Tell me about the children from China

Due to the one-child policy in China and the cultural tradition for sons to care for their families, many healthy female babies born to married couples are abandoned. Typically the infants are left in places where the police will be certain to find them and take them to an orphanage. Periodically, boys, twins and older children are orphaned or abandoned. Many of the older children we have placed were not abandoned as infants and had only been in the orphanage for less than one year. Children with minor medical problems or significant special needs may also be adopted.

All orphaned and abandoned children are referred to a central adoption office in Beijing where they are carefully matched with adoptive parents based upon the parent's stated preference for age, gender and health of the child and upon the parental needs of the child. By China 's law, only one child may be adopted at a time unless adopting biological twins. Given the time it takes for the documents to be processed, referrals made, and travel dates approved in China , the youngest babies are usually 10 months old at the time adoption is final. China places the highest number of children for international adoption in the world, with approximately 7,000 Chinese children being adopted annually into the United States . China is known for being the most stable and predicable international adoption program.

China will accept applications from married couples between 30 and 55 years in age. Parents over 49 years of age may be referred a child between 18 months and 3 years old. Due to a new China policy, only 8% of an agency's annual placements may be to single parent homes, and our Single Parent quota is currently full. Applicants may have up to four children living in the home, and families with more children must be pre-approved on a case-by-case basis. China requires that all adoptive families have a minimum combined income of $30,000 annually plus $10,000 per child.

The adoption process in China is well regulated and typically very smooth. A wonderful Chinese family of adoption-professionals has been successfully completing international adoptions with China for nearly a decade. While one sister of the family lives and works with us in the United States , her brother, sister and brother-in-law provide the in-country services to our adoptive families.  

Upon receiving your completed dossier, we send it to our China Representatives for translation and submission to the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA). Typically, you would receive a child referral within 9 months.

Because most children are abandoned, very little history information is provided with the referral of a child. You will receive one or two photographs of the child, a presumed birth date and possibly the location where the abandoned child was found. Also provided will be a brief medical examination report stating the child's height and weight and the results of the blood tests and Hepatitis B tests. Sometimes updated photos of the child are available between acceptance of your referral and your travel. Our China Representatives make every effort to provide information whenever possible.

At least one adopting parent must travel to China to finalize the adoption. Normally, you will travel with a small group of other families. Departure dates are approximately 6 weeks after acceptance of a referral and the typical in-country stay is 10-12 days. You will travel to the province capital to finalize the adoption, then to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou to obtain your child's U.S. visa.

Our China Representatives arrange all of the details of your in-country travels to ensure that you are worry free as you experience your child's rich culture and traditions. Our China staff will meet you at the airport and they will remain with you until you bring your child home!