China categorizes children into Special Focus and non-Special Focus (LID) groups according to their age and their degree of special needs/health conditions:
- Special Focus: Generally, these are children who are older, usually over age 4 years and/or children who have more significant special needs or multiple special needs. CCCWA will automatically define a child as Special Focus if they have been posted to the Shared List for more than one month without being matched to a family.
- Non-Special Focus (LID): These are younger children, usually under age 4, with minor or correctable special needs. These referral files can only be matched with a family who has a registered dossier with the CCCWA. These children are often referred to as “LID” children because they require that the family has a Log In Date for their dossier, in order to be eligible to adopt that child.
Families may be matched with waiting children in three ways:
