China

Who can adopt?

• Couples and singles may adopt.  All parents must be at least 30 years of age.  At least one parent of a married couple must be 55 or younger.  Older couples may be considered on a case-by-case basis, but their combined ages need to be under 110 years.  Singles cannot be older than 50 when their dossier is submitted to China. 

• Couples can have no more than 4 minor children already living in the home.   

• Only one child can be adopted at a time, unless they are twins.  Twins are rare, however, and the income must be very high. 

• Single applicants must write a letter to the CCAA stating that they are heterosexual.  Homosexuals are not allowed to adopt from China.

• Single men may adopt, but must be 40 years older than the female child they adopt. 

• China allows only 8% of an agency's applicants to be single.  If you would like to put your name on our waiting list for singles, please e-mail Teri and we will let you know when we have an opening.

• China requires a minimum annual income of $10,000 per person living in the home, including the child you are adopting.  Example:  If you are a married couple with 1 child already in your home, you must make an annual income of $40,000.  (Income for singles must be higher and you must have a plan for the care of your child while you are working).

• All applicants must wait 1 year from a previous adoption before submitting a dossier to China.

The Children Available:

• The ages of the children referred from the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) is usually between 7 and 14 months.  There are also children available up to 14 years of age.  You can request a child "as young as possible", but please keep in mind that we have no control over the age of the children you are referred and you should be willing to accept a child a little older than you requested. 

• Healthy children and children with minor special needs are available from China.  If you are open to a child with any special needs, please let us know. 

• Most of the children that are available for adoption in China have been abandoned.  There is no record or trace left behind by the birth family.  These children are raised in welfare homes and a small number of them are put into foster homes. 

• Most of the children adopted from China are girls.  However, boys are available and if you would like to adopt a boy, the CCAA will try to honor your request if they are able to do so. 

The Process:

The Paperwork for China

After acceptance of your application, we will call you to set up appointments for your home study.  We will also mail to you (or e-mail, whichever you prefer) a dossier guide to you to help you to prepare your paperwork.  We are available to answer any questions you might have as you assemble your dossier, so please don't hesitate to call if you have questions or the guide is not clear to you.  Also, if you check the Links section below, information on obtaining a passport, USCIS links, visas, and other general information to help with the process are listed there. 

Once you have completed your dossier, including obtaining state seals, you will send it to us and we will get your dossier authenticated at the Chinese Embassy and send it for translation.  We will let you know when your dossier has been sent to China and when it has been logged in at the CCAA.

Referral

In about 6-7 months (this is subject to change, but that is what it is now) from your log-in date, we will receive your referral.  This is a packet that usually includes medical and developmental reports and several pictures of your child.  As soon as we receive it, we will call you with basic information about your child. A few days later, you will receive the packet and translations of these documents.  Once you have reviewed and accepted your referral, we send in your acceptance and wait for travel approvals.  The wait for travel approval is usually 2-4 weeks from the time the CCAA receives your acceptances.  We cannot receive consulate appointments until we fax these approvals to them.  Do not arrange your travel until we have your consulate appointment confirmed.  The timeframe from referral to travel is usually about 6-8 weeks. 

Travel

As soon as we receive the confirmation of your consulate appointment date, we will begin scheduling the rest of your travel. We can arrange your flights from LA or San Francisco to China for you, or you may do it yourself--it is your choice.  If you choose to take the Beijing tour, you will leave a couple of days earlier than the rest of the group.  You will be met at the airport in the destination city by one of our guides and will be taken to your hotel.  All in-China arrangements are made for you, including hotels and air travel within the country.  We will send you an itinerary for your travel, and phone numbers of the hotels you will be staying at. 

When you have completed your tour in Beijing, you will fly to your child's province. You will receive your child that day or the day after you arrive in the province, depending on the province.  You will generally spend about 5-7 days in the province completing the adoption paperwork and awaiting the birth certificate, adoption certificate, abandonment certificate, and your child's passport.  You will then fly to Guangzhou in the Guangdong province where the American Consulate is located.  While there, you will obtain your child's medical exam and your child's visa to leave the country.  You will also have your consulate appointment and receive all of your child's information that you must give to the immigration officials in the U.S.  You will then be able to leave China with your child.