What to Expect

China has centralized the adoption process, and therefore it is a fairly predictable process. There are exceptions to its predictability, but for the most part you can expect the following when adopting from China:

• There is a child waiting for you at the end of the process. Unlike a domestic adoption, the children are readily available. If you meet the requirements of China, you will receive a child.
  
• Our staff will answer your questions and respond in a timely manner.
  
• We will counsel you and provide the information you need to get through the process successfully.
• We will pray for you regularly both during the process and after you are finished.
• We work with experienced partners who are registered with the proper Chinese authorities.
• We will do everything in our power to advocate for you to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA).
  
• It is a long process. The time from dossier log-in until the CCAA sends out a referral varies. Please check our country sheet for the most current information.
  
• You will receive the referral of a child with no known medical issues unless you request a special needs child. Please see our risks page for further clarification.
  
• You will receive pictures and a medical report prepared according to Chinese standards when you receive your referral, but we can not make any guarantees regarding its accuracy or thoroughness. We will ask that you contact and work with an international adoption clinic so that you will have medical counsel regarding the identified child before you choose to accept or decline the referral. We can give you the contact information for one or more such clinics.
  
• Developmental delays and unknown medical conditions with children are possible. Please see our risks page for further clarification.
• The Chinese will not place more than one child at a time in family, unless they are twins -- which are very rare.
  
• The Chinese will assign a child based on your request in the application letter, but they require that adoptive parents comply with age categories that the CCAA has stipulated. You can learn more about these categories on our application.
  
• We will arrange your entire trip and be there with you while you travel.
  
• You will see the Great Wall and other sights in Beijing, along with local sites in your child's province.
• Two post-adoption reports are required by the CCAA. One is done at at 6 months after you return home, and the other at 12 months. A 2-month self-report is also required.
  
• If both adoptive parents travel to pick up the child, your child's U.S. citizenship papers will be issued automatically. If only one adopting parent travels, in the case of couples, you will have to re-adopt the child when you return home to secure your child's U.S. citizenship.  In general, we recommend that all adoptive parents re-adopt their children when they return, and the process varies from state to state. An attorney’s assistance is often needed for that procedure, depending on the laws of your state of residence.

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