China: Program Overview
In an effort to better serve our families, and the millions of children worldwide in need of a loving family, American Adoptions has partnered with Americans Adopting Orphans to offer international adoption services in China.
To learn more about this unique partnership, click here.
With well over 50,000 Chinese children placed in the United States since the mid 90's, China well deserves its reputation as one of the best countries in the world from which to adopt. China is about the same geographical size as the United States, and is the most populous country on earth with 1.4 billion people. There are over 1,000 government run orphanages in China, as well as a few private orphanages. And while China is growing in prosperity and economic freedom it is still a developing country, with many millions struggling to get by.
China is unusual in that more girls are available to be adopted than boys. But healthy infant/toddler boys have always been available upon request. China generally limits the number of children that can be in a family. It is generally a son's responsibility to care for his parents in their old age. Daughters care for the parents of their husbands. This makes it very important that there be at least one son in a family. While China has slowed the growth of their population, the combination of social pressures has resulted in more girls being abandoned.
China now has two adoption programs, the Traditional program (the adoption of healthy infants and toddlers), and the Waiting Child Program (the adoption of children with medical issues, and healthy children over 6). This section refers to the Traditional program.
Children adopted through China's Traditional program are probably the healthiest children available to be adopted anywhere in the world. With relatively low drug and alcohol use, a pretty good public medicine system, generally adequate nutrition, and honest medical reports, children considered healthy by China generally do very well in their forever families. There have been numerous studies in the past few years looking at adopted children, and children from China almost always are found to be doing better than average kids in this country.
China is a signatory to the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption, so this means that adoptions are completed with the highest ethical standards available. All adoptions are processed through the China Center of Adoption Affairs, which ensures both the quality of information provided to adoptive parents, and a transparent, fair, and ethical adoption process. Agencies and families always know how long the wait is for an adoption, and all applications are processed on a first come, first served basis.
With the Traditional program you describe the child you want (health, age, gender), and the CCAA matches you with a child. Once you have received your match you are typically in China completing your adoption in about 2 months. The trip is usually about 10 days in China, and only one parent needs to travel. China is only open to married couples, and has a number of other restrictions. Current waiting times for the traditional program are over 3 years, due in large part to the popularity of the program.
China is predictable, fair, honest about the health of the available children, and has a clear set of family and paperwork requirements. It is incredibly popular with adoptive families for good reason. If you meet China's qualifications it is a great choice for most families.
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