I have a question regarding adoption from China if anyone has done it or info on it.....?

Question

My husband and I are thinking of adopting from China. I am 100% irish and my husband is 100% chinese I was wondering if that makes any difference in the adoption process the fact that my husband is Chinese. I am also looking for a agency that is trustworthy and forthright. Thanks

Answer 1

Your ethnicity shouldn't make a difference on the Chinese end.

Holt is a very good international agency.

Someone here recommended Children's Home Soc. out of MN, and I've got to say stay away from them.

They were the agency that placed me, and as an adoptee, I have gotten nothing but a runaround and lies from them, and a BILL FOR THEIR SERVICES TO BOOT.  They charge adotpees for Non ID information, and again for a birthparent search.

I found my family without their help, (DNA confirmation) and found that a large number of things I was told on my non ID were outright lies.  Things my parents were told at the time of adoption were also outright lies.  (BOTH sets of parents!)

I have friends who adopted using China Seas, and they had an awesome experience, both at home, and in-country.

Good Luck!

(I will pass my friends' website along to you, if you e-mail me privately.)

Answer 2

One parent having Chinese heritage does speed up the referral process a little bit.

Answer 3

Often times the nationality of one or both of the adoptive parents does speed up the process however, current referrals are coming 24 months after submitting their dossier to China. The outlook of that time shortening is slim to none. There are estimations that lead some agencies to believe the length of time will exceed 3 to 5 years for a referral.

One point that no one else has mentioned is that all adoption agencies are currently trying to become Hague Convention approved. This is critical when looking for an agency. If you sign with an agency that is not Hague approved, you risk loosing time for the adoption and money with an agency who may not ever get Hague approved. One of the posters before me posted a great deal of information from Great Wall China Adopt. They are an agency in Austin TX. I used them for my daughters adoption from 2003 to 2004. The recently announced that they are Hague approved.

There is no promise that any agency can be completely forthright and honest with you. The reason is that it is not the agency but the CCAA that dictates everything from how many children are "paper ready" for adoption to whether a family who was approved by an agency to adopt is unable to adopt. It all falls on the CCAA. Every agency can tell you what they have heard but in the end until you are home with your child, things can change. The China program used to be THE most stable country to adopt from (the reason I chose it) but that is quickly changing.

With one parent being Chinese, your paperwork and referral SHOULD come quicker than the non-Chinese. That used to mean in about 3 to 4 months (about the same as those for waiting children with special needs). However, that is not the case anymore. Expedited referrals are still running more than a year. Special needs adoptions are taking months and months longer than it used to.

Answer 4

The Christian Hope Adoption Agency besed out of NC. They are very throughou and can help a lot

Answer 5

Your heritage definitely doesn't matter.

Three agencies you might want to look into are Chinese Children Adoption International, Great Wall China Adoptions, & Childrens Hope International. You might also want to check with your homestudy agency and see if they have any agencies they can recommend.

I have heard from many families that are currently on the wait list for China that their wait time for a refferal keeps increasing some families have a 3 year wait ahead of them.

Hope this helps! Good luck adoption can be a great process & very rewarding.

Answer 6

I adopted from China almost 9 years ago. I used Wide Horizons for Children out of Waltham, MA. They have several offices throughout New England and a few in New York. Also, in our group was a couple from Chicago so I guess it doesn't matter where you live. All their China adoptions are done in Groups so you travel with several other families. I really liked Wide Horizons and was very pleased with the entire process.

According to their website they've been doing adoptions through China since 1991. The China Program Manager is the same manager that was in charge when we adopted which I think is a good sign.

I'm sure if you call them they can answer your other question about your husband being Chinese and how it might affect you.

Good Luck!

Answer 7

If your husband was born in China, or if either of his parents are, you are eligible for an "expedited referral". This means you will be matched sooner.

This is very important at the moment, since the referral process is unbearably slow right now. It will be years before any parent applying today will be matched, under the normal waiting period. Even for people of Asian descent, there is still a long wait ahead.

We were very happy with the agency we chose. They are WACAP in Renton, Washington. I know that they have had many Asian clients, and they have also been placing children from China longer than any agency in the U.S.

Answer 8

My personal insight is that it will help if you specify "either" for s*x of the child.  Your chance of getting a referral of a boy would be higher than a couple on non-Chinese ethnicity.

I adopted a little girl from China in 2004.  We used Great Wall Chinese Adoption.  GWCA.  That's the only adoptions they do so they know the system inside and out.

We went to Children's Hope out of KC but they just took our money and led us around in circles saying we could never adopt from China.  Guess they were wrong!?

Answer 9

Children's Home Society of MN was the agency we used 13 and 11 yrs ago. They were the best agency- we live in New England - never had to go to MN  We now have two beautiful,kind,healthy smart preteens!!

I heard the wait is 2 yrs now- best of luck! Be patient- trust the agency and you will have a baby at the end of it all!!

Answer 10

I have a good friend who is Chinese and he and his wife (who is not Chinese) adopted from China two years ago.

I do think they were given preferential treatment by the CCAA.....and rightfully so. (It took them thirteen months from start to finish) The wait for adoptions from China are now four years from start to finish.....regardless of what an agency tells you. In order to be kept on the waiting list for the entire time you will need to update your homestudy every year. And please do not work with anyone who will "promise or guarantee" a child.

The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA), the central authority overseeing all International adoptions from China, determines the eligibility requirements for adoptive parents. Parents who meet the CCAA's requirements are matched with a child based upon their personal and family characteristics; the Chinese officials match the child with the family that they believe is the best match for the child. Great Wall is approved by and registered with the CCAA to work with families who meet China’s eligibility requirements.

Eligibility Requirements for CouplesAge Requirements for Parents

Married couples 30 to 49.5 years old or less (at application to Great Wall) are eligible to adopt from China. This age eligibility requirement is assessed by dossier registration in China.Both adoptive parents must be less than 50 years old when their dossier is registered at the CCAA.

Adoptive parents must be at least 30 years old when the dossier is registered in China.

Adoptive parents must be less than 50 years old when the dossier is registered in China.

Married couples 30 up to 55 years old are eligible to adopt a Waiting Child from China. Both parents must be less than 55 years old when the dossier is registered in China.

Age Guidelines for Adoptive Families

Couples 30 to 44 may apply to adopt a child 6 to 12 months old.

Couples 45 to 50 may apply adopt a child 13 months to 3 years old. Dossiers must be registered before both parents are 50 years old.

Couples 51 to 55 may apply adopt a child 4 and older through the Waiting Child Program.

China bases eligibility on each person's age. If one spouse is under 30 or one spouse is over 55, the couple is not eligible to adopt.

Education Requirements

Each potential adoptive parent must have a high school education. A diploma or GED is acceptable.

Financial Requirements

The family must show a positive net worth (assets vs. liabilities) of at least $80,000. (Net Worth FAQ)

There must also be an income earning of at least $10,000 per person in the household, including the adopted child.

Adoptive parents must demonstrate an annual minimum combined income of $30,000. This represents $10,000 per adult + $10,000 for the adopted child. An additional $10,000 income is required for each additional person in the household. For example, a married couple with two children living in the home must earn at least $50,000

Parental History

Prospective adoptive parents who have terminated parental rights after the age of 18 are not eligible to adopt.

If you have been investigated by Child Welfare Services please contact Great Wall for a personal consultation.

Health History

Families are not eligible to adopt if any of the following apply:

-Diagnosed with major depression or any other severe mental health concern;

-Current diagnosis of depression or anxiety or currently on medication for depression or anxiety. If you were previously diagnosed with depression or anxiety, you must be off medication and recovered for at least 2 years.

-Diagnosed with alcoholism within the last 10 years;

-Any history of illegal drug/narcotic use or abuse;

-Any surgery within the last year;

-Major organ transplant/surgery within 10 years;

-One or both parents use a wheelchair or mobility aid;

-history of cancer;

-diagnosis of lupus;

-binocular blindness;

-Active Hepatitis A, B, or C; or

-One or both parents have a seizure disorder.

-BMI over 40.

Criminal History

Families are not eligible to adopt if any of the following apply:

-Current warrants or currently on probation

-ANY use of or arrests for illegal drugs

-No more than 3 DUI or DWI charges, no DUI or DWI charges within the last 5 years regardless of outcome

-Any arrest for a violent crime (examples: assault, domestic violence, child abuse/neglect)

-Any felony arrests

-Any other criminal charges are reviewed on case-by-case basis. Please contact Great Wall for a personal consultation.

Marriage Requirements

-If the first marriage, couples who are married over 2 years.

-If either spouse is in a second marriage due to the death of a spouse, the current marriage needs to be a minimum of 5 years.

-If either spouse has 1-2 divorces, the current marriage needs to be a minimum of 5 years.

-Couples where one or both spouses have 3 or more divorces are not eligible.

Maximum Number of Children

Every child deserves the undivided care and attention of a loving parent, especially children who have been orphaned at a young age. For this reason, the CCAA limits the number of children in the household to a maximum of five.

-Couples with less than 5 children under 18 years old living in the household may adopt from China.

-Couples with adult children (not living in the home) may adopt from China.

-Couples with more than 4 children in the family; but not all live at home, may adopt from China.

-If there are more than 4 children living in the household; please contact us to discuss your specific situation.

Household Requirements

Adoptive children entering a family require time to adjust to their new environment and bond with their adoptive family.

If you have recently given birth to a child, or adopted domestically or from another country, you must wait until the child is 12 months old to submit your dossier to China.

If you have recently adopted a child from China, you must wait until after you have submitted the 12 month post-placement report to submit your dossier to complete another adoption from China.

Religious Requirements

-CCAA requires a statement in the Home Study regarding spiritual beliefs.

-Families with religious beliefs that prohibit any kind of medical treatment, including blood transfusions, for the child, will not be eligible to adopt. According to the CCAA this includes religions that use alternatives to blood transfusions, as this is not available in every country.

Answer 11

hmmm.  i honestly do not think heritage does much.  it's really more about who can afford the fees in the end.

i do hope you will be extra careful, as many foreign countries are (seriously) kidnapping babies and selling them.

i hope someone on here or elsewhere can give you a reputable agency.

Answer 12

Being Chinese WILL speed up the process some for you.  How much it?  It is hard to say but it will shorten the wait.

The wait right now for non special needs is 4+ years.  The wait for special needs is less than a year.  The special needs that the children have can be quite manageable.  They can have heart problems, port wine stains, cleft lip/palate, missing limbs, fingers or toes, hepatitis, tumors, hearing loss, vision problems to name a few .There are children with more severe problems, but they aren't usually available to adopt.

The person who has spent $50,000 and still hasn't received a child is either lieing or being taken by their agency.  Adopting from China costs less than 20,000 including the travel costs for 2 people.

Answer 13

Please check out the website www.informedadoptions.com, they have several adoptive parents that adopted from China.

I do believe that Chinese heritage will make a difference but I'm not entirely sure.

They will also have information on agencies to avoid and other information to consider when adopting.