Information for Prospective Parents
and Those in the Paper Chase

Last Revised: 7/22/07

Information for those thinking about adoption
and considering adopting from China

• Frequently asked questions about adoption from China. This is a complete overview of the process and has answers to many of the usual questions about the process.

• Internet links to general adoption web sites. These links are to information about adoption in general and cover a variety of topics. Also links to other sites with a broader coverage of international adoption.

• Internet links to web sites with specific information on adoption from China. These include personal stories of those who have adopted from China, information needed in the adoption process, and other sites related to China adoptions.

• Internet links to adoption agencies with China adoption programs. This is a partial list of agencies that have active programs for adoption in China. This list is given as a starting point for prospective parents, but inclusion on this list is not an endorsement. Some agencies accept families only from their area but many will accept prospective parents nationwide, check with the agency for specific information.

• Some thoughts on how to choose an adoption agency . A document intended to help prospective families organize their thoughts and priorities in the difficult area of choosing an agency for a China adoption.

• A listing of the abbreviations that you will see on all of the various China adoption-related email groups.

• The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse has a good section on State and US Federal laws concerning adoption.

• Our listing of Book Reviews of books of interest to the China Adoption community.

• The US Embassy in Beijing has a website that includes official announcements from the China Center for Adoption Affairs. The official list of what documents are required for the dossier and sample forms for the financial statement and medical examiniation can be found here.

• The U.S. State Department has a good document that gives an overview of the China Adoption Process.

• The excellent Adopting From China by Bob and Suzanne Moreland, is an overview of one families experiences with three adoptions from China. This is a good overview of the process but believe the authors warning that your China adoption experience will be different in some details.

• Courtesy of Michael Zessner and FCC Toronto, we now have Overview of Adopting in China From A Canadian Perspective, an excellent starting point for any Canadians who are interested in adopting from China. French language information specific to Canadiens interested in international adoption including China.

• Who can adopt Chinese children. Here are the specific limits and constraints that apply to both domestic and foreign adoptions in China.

• What it all costs. Here is a basic breakdown of the usual costs associated with adoption from China. We also have an article on how some people have financed the costs of a China adoption.

• Health and Medical Information The scientific information on the health of children adopted from China is limited but favorable. Here are links to what we have available.

• Our complete collection of the laws and regulations issued by the China Center for Adoption Affairs. If you have a question about what CCAA specifically requires, the answer is in one of these pages.

• A link to the official China Center for Adoption Affairs website. This site has official documents, text of the adoption law, and official guidance on dossier preparation, including the revised regulations going into effect on August 1, 2001.

• Photos from a tour of the China Center for Adoption Affairs are posted here. Also presented are some statistics about China adoptions from posters that were seen during the tour. You can see the modern office space and some of the staff involved in the matching and travel process.

• Lotus Travel has compiled a (hopefully) complete list of Chinese Orphanages that families have adopted from. Please email corrections to Kim at: kim@lotustours.net.

• Articles from FCC newletters from across the country will give you a preview of life with little people and related issues.

Information for those preparing their dossier for China

• Frequently asked questions about adoption from China. This is a complete overview of the process and has answers to many of the usual questions about the process.

• The Paper Chase is a good overview of the documents needed for a dossier and how they need to be filled out. Note that this site is an adoption agency site and the specific requirements for your agency may be different.

• Documents and paperwork. A brief summary of the basic documents needed for a dossier to go to China.

• U.S. Government and State Government Information Sources. A list of links to obtain needed information from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, State Department, a list of addresses to obtain birth, marriage, and divorce certificates, and other links.

• A link to the officialChina Center for Adoption Affairs website. This site has official documents, text of the adoption law, and official guidance on dossier preparation, including the revised regulations going into effect on Feb 1, 2001.

• New instructions on how to subscribe to the A-Parents-China and/or Post-Adopt-China Email mailing lists. The APC list has over 1500 subscribers and is an excellent resource for prospective parents in the China adoption process. Be warned that this is a very busy list, traffic can reach 100+ messages per day. Switching to the digest form immediately after subscribing is strongly suggested to keep your emailbox from reaching its limit.

• Our listing of Book Reviews of books of interest to the China Adoption community.

• Here is a list of employers that have some variety of adoption benefit that they give to employees who adopt a child. To obtain a packet of information about asking for or obtaining employee adoption benefits/assistance from your employer, call 1-800-TO-ADOPT.

• The cost of adoption is significant for many families. See our page on financing adoption expenses for ways that other families have dealt with this issue.

• Text of the Chinese Adoption Law This includes the Law as amended in November 1998, the origianl 1992 law and the implementing regulations issued in 1993.

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