Adopting from China

In 2007, the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) issued new, more stringent regulations, effective as of May 1, 2007, for foreigners wanting to adopt Chinese children. Children up to and including age 13 are eligible to be adopted.

However, there are now fewer Chinese children available for adoption.. In 2005, there were 7983 children adopted by US citizens; in 2008, there were only 3911. Among the reasons: (1) The “one child per family” policy, in effect though 2010, had reduced the ratio of boys and girls.--114 males born for every 100 females as opposed to the normal ratio of 105 males to 100 females. As a result, the government began allowing a couple without siblings to have two children. (2) More Çhinese families can afford to adopt and are doing so.

Therefore, the waiting period to adopt from China is lengthy, approximately 32 months from the time the US adoption agency submits the paperwork of the prospective adopters to CCAA to the time CCAA gives the parents its initial referral. The wait is not as long for children with special needs.

Once the prospective adopters receive and accept the referral, it takes four to eight weeks before the CCAA approves the couple to travel to China where they will spend about three weeks to complete the adoption process.

With the reduced number of Chinese children available to be adopted, the National Adoption Center is hopeful that more families will consider adoption of children in this country. More than 130,000 wait in foster care for a permanent family. Some of the children have been waiting for years. When families adopt these children, they say repeatedly that their only regret is that they didn’t adopt sooner. Contact us here at the Center for more information: 215-735-9988 or adopt.org