[Sean&Shan]

The orphanage where my daughter is from is fairly new. There was an existing orphanage in the town but they moved to a newer/larger facility when they became approved for international adoptions. My understanding is that there are many orphanages in China that do not work with the CCAA and subsequently the children there are not available for international adoption. All of the orphanages approved by the CCAA have to meet certain standards. While there is still a wide variety in the condition of facilities etc., for me the standards set forth by the CCAA bring me some comfort.

Also, because CCAA does all of the matching, be wary of any agency promising that their babies are younger/ healthier/ etc. This is not in the control of the U.S. agencies and therefore one agency has no better record or more control over the process than another.

Find an agency that you are comfortable with. Here are some things to think about...
Is it important to you that they have an office in your state/ near by? Do you want an agency that can also do your homestudy or are you OK using a seperate homestudy agency? What is the agencies fee structure? What does their fee structure include/omit? Do they normally have large or small travel groups? Do they arrange the travel or do you? How long have they been doing adoptions with China? How are they ranked with the better business burrough?

These are the factors that should influence your choice. The actual matching process is not agency specific.
Good Luck!