Adopt from China

Welcome to the world of Chinese adoptions! Some of you have extensive knowledge of Chinese adoptions already, especially if you are Internet sleuths, and others are new to everything adoption and everything Chinese. No matter your level of expertise, the following information is designed to be comprehensive and helpful to you.

Like others, we at AHH believe that God is the author of all human life, both American and Chinese, and that He loves each life infinitely. Accordingly, there are no "unwanted" children, even though some Chinese children are abandoned. We feel sure that the parents are saddened by the reality that they cannot provide for their child, but God loves these children! Chances are you do, too, or you wouldn't have proceeded this far.

Our task is simple: linking American couples who desire and are able to adopt with these orphaned children who need a loving home.

Each year in China, thousands (perhaps even millions) of children are abandoned.  Thousands of these children are eventually adopted by families around the world each year!  These children are mainly girls. The main reasons for this include:

• Couples are allowed to have only one child by law, and
• Boys are culturally preferred over girls, as boys are thought to be better able to provide for parents as the parents grow older.  The comparison has been made that sons caring for their parents is China’s “Social Security” system.

The result is that there are tens of thousands of girls who need a good, loving home.  In addition to children being available for adoption and needing homes,

• Many American couples need a child.
• Chinese adoptions do not disrupt as the children are truly abandoned before they are ever eligible for adoption.
• Older couples can adopt. Couples must be between the ages of 30 - 50.
• China has no residency requirement, unlike some countries.
• The final adoption occurs in China.
• The Chinese adoption process is one of the most well-established and predictable international adoption programs.
• The trip to pick up your child is about 2 weeks long.
• Boys and girls are both available, though typically boys are in our Waiting Child program.

Please note: Since we are dealing with a foreign country, processing times and other factors can change rapidly. Please contact an AHH staff member for the most current information.

Is Chinese Adoption for You?

First, remember that adopting a child from China is not the right choice for every family. It is important to educate yourself about

• the process,
• risks involved (e.g., the health status of the child cannot be guaranteed, a sovereign nation can change its adoption procedures, etc.), and
• the costs of adoption, travel, etc.

With the right information at hand, you can make a correct decision for your family. We're here to help. Please feel free to contact us with any of your questions after you review this information.

Besides the information you will find here, your local library and bookstore will have many books available on adoption. One helpful resource is A Resource Guide for Prospective Parents by C.A. Adamec. The magazine, Adoptive Families, contains helpful information and can be ordered by calling (800) 372-3300.

Networking with others who have traveled the adoption road ahead of you is helpful. International adoptions, including adoptions from China, can involve stresses or unexpected occurrences during the process. Talking with other people who have completed the process is encouraging. In addition, when you return from China with your child you will want to maintain contact with these families. If a local “Families with Children from China” (FCC) group exists, that is an excellent resource.  You can find FCC on the web. 

Adoption Process

There are four main steps to the Chinese adoption process: US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), home study, dossier preparation, and referral and in-country adoption process. The first step is to submit the AHH Application. We also recommend waiting until you have had an orientation with your Family Advocate before beginning any adoption paperwork.

Home Study
A home study is a report required by USCIS, your state, and adoption officials in China verifying that you are suitable to be a parent(s) of an adopted child and can provide the stability and home environment that a child needs. It also is a time for you to learn about some of the special concerns that are inherent in international adoption. It consists of at least four face-to-face interviews and a home visit by an AHH Social Worker or, in the cases of families living in states other than KY, a social worker who is qualified to complete a home study in your state.  If you do not live in Kentucky, we will assist you in locating a reputable agency near you to do your home study. Chinese law requires that the home study is completed by a social worker affiliated with a licensed, non-profit child-placing agency.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
After your home study is completed, you will file the I-800A (Application for Advance Processing of Orphan Petition) with the USCIS office in your state of residence. Your Family Advocate will advise you on the details of this process. Your local USCIS office can be found under Federal Government in the blue pages of your phone book or by visiting the USCIS web site. Once you have applied with AHH, we will provide you with the necessary forms you need for your USCIS application.  

Dossier Preparation
After talking with your Family Advocate to learn the specific parameters and requirements for each of these documents, you will complete and collect the following items. All of the documents must be originals. Please do not attempt to complete your dossier before receiving instructions from us, as each of these documents must meet specific standards, and we provide you with a great deal of guidance and documentation to assist you in the process.

Referral and In-Country Adoption Process
After your dossier is sent in, you will wait for a referral. The CCAA (China Center for Adoption Affairs) is in control of the referral wait time, and it can fluctuate. Please contact an AHH staff member for the most current referral wait-time information. After you accept your referral, travel to China 6 - 8 weeks later to pick up your child and finalize the adoption. You will be in China for about two weeks and an AHH representative will be with you the entire time. They will interpret for you and make sure everything goes smoothly. Once the adoption is finalized you will come home. China requires 2 post-adoption reports which must be completed in the year after you return home. The social worker who did your home study usually completes these reports as well.

Medical Reports

The Chinese adoption agency, CCAA, will mail us its determination on your adoption status after

• you have completed your document collection,

• A Helping Hand has submitted your dossier, and

• the CCAA has made its decision regarding the placement of a Chinese child in your home (the Chinese conduct an independent review of your home study).

If the CCAA agrees to allow you to adopt a child, it will also mail a picture of the child and a brief medical summary in Chinese and English. This is called the referral.

You may take the translated medical report to your doctor for consultation so that you can make a decision about whether you want to accept the child. You need to know that these reports are prepared according to Chinese medical standards that are generally less sophisticated than U.S. standards. Prospective parents must factor this reality into their decision making process before starting the process.

What to Expect

China has centralized the adoption process, and therefore it is a fairly predictable process. There are exceptions to its predictability, but for the most part you can expect the following when adopting from China:

• There is a child waiting for you at the end of the process. Unlike a domestic adoption, the children are readily available. If you meet the requirements of China, you will receive a child.
  
• Our staff will answer your questions and respond in a timely manner.
  
• We will counsel you and provide the information you need to get through the process successfully.
• We will pray for you regularly both during the process and after you are finished.
• We work with experienced partners who are registered with the proper Chinese authorities.
• We will do everything in our power to advocate for you to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA).
  
• It is a long process. The time from dossier log-in until the CCAA sends out a referral varies. Please contact an AHH staff member for the most current information.
  
• You will receive the referral of a child with no known medical issues unless you request a special needs child. Please see our risks page for further clarification.
  
• You will receive pictures and a medical report prepared according to Chinese standards when you receive your referral, but we can not make any guarantees regarding its accuracy or thoroughness. We will ask that you contact and work with an international adoption clinic so that you will have medical counsel regarding the identified child before you choose to accept or decline the referral. We can give you the contact information for one or more such clinics.
  
• Developmental delays and unknown medical conditions with children are possible. Please see our risks page for further clarification.
• The Chinese will not place more than one child at a time in family, unless they are twins -- which are very rare.
  
• The Chinese will assign a child based on your request in the application letter, but they require that adoptive parents comply with age categories that the CCAA has stipulated.
• We will arrange your entire trip and be there with you while you travel.
  
• You will see the Great Wall and other sights in Beijing, along with local sites in your child's province.
• Two post-adoption reports are required by the CCAA. One is done at at 6 months after you return home, and the other at 12 months. A 2-month self-report is also required.
  
• If both adoptive parents travel to pick up the child, your child's U.S. citizenship papers will be issued automatically. If only one adopting parent travels, in the case of couples, you will have to re-adopt the child when you return home to secure your child's U.S. citizenship.  In general, we recommend that all adoptive parents re-adopt their children when they return, and the process varies from state to state. An attorney’s assistance is often needed for that procedure, depending on the laws of your state of residence.

AHH Services

At A Helping Hand Adoption Agency, we provide you a number of services during the adoption process, including

• Orientation to the international adoption process.
• Help in navigating through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) paperwork.
• Review of USCIS forms before submission if you desire.
• Interface with the CCAA – from dossier submission to travel.
• Review/approval of all documents before the authentication process begins.
• Interface with Provincial Civil Affairs in the province where the child is located.
• Interface with Provincial Ministry of Justice in the province where the child is located.
• Interface with Provincial Public Security Bureau in the province where the child is located.
• Counsel regarding possible health problems, developmental delays and governmental risks when adopting internationally.
• Consultation in person by appointment or by phone at all times.

Travel Arrangements.(1)

• Coordination with a travel agency specializing in adoption travel to China
• In -country travel logistics (in-country flights, ground transportation, lodging, and sightseeing) scheduled by our staff in China
• Escort and counseling services in China through Chinese bureaucracy by experienced A Helping Hand personnel
• Counsel for families about immigration and naturalization of their adopted child
• Cultural introduction to China

Fees and Expenses

We ask every family to submit a $250 dollars application fee along with their application. The application fee is waived for AHH returning clients.

A Helping Hand Agency placement fee is $6,000. Please know that AHH does not charge any other extra fees like out-of-state homestudy review fee, agency coop fee, consultation fee etc. Other fees and expenses that a family may incur range from $13,000 to $19,000 depending on an individual situation and travel arrangements. Please contact us for the most current estimate.

1To cover the cost of AHH travel services we ask every travelling family to submit a Travel Coordination Fee. This fee of $150.00 per person is paid in advance of your travel to China.   AHH is one of the few agencies, if not the only one, which has a fulltime staff member to serve our families here in the USA.  The fee covers the management and facilitating of all the State side travel process, and the coordination of the travel plans with our contacts in China.  Before you depart for China you will receive a Final China Quote for your China In-country expenses (Hotels, In-country air travel, Ground transportation, etc.).  The Travel Coordination Fee is in addition to the China Quote.