Adoption Acronyms

My friends and adult "kids" sometimes have a hard time keeping up with "my initials" as they say, so here is a handy cheat sheet.  Hope it helps, guys!

Acronyms and Dictionary in order through Adoption Timeline:

1. HS        Home Study
2. LOI       Letter of Intent (to adopt a specific child)
3. PA         Pre-Approval
4. I-800A   Application to USCIS to adopt a child from China
5. I-797-Notice Of Action  I-800A approval
6. DTA       Dossier To Agency
7. DTC       Dossier to China
8. LID         Logged In Date
9. OOT       Out Of Translation - dossier has been translated into Chinese and is "in progress"
10. Reviewed - with the new database that the CCCWA installed in 2013, there are some new steps that we can track now.  Reviewed shows when your dossier has been, well, reviewed by the staff!
11. Match Reviewed or Soft LOA - this is when your dossier and the child's specific file are given their final review and the LOA is issued.  It shows in the computer system as issued before it actually arrives in its paper form at the agency.
12. LOA       Letter Of Acceptance also called LSC (Letter Seeking Confirmation)
13. I-800       Application to adopt a specific child  - in this case, from China
14. DS-260 Online US Dept of State form to apply for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration on behalf of your child
15. NVC rtf  --  Emailed copy of the adoption cable letter sent to the Consulate in Guangzhou China
16. A 5 or Article  5 Final approval from the United States for the adoption to take place
17. TA         Travel Approval
18. Gotcha Day or Forever Family Day - when you receive placement of your child
19. CA          US Consulate Appointment in China

This graphic was circulated on Facebook and does a good job of illustrating the process and main steps.  Note that the numbers above do not relate to the numbers on the chart.

SW Social Worker
WC Waiting Child
AP Adoptive Parent
SF Special Focus
SN Special Needs
NSN Non Special Needs
PAP Pre Adoptive Parent
USCIS United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
NVC National Visa Center
CA Consulate Appointment

CCCWA China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption

I-800: Your application to adopt a specific child from China

Dossier: a series of documents, that you compile, that tells the CCCWA about you, your family, your health and your finances

Cabled:  where the NVC sends the Embassy in Guangzhou notice that the I800 has been approved, so that once the agency's person in Guangzhou takes the family's DS230 paperwork (the paperwork for the child's American visa to be created) to the Embassy they can match it with the cable of approval to start the Article 5 process.

What is the A5?  According to  Bureau of Consular Affairs "If the Consular Officer determines that the child appears eligible to immigrate to the United States and that the information provided indicates that the adoption process thus far has complied with the Convention and IAA, he or she will notify the Convention country's central authority by issuing an Article 5/17 letter. The Article 5/17 letter will inform the foreign central authority that U.S. competent authorities have determined the prospective adoptive parents are eligible and suited to adopt, that the child may enter and reside permanently in the United States, and that the U.S. Central Authority agrees that the adoption may proceed."

Here is an update to the graphic that was circulating around the Internet: