The China Adoption Program is considered a stable, established program that has successfully brought thousands of children into adoptive families. In 2009 Americans adopted 3,001 children from China. Chinese adoption is noted for its orderly process, where all aspects of the adoption process are clearly outlined, including costs and travel time.
Children Available:
Children of all ages are available, from 10 months to 13 years of age. Most reside in orphanages, but the use of foster care is rapidly increasing.
Parent Qualifications for COUPLES:
Couples married a minimum of two years (minimum of five years if there is a history of divorce)
No more than two divorces per parent
Applicants should be 30 to 54 years of age. Exceptions sometimes may be made for those older than 54 who wish to adopt school-age children.
No serious physical health diagnosis (BMI must be no greater than 40; inquire about history of major surgery, vision/hearing impairments, mobility limitations, chronic or long-term health diagnoses)
No mental health diagnosis (inquire about mental health including mild depression, anxiety or similarly mild conditions)
No history of drug use or dependency; where there is a history of alcohol abuse, consideration given for individuals with 10 or more years of alcohol-free lifestyle
Minimal criminal history
Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent
Minimum annual income of $30,000 + $10,000 per each child currently living in home
Minimum net worth of $80,000
Parent Qualifications for SINGLE WOMEN:
Only Children on the Special Focus List (more about this below) are available to single women.
Must have at least a one-year interval since previous adoption;
Between 30-49 years of age at time paperwork is submitted to CCAA; may be 50+ years of age provided there are no more than 45 years age difference between the child and the applicant;
Have no more than two children under 18 years of age in the home, and the youngest child must be at least 6 years of age;
Be able to appoint appropriate male role models for the adopted child;
Have a strong social and family network to support applicant and adopted child(ren)
Be willing and able to attest in writing to her sexual orientation as non-homosexual, in order to satisfy CCAA’s requirements which do not allow gay or lesbian individuals to adopt from China;
Submit divorce decree in case of having a history of divorce or death certificate for deceased husband where applicable;
Be in excellent physical and mental health, in line with CCAA’s requirements for prospective adoptive couples;
Have no criminal record;
Have a minimum annual income of $30,000 with net assets valuing at least $100,000;
Have good medical insurance which will cover the medical expenses of the adopted child;
Have experience in child care or have an occupation in a child-related field such as a medical or health professional, teacher, psychologist, therapist, etc. who regularly works with children;
Applicants with successful experience caring for children with special needs are preferred.
Travel:
At least one parent must travel to China to complete the adoption. Travel time is most often 10-14 days.
Timeline:
From dossier completion until travel is :
About 6 years for a healthy child
About 8-12 months for a special needs child. Special needs can be very minor.
Special Focus ChildrenChildren with a Special Focus designation are those who have been waiting on a special "Shared Waiting Child List" that many agencies with programs use to place children from China. Special Focus Children children are those who have been on the Shared list for more than two months; they are generally older (pre-school- and school-aged) or any age (infant through school-aged) who have an identified special need. Pre-school aged children usually have more significant special needs to consider. Some 'older' (age 6 and up) have no special needs. Many, many boys wait.
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