Special Delivery

A Helping Hand participates in the China Special Needs On-Line Program. The China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) granted AHH access to their electronic database of Waiting Children. Several agencies share this database and any of these agencies may apply for a child on the list. The list is updated regularly and the CCAA maintains approximately 150-300 Waiting Children on the list. Agencies are not allowed to post any personal information or pictures of available children on their websites; however, a password protected secure website will be available to families who have a completed home study on file with our agency and who are interested in a Special Needs adoption. In addition to a completed home study, a Special Delivery Medical Condition Checklist should be submitted which will inform AHH of the age, gender and medical needs of a child your family is willing to accept.

The CCAA’s Special Needs program issues medical profiles and photos of children with special medical needs in two ways.  Some children are placed with individual agencies while most children are placed on a shared viewing list with restricted access by select agencies.

Children assigned individually to A Helping Hand

Periodically, the CCAA sends a list of children specifically to our agency.  We are allowed to keep the profiles of the children and are granted the authority to issue referrals to qualified parents who demonstrate the desire and capability to parent a special needs child.  By allowing families to view photos and medical information on a specific child before the referral is issued, families have the opportunity to consult with doctors and specialists about that child’s special need.  This knowledge equips prospective parents so that they can make the best decision for the child they hope to adopt as well as for their family. 

Children placed on Shared CCAA List

The CCAA regularly updates a restricted website with profiles of many children available through the special needs program.  Our agency has been granted access to the secure site allowing us to view the referral information to see if any of the children match the preferences of parents waiting for a child through the special needs program.  This process is very competitive between agencies as most families are searching to adopt infant girls with minor, correctable special needs. 

While our agency will recommend a family for a referral match, final approval must be granted by the CCAA.  Typically, AHH will either offer a referral to a family from our individual list or lock a child’s file on the shared list for a specific family.  The family is responsible for a quick turnaround of relevant paperwork that AHH will submit to the CCAA for processing.  If the family’s paperwork is accepted, the CCAA will issue a Pre-Approval (PA).  It is important to note that the CCAA’s Pre-Approval is solely based on their assessment of the family’s ability to meet the basic guidelines of adopting from China.  The family’s entire Dossier, including the home study, must also be approved by the CCAA.