was a general interview where we talked about our feelings about the country of our choice and the age of the child. Our choice is China. Now we are placed on a general waitinglist for China. It will take about 8 months.
september 20 "Meilingday"
This year the 'Meilingday" is taking place in "het Land van Ooit". There is a lot of information about adoption, and the park is filled with parents with their (mainly Chinese) children. There are also a lot of people who are still waiting, like we are. A great day.
   
2004  
March 2 Interview for country choice
Today we went to Hendrik Ido Ambacht, where they told us which documents we have to gather for our dossier which will be send to CCAA (China Centre of Adoption Affairs) in China. The dossier has to contain the following documents:
- personal letter with our motive of applying for adoption
- consent in principle
- employer's certificate
- financial statement
- birth certificate
- marriage certificate
- statement of good behavior
- medical statement
- homestudy report
- photos of ourselves and our house
- passport photos
- passport copies
April 8 Notary
By now we have gathered all the documents. Today we had to go to the notary to legalize our signatures. The documents got a stamp, a signature and a statement from the notary. The notary will send the documents to the district court for legalization of the notary's signature.
April 13 Notary
Today we could pick up our complete dossier, including the homestudy report at the Notary's office. The dossier is decently joined and has some wax seals.
April 14 "Rondje Den Haag"
Today we went to Den Haag to legalize our dossier. First we went to the Ministry of Justice, then to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and final to the Chinese Embassy. After collecting all the required signs and stamps we made some copies and went home. The paper chasing is done, our dossier is complete now.
April 15 Sending the dossier
Today we have sent the complete dossier to Meiling by registered mail.
April 16 Dossier arrived
Meiling received our dossier. Unfortunately they just did sent dossiers to China yesterday. Because they only send once a month we have to wait another month.
May 14 Dossier to China
Today our dossier has been sent to CCAA in China.
May 18 Date to China
We got the confirmation that our dossier arrived in China. The waiting period until the referral is now about 7 months.
November 10 The referral
Today we received a phone call from Meiling.
We are the proud parents of a daughter!!!!
November 11 Sign for the referral
Went to Alphen aan de Rijn to sign for the referral. After signing we got the referral photos and a medical report.
2005  
January 2 Trip to China
Finally...
January 4 Gotcha day
In our case Jinte day