SACAS Waiting Parents

The Waiting Parents Committee
The Waiting Parents Committee was established to manage the Calendar of Events for Waiting Parents and also to advise and work with the Board on issues of relevance to Waiting Parents within the organisation.  The committee is comprised of members who are currently waiting to adopt a child from China.  

Sadly since early 2009 SACAS has been unable to identify volunteers to run this committee and as such all Waiting Parents Events have been placed on hold.  SACAS is an organisation run entirely by volunteers and most of these people hold down full-time jobs and family responsibilities.  Without a willing Waiting Parent to coordinate events the SACAS Board does not have the capacity to maintain Waiting Parents Events.  If you are interested in performing this role please email SACAS at contact_sacas@yahoo.com.au 

However as an interim arrangement SACAS have established an approach which requires little to no administrative effort on behalf of the Board but still provides and opportunity for Waiting Parents to meet others in their position.  Four times a year Waiting Parents can meet at Adelaide's own Shanghai style Teahouse and Cocktail Bar Saldachin.  It is important to note that no bookings are made and no one is coordinating these events for the reasons outlined above.  As such there can also be no guarantee that anyone will be in attendance.  However Saldachin is a delightful place to spend a few hours drinking tea and/or cocktails and having a light snack or meal.  So please check the Calendar of Events for details of these "blind dates".  Be sure to identify yourselves as SACAS Members by downloading the image below and placing it on your table so that other waiting parents can find you.  SACAS hopes that this informal approach will satisfy the needs of Waiting Parents and that it blossoms again into something more formal with a dedicated volunteer Coordinator.

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What is a "Waiting Parent"
So what is a "Waiting Parent"? Contrary to what many people think, Waiting Parents are not all childless. Some have biological children, adopted children, or a combination of both. Those with adopted children may have formed their families through the Chinese adoption program, through the adoption programs of other countries, or even through our own Australian domestic adoption programs. The motivation to adopt also varies considerably. In essence, Waiting Parents are a pretty diverse bunch of people. But they do share a very powerful bond. They will all become the proud parents of a Chinese born child.

More formally, under the SACAS Constitution Waiting Parents are defined as:

4.1.1        South Australian Prospective Adoptive Parents, as approved by the relevant adoption authority, to adopt a child of Chinese heritage.

4.1.2        South Australian Prospective Adoptive Parents who have expressed to the Executive Board a clear interest in adopting a child of Chinese heritage but have not yet been formally approved by the relevant adoption authority.

The Importance of Waiting Parents to SACAS
Waiting Parents have been an important part of SACAS since its very beginning.  In fact at least half of the founding members of SACAS were Waiting Parents.  They were disappointed to discover that the Chinese adoption program didn't have a support group in place.  So along with some adoptive parents of Chinese born children they set about building that support group.  Since then Waiting Parents have contributed to many SACAS achievements.  Either through membership on the Board, various Project Committees, or just by volunteering their services.  

As time goes on the percentage of Waiting parents within our community will naturally decrease.  This fact is to be celebrated as it means that at every allocation more families are created within our membership.  But it does pose some challenges for SACAS.  Particularly in ensuring that the organisation continues to provide services that are relevant to Waiting Parents and sustainable alongside the increasing demands of families.  That's where you come in.  

As a Waiting Parent you are valued and we need your help.  So please consider how you can help the Waiting Parents Committee and SACAS.  SACAS encourages you to have a voice and to play your part within our community.  And remember, just attending an event and having fun is an important contribution in itself.  As a Waiting Parent you will soon be bringing your child into our community.  By getting involved now you can make an investment in their future and play your part in making SACAS an even better community in which to raise your child.

SACAS Membership - What's in it for Waiting Parents?
When you join SACAS you are joining a community.  And the latin origin of the word community is loosely translated as "with gifts".  The concept is simple.  Everyone who joins brings with them a gift to share with others, and in return they get to share the gifts that every other member of the community has brought along.  It's a pretty good deal.  So what are these gifts?  

• Well the friendship and assistance of other Waiting Parents is one such gift.  You will get to meet them at the fun Waiting Parent Events that occur throughout the year.

• The advice and assistance of current adoptive parents is yet another gift, and you will be able to network with them during a number fun events and activities.  

• The SACAS Webpage and E-News Updates will give you the gift of information by keeping you well informed about China and Adoption issues.  

• And then there is the greatest gift of all - the children.  At times during the long adoption process some waiting parents may wish to remind themselves of why they are putting themselves through all this stress and heartache.  Waiting Parents are welcome to attend Panda-Play and Bamboo-Crew events as well as other SACAS events where children are present.  Through their parents you will gain opportunities to interact with these children and to see why the long wait is worthwhile.  

Don't take the adoption journey on your own.  Seek the support of others.  Have some fun along the way.  Share your gift with us and benefit from the gifts we can provide you.  Be part of a community.  Your kids will thank you for it.