[desmond mead]

Through a friend, we know of a particular child in China whose unwed mother is deceased. How would we be able to adopt this child without a long waiting period?

[sak9645]

Under Chinese law, the China Center for Adoption Affairs, an arm of the Chinese government, is the only entity allowed to refer children to foreigners.

In order to avoid the kind of corruption -- for example, baby-buying -- that occurs in some other countries, the CCAA does NOT allow a person to identify a child on his/her own, or to use an attorney or facilitator to find a child. All prospective parents MUST work through an agency that is licensed in the U.S., not-for-profit 501(c)3, and approved by the Chinese government.

In most cases, a parent cannot pre-identify a child. The only exception is when China chooses an agency in the U.S. to help it find homes for certain very hard to place children; these children either have special needs or are over age 6 or so. In that case, the agency receives a specific list of children and tries to recruit specific families for those children. However, even if a family wishes to adopt one of the children, the match must still be officially made by the CCAA, which doesn't necessarily give approval.

When people do volunteer work in Chinese orphanages through American organizations such as Half the Sky, they are generally warned NOT to become attached to a particular child in the orphanage, as they are not going to be able to request to adopt that child.

If you are of Chinese heritage and are related to a specific child, you might want to have an agency talk to the CCAA about whether you could adopt this relative. Other than that, I must tell you that the scenario you propose is impossible.

Sharon

[desmond mead]

Although this information is disappointing, we are certainly grateful for your reply.

[sak9645]

... I would certainly urge you to apply in the normal way.

China has an extremely ethical and well-organized adoption process. While there are always risks in intercountry adoption, and while there is very little information about any particular child because he/she has been abandoned, the children seem to receive decent care and most do very well in adoptive homes.

Yes, at this point, the process is long. Once you have your homestudy done and your INS approval granted and your dossier completed, you will currently wait about 14 months for a referral. It is widely believed, however, that China is trying to shorten the wait to under a year. The wait, of course, is caused by the popularity of China adoption; China probably receives close to 10,000 dossiers a year from the U.S. and other countries combined, and really seems to take great care in the screening and matching process.

Once you get a referral, however, you will generally travel within a month to six weeks. Only one parent needs to travel, though it's a marvelous experience for a couple to have together, and the trip is only about 10 days to 2 weeks.

The fees are moderate, as adoptions go. And you do not go halfway around the world by yourself; you generally go in a group of families that used the same agency and had their dossiers sent to China at the same time. You have an English-speaking guide-translator, stay at good hotels, have some time to tour your child's province, and so on.

If you are willing to adopt an older child or a child with special needs, you also could go through the process I described in my last post, checking with agencies authorized to seek homes for specific children. If you find a child through this process, whom you feel you can parent, and if China approves the match, you can get approval and travel in a much shorter time frame.

Also, if you happen to be of Chinese heritage, there is an expedited process.

Sharon
Mom to Rebecca
born 10/18/95
adopted 5/5/97
Xiamen (Fujian province), China