China Adoption

Country-specific adoption information for parents considering adopting from China.

Intercountry adoption of healthy children from China has become more difficult in recent years, owing to increased parental restrictions on marital status, health, education, and income. As a result, many more families in the United States have been adopting older children, sibling groups, or children with medical conditions (often correctable) through China's Waiting Child Program. Families are finding that these adoptions are processed at a much faster rate. Prospective parents work through U.S. agencies approved by the China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption (formally the China Center of Adoption Affairs).

For more information, visit www.adoption.state.gov.

China Adoption Requirements and Facts:

• 2011 adoptions: 2,587 children
• Hague Accredited: Yes
• Profile of Children: Children as old as 13 can be adopted from China. 74% girls; 68% from one to four years old (2010).
• Estimated Total Cost: $20,000 to $40,000 (see sample China adoption budget)
• Parents' Ages: Both adopting parents must be ages 30 to 50; couples 30 to 55 may be considered for special-needs children.
• Family Requirements: Must be married for two years if a first marriage; five years if subsequent marriage, with no more than two divorces. Gay and lesbian couples cannot adopt. No more than five children under the age of 18 (with exemption for special-needs adoption). Both parents must have H.S. diploma or vocational training. Single women may adopt Special Focus children (children who have been on the Waiting Child list for more than two months).
• Travel: At least one parent must travel to China to adopt.
• Timeline:For healthy children, approximately four and a half years from completion of dossier to referral. Waiting time is considerably shorter for special-needs children.
• Route: Adopt through a US Hague-compliant adoption agency approved by the CCCWA.

China Adoption Directory:

Find an adoption agency placing children from China in your state

Personal Stories About Chinese Adoption

• Helpless Love
  A single woman opens her heart to her Chinese daughter
• Until the Real Thing Comes Along
  Tired of waiting for the “perfect package,” the author finds her future in the tiny hands of her new daughter
• The China Doll
  A three-year-old Chinese daughter attracts hordes of admirers.
• Sometimes in the Night
  A single man becomes a father
• The Wide World of Online Support for China Adopters
  An adopting woman finds comfort in wealth of online resources
• Our Journey to China
  A family adopts their daughter from China

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