Families will receive guidance from the bilingual in-country facilitator team throughout their stay in China. The in-country facilitators started working in inter-country adoption in 1993, and have extensive experience. They were one of the first facilitator groups to work in China, and they have an excellent and well-established reputation with the China Center for Adoption Affairs.

The facilitator team is a group of family members. The sister works in the United State to coordinate family's dossiers and, the brothers work as the in-country guides, and the niece is a travel agent that sets up tours for the families.

Families travel to China in groups of two to seven families on average and stay in hotels while in China. Families can expect to leave for China approximately 6-8 weeks after receiving referral. Families make their reservation to fly from the US to Beijing and from Guangzhou back home, and we take care of all the in-country lodging, in-country transportation and meal arrangements.

The in-country facilitators arrange tours in Beijing that families can choose to take to experience the rich Chinese culture and history. Regularly scheduled tours include trips to the Great Wall, Summer Palace, Ming Tombs, jade factory, pearl factory, Hutong tour (including a home cooked lunch with a family in their apartment), and an acrobat performance.

Typical China Travel Itinerary:

Days 1 and 2

Depart U.S.-arrive in China the following day

Days 3-5

Sightsee in Beijing for 3 days (optional)

Day 5

Fly to capital of province where child lives.

Day 6

Welcome your child!! The children are brought to the capital of the Province in which they live to the Civil Affairs office to be placed with their adoptive parents. The in-country staff arrange for the children to go the local Children's Hospital for an independent health exam. The children stay with the family from this day forward.

Day 7-11 (5 working days in province)

The family has 24 hours with the child before the adoption is finalized. Provided there are no major concerns, the adoption process if finalized via paperwork. The in-country representatives handle this, and families do not have to go to a court hearing. Families usually can visit the city where the orphanage is and see their child's abandonment site, but will stay in the capital city of the province to complete paperwork. Most of the time is spent simply waiting for the child's passport to be issued. Families then fly to Guangzhou.

Days 11-14

In Guangzhou, the child will have a brief medical exam by the U.S. Consulate approved clinic and have passport photos taken. (This takes about 1 hour). Families will have an appointment at the U.S. Consulate for the purpose of obtaining the child's visa to enter the U.S. (This appointment and medical are pre-arranged by the in-country representative). The visa appointment takes about 1 hour as well. The following day at 3:00 families are given their child's visa. Families may then depart for home.

Day 15

Fly home.