If you are unable to have children of your own, adopting may be the right option for you. Because there are so many different families throughout the country that are looking to adopt children as well, you may know that this can be a long and drawn out process which can take years.
If you do not want to wait a long period of time to be matched with a potential child to adopt from your own country, than choosing to adopt from China can be an exciting opportunity.
Because of China’s over-population and one child laws, you will find that adopting a baby girl from this part of the world is quite simple.
While international adoptions can be time consuming and expensive, it is well worth the effort to be able to hold you own baby girl. Simply follow these steps to begin the adoption process today.
Finding an Adoption Agency
To adopt a baby girl from China, you will first need to find an adoption agency in your area that specializes in adoptions from China.
The China Center of Adoption Affairs is in charge of all adoptions out of China and will only accept adoptions from those who are working with a registered adoption agency. You can find all acceptable agencies on The China Center of Adoption Affairs website.
Home Study Completion
Before being able to adopt a child, whether it is from your home country or internationally, a home study must be completed. A licensed social worker who works with a registered Chinese adoption agency will visit your home to conduct interviews and to see what your overall living situation is like.
This will determine whether or not you are fit to become an adoptive parent.
Completing the Application
After the home study, you will need to complete a full application. This application must include a cover letter, copies of health records and documents, tax documents which show your average yearly income, a criminal background check, pictures of your home and pictures of your family.
The documents will need to be notarized and then authenticated by a Chinese Consulate. Completing all of the necessary paperwork can take up to 6 months, so it is important to start preparing these documents now in order to save time.
Adoption Application
Not only will you need to complete the application with supplementary documents, but you will also need to complete an adoption application.
This application will include things such as your preferences in the baby girl that you are interested in adopting. You will state the health status that you prefer, age range and other preferences that you seek in the child who will asoon join your family.
While some requests may not be possible to meet, the CCAA makes their best effort to seek all requests of the adoptive parents.
Waiting for a Referral
At this stage, it’s time to wait until the CCAA contacts you with a prospective child to adopt. If you are looking to adopt a baby girl with non special needs, be prepared to wait several years for an adoption, as the CCAA can be quite backlogged.
The waiting process is the hardest part of your journey and it is important to be patient while checking in with the CCAA on occasion.
Accepting a Referral
Once the CCAA has a prospective child for you to adopt, they will send a letter in the mail with information on the child, her personality type, a picture and more details. You will then decide whether to accept or reject the referral.
Traveling to China
It’s now time to travel to China in order to complete the adoption process. You will head to the Civil Affairs Bureau where you child is located, you will complete a brief interview and then your child will be available for you to pickup.
Chinese documents will need to be obtained before leaving the country with your new bundle of joy.
