How does it work?
Adopting a child from China is a process that naturally divides into three phases: Assembling the paperwork that will to go to China, waiting, and the trip to China to adopt the child. The paperwork is generally known as the dossier and consists of ten or so documents that actually go to China and other documents required by State, County and adoption agency rules. The paperwork that goes to China must have a series of certifications that attest that the document is authentic. The parent(s) must also submit documents to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. After all of the documents are collected and authenticated, the entire package is sent by the adoption agency to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) in Beijing. Our agency sends dossiers every Friday and we have one other family that is with us. I have contacted them three times and they haven't responded to my emails. I would like to get to know them. If we both remain on the non-special needs path, we will travel together and meet our babies at the same time.
Adopting a child from China is a process that naturally divides into three phases: Assembling the paperwork that will to go to China, waiting, and the trip to China to adopt the child. The paperwork is generally known as the dossier and consists of ten or so documents that actually go to China and other documents required by State, County and adoption agency rules. The paperwork that goes to China must have a series of certifications that attest that the document is authentic. The parent(s) must also submit documents to the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. After all of the documents are collected and authenticated, the entire package is sent by the adoption agency to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) in Beijing. Our agency sends dossiers every Friday and we have one other family that is with us. I have contacted them three times and they haven't responded to my emails. I would like to get to know them. If we both remain on the non-special needs path, we will travel together and meet our babies at the same time.
In Beijing, the dossiers are entered into the registry and then translated. After this step, the documents are checked to ensure that all of the legal requirements have been met. In parallel with the parents, the Social Welfare Institutes (orphanages) all over China have assembled a dossier on each child available for international adoption that includes a photo and medical report. These are also sent to CCAA in Beijing. Finally, the two sets of dossiers come together and a child is matched up with a family. The medical report and a (small) photo are sent back to the adoption agency in the U.S. This long awaited document is called the referral or offering. It specifically says to the family, here is a child that is available for adoption, would you accept this specific child to be part of your family? After translation into English, the medical reports and photo are sent to the family that has been waiting for many years at this point. Except for very unusual circumstances, the family accepts the referral. This acceptance is sent back to China and the second part of the waiting starts. In China, the acceptance leads to further paperwork in Beijing along with notification to the Social Welfare Institute that a family has been identified for that specific child. After the paperwork is complete, CCAA sends a permission to travel document back to the adoption agency. This permission to travel document initiates the third phase of the process, the trip.
Here is a cart of dossiers at the CCAA. They are bundled by Log in Date (LID) and by agency.
What documents go into a dossier ?
The contents of a dossier will vary depending on your specific circumstances. However the bare minimum will include: (1) Your home study, (2) Your petition to the Chinese government to be allowed to adopt a child, (3) a financial statement showing your income, assets and liabilities, (4) a document showing that you are not a wanted criminal, (5) birth, marriagecertificates, (6) the I-171H document from the U.S. I.N.S. stating that they have processed your I-600A application. (7) a letter from your employer certifying that you hold a job, and (8) health certificates (a form filled out by your doctor after a basic physical exam), (9) a copy of each parents passport, and (10) two photos of the families house, (11) a set of passport photos for each adoptive parent, (12) a family photo and that might be it.
Your adoption agency will probably require a number of other documents and forms to fulfill state and local (city and/or county) legal requirements as well. These can be even more extensive than the documents that go to China in extreme cases.
What is a home study ?
A home study is a document prepared by a licensed social worker that describes the prospective family. The home study must be conducted by a social worker employed by an agency with a China adoption program. A typical home study will involve three visits with the social worker, one at home and two at the social workers office. The family will also need to arrange letters of recommendation from people who know the prospective parent(s) well, these letters are sent directly to the social worker. The final document, which usually runs to six pages or so, can be thought of as a short biography of the parents and an evaluation of whether they will be acceptable parents. The agencies are not looking for perfect parents (to-be), they are looking for people that will provide these children with a loving and stable families to grow up as normal kids.
A home study is a document prepared by a licensed social worker that describes the prospective family. The home study must be conducted by a social worker employed by an agency with a China adoption program. A typical home study will involve three visits with the social worker, one at home and two at the social workers office. The family will also need to arrange letters of recommendation from people who know the prospective parent(s) well, these letters are sent directly to the social worker. The final document, which usually runs to six pages or so, can be thought of as a short biography of the parents and an evaluation of whether they will be acceptable parents. The agencies are not looking for perfect parents (to-be), they are looking for people that will provide these children with a loving and stable families to grow up as normal kids.
What is a referral?
A referral, also called an offering by some agencies, is the response of the Chinese government to your request to adopt a child. They send you information about a specific child and you decide if the child is acceptable. The information consists of two items, a small photo, usually about 1 inch by 2 inches that is usually color but may be black and white, and a medical report. The quantity of the information in the medical report is quite varied. They can be as little as 1/2 page with items like "Nutrition: normal", or they may be 4 pages long with a full battery of laboratory test results. It will always include the name of the child, which was assigned by the orphanage, and their best estimate of the date of birth. The medical report can be anywhere from 2-8 months old, as can the photograph. The medical report will be in Mandarin and it is usually the responsibility of the adoption agency to provide a full translation. After getting all of the information, the prospective parents have a limited amount of time, usually a week, to decide whether to accept that specific child into their family. It is often suggested that the family have an international adoption doctor look over the file. Why an International Adoption Doctor? Well, there are health issues that adoptive children face that regular American kids don't. A simple example would be the size of the children. Chinese people are smaller than American, so if the sizes seem small that might be alerting to a regular American doctor, but completely normal for an International Adoption Doctor.
Here is a photo of the cubicles where CCAA workers match babies to families.
Why does it take so long to receive Travel Approval?
The acceptance is sent to CCAA by your adoption agency, usually by fax. The information must then be entered into the CCAA records. Next a document is sent by mail to the orphanage and to the province officials notifying them that a family has been identified for the specific child. The provincial officials then have their own paperwork to process and send back to CCAA. The orphanage officials then will check the child to ensure that the medical condition of the child has not changed significantly. The orphanage officials will send their own documents to CCAA confirming that the child is still available for adoption. In very rare cases, the child may have been adopted by a local family and the notification has not reached CCAA in time. All documents in China are sent by mail and the Chinese mail system is not quite as efficient and speedy as the U.S. Postal Service. After all documents are received from the provincial and local officials, the paperwork is finalized and the permission to travel document is prepared. The official document is reviewed and personally signed by one of the two Vice Directors of the CCAA. This is then sent to the agency, which notifies the parents.
The acceptance is sent to CCAA by your adoption agency, usually by fax. The information must then be entered into the CCAA records. Next a document is sent by mail to the orphanage and to the province officials notifying them that a family has been identified for the specific child. The provincial officials then have their own paperwork to process and send back to CCAA. The orphanage officials then will check the child to ensure that the medical condition of the child has not changed significantly. The orphanage officials will send their own documents to CCAA confirming that the child is still available for adoption. In very rare cases, the child may have been adopted by a local family and the notification has not reached CCAA in time. All documents in China are sent by mail and the Chinese mail system is not quite as efficient and speedy as the U.S. Postal Service. After all documents are received from the provincial and local officials, the paperwork is finalized and the permission to travel document is prepared. The official document is reviewed and personally signed by one of the two Vice Directors of the CCAA. This is then sent to the agency, which notifies the parents.
What happens to my dossier in China?
Your dossier is condensed into a registration form that can be reviewed instead of searching through bulky dossiers. The steps are as follows: Step one - all applications go through the initial office where the paperwork is translated or its already existing translation is verified. The registration form is completed and entered into the computer. This step can take two to four months based on current volume. Step two is a transfer down the hall to Department 1 where the family's qualifications and documents are checked. This step can also take two to four months to complete. Step Three is Department 2 where the family is matched with a waiting child! The medical report of the child is reviewed one final time and that report and the child's small visa photo are forwarded to the family's agency. The intent is for the family to review the information and accept in writing the referral and return this approval back to the CCAA. Once received, the information is shared with the provincial officials. The mailing alone can take 2 weeks. Then, the Invitation to Travel letter is generated, and is personally signed (with a special red chop) by one of the two Vice Directors of the Center. Finally, the family can travel! The math doesn't currently work out because there are at least 15,000 dossiers waiting and they are just processing through referral at a rate of 6 days of dossiers per month.
Your dossier is condensed into a registration form that can be reviewed instead of searching through bulky dossiers. The steps are as follows: Step one - all applications go through the initial office where the paperwork is translated or its already existing translation is verified. The registration form is completed and entered into the computer. This step can take two to four months based on current volume. Step two is a transfer down the hall to Department 1 where the family's qualifications and documents are checked. This step can also take two to four months to complete. Step Three is Department 2 where the family is matched with a waiting child! The medical report of the child is reviewed one final time and that report and the child's small visa photo are forwarded to the family's agency. The intent is for the family to review the information and accept in writing the referral and return this approval back to the CCAA. Once received, the information is shared with the provincial officials. The mailing alone can take 2 weeks. Then, the Invitation to Travel letter is generated, and is personally signed (with a special red chop) by one of the two Vice Directors of the Center. Finally, the family can travel! The math doesn't currently work out because there are at least 15,000 dossiers waiting and they are just processing through referral at a rate of 6 days of dossiers per month.
Here is a photo of the matching room with all of the dossiers being stored on the far wall.
How old are the children ?
In general, most children are between 6 and 20 months of age. Due to legal requirements and the time required for document processing in China, the children are almost always over six months of age before the adoption is completed. Parents normally request a specific age range that they would prefer. CCAA usually, but not always, will comply with the wishes of the parents. Parents may request older children if that is their preference. If a family requests an infant, China determines that is a child under the age of 2.
Are all the children girls ?
No. About 95% of the children are girls but some boys are available. Particularly the waiting child program has tons of boys. Some are older. Some have any range between what is considered a minor special need up to some major special needs. There is also an increase in the number of non-special needs boys being referred. It is assumed if a Chinese family already has 1 boy, and they can't afford the fees to keep another child, they will abandon that child in a easy to find place and then brought to an orphanage. Just as the girls are left. This is usually at the police station, hospital, the door of the orphanage, a well-populated park, the city gate, a common bridge, etc.
No. About 95% of the children are girls but some boys are available. Particularly the waiting child program has tons of boys. Some are older. Some have any range between what is considered a minor special need up to some major special needs. There is also an increase in the number of non-special needs boys being referred. It is assumed if a Chinese family already has 1 boy, and they can't afford the fees to keep another child, they will abandon that child in a easy to find place and then brought to an orphanage. Just as the girls are left. This is usually at the police station, hospital, the door of the orphanage, a well-populated park, the city gate, a common bridge, etc.
Can you specifically request a boy ?
Yes, and many people do this.
Yes, and many people do this.
Can you adopt twins?
This is extremely unlikely but has been done on rare occations. Since China began allowing significant numbers of foreign adoptions in 1993, there have been over 20,000 children adopted to the U.S. from China. The best available information is that during this time less than 50 sets of twins have been adopted. Each of these cases has represented a unique set of circumstances where the biggest common factor is a large amount of blind luck. There are rumors of special criteria China uses to place twins, but there are not any written rules. And by the way, if a Chinese family gives birth to twins it is counted in the 1 child rule. It is really a 1 birth rule, so they can keep both without fines. I have just heard of 2 sets of twin boys being adopted, most are girls. Two mouths to feed is challenging if the family is living in poverty.
This is extremely unlikely but has been done on rare occations. Since China began allowing significant numbers of foreign adoptions in 1993, there have been over 20,000 children adopted to the U.S. from China. The best available information is that during this time less than 50 sets of twins have been adopted. Each of these cases has represented a unique set of circumstances where the biggest common factor is a large amount of blind luck. There are rumors of special criteria China uses to place twins, but there are not any written rules. And by the way, if a Chinese family gives birth to twins it is counted in the 1 child rule. It is really a 1 birth rule, so they can keep both without fines. I have just heard of 2 sets of twin boys being adopted, most are girls. Two mouths to feed is challenging if the family is living in poverty.
Can single people adopt ?
Yes and No. As of May 1, 2007 , singles can no longer apply. There are some women still waiting as they are just starting on March 2006 referrals. At this time adoption agencies could only have a percentage of their dossiers going over be single women. There have been rare cases of single men adopting and they have been only given boy referrals. Way before this singles could apply just as families could. The trend has moved to slowly not allow women. Throughout this single men and women had to vow that they weren't homosexual.
What requirements do the parents have to meet ?
Starting May 1, 2007 China has new "recommendations" for accepting dossiers from couples. To adopt a healthy child, Chinese law requires that the parents be over the age of 30. Newly issued guidelines place an upper limit of 50 for both parents and 55 for a special needs child. The parents also need to have sufficient income to support the child and to be in good health. Parents must have a net worth of $80,000 and have no major medical conditions including the use of antidepressent medication or other medications for chronic conditions. This is a grey area and agencies are scrambling for clarification. There are criminal background rules, health and BMI rules, number of children in the family rules. There are quite a lot of rules and it gave us a complex trying to prove we were perfect for China.
Starting May 1, 2007 China has new "recommendations" for accepting dossiers from couples. To adopt a healthy child, Chinese law requires that the parents be over the age of 30. Newly issued guidelines place an upper limit of 50 for both parents and 55 for a special needs child. The parents also need to have sufficient income to support the child and to be in good health. Parents must have a net worth of $80,000 and have no major medical conditions including the use of antidepressent medication or other medications for chronic conditions. This is a grey area and agencies are scrambling for clarification. There are criminal background rules, health and BMI rules, number of children in the family rules. There are quite a lot of rules and it gave us a complex trying to prove we were perfect for China.
How long does the process take ?
The current wait time from dossier submission to referral is around 3 years. Most of the waiting is dictated by how long various State, Federal, and Chinese government agencies take to process all of the documents. The wait is increasing as each month they are giving out 6 days of referrals and getting back logged 24 days each month as they are collecting more dossiers. The CCAA is currently referring March 2006 and once they move through ten thousand dossiers things should get more normal when they hit the dossiers starting May 1, 2007 due to the new rules.
2 comments:
I'm hoping you cut and pasted that from somewhere as opposed to typing it all. That's HUGE!!!
(good though)
I borrowed a lot of it. But so much had to be updated. It was from when it took 6 months to adopt! Now all new rules and time frames.
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