Adoption from china once you become pregnant.?

Question

It appears that once you become pregnant you can no longer adopt from China for a period of 12 months after the birth of your child. Is this a agency rule or China rule. I thought that I saw ( on the CCAA web site)where you could not adopt once the child was born. Can anyone clarify this. What if you get pregnant a few months before your travel date. Can only one spouse go and pick up our child?

Answer 1

I am not sure about China, but when we adopted from Korea we were told that if the mother became pregnant during the wait for travel then in most cases they would loose the referral. I think this was more a rule with the country, and not just an agency thing.

Answer 2

It is a China CCAA rule. Prior to the May 1st regulations some agencies pulled couples dossiers before referral others didn't. Now, all agencies are required to pull dossiers if they find out.

Answer 3

One of China's requirements is that you can not submit your dossier (collection of paperwork required for adoption) until one year past the date of birth of your youngest child or most recent adoption.

Foreigners can have up to four children already in the home and adopt from China.  China's website is somewhat confusing, as it also has information for Chinese citizens about adoption and the rules for them are different (as far as having children goes).  You may have read that information rather than information for foreigners.

China, and most agencies that deal with China, require you to sign contracts stating you will not become pregnant during the wait.  Because the wait is currently about two years, and your referral comes toward the end of that wait with travel six-eight weeks later, you risk the adoption if you become pregnant and give birth during the process.

One parent CAN travel to China, but then the adoption is not final in the United States.  You must go through additional time, expense and court to finalize the adoption.  If both parents travel to China, the adoption is finalized automatically and the child is a US citizen immediately upon stepping on American soil.

I, as a future adoptive mom from China, think that most parents in the program after they have gone through the turmoil, time, expense and all involved in the adoption process and the long wait will make sure not to risk it by becoming pregnant.