Basic Requirements for China Adoptions


Children available for adoption
* Infants, toddlers, and children up to age 12 - mostly girls - are available for adoption.
* Special needs boys and girls up to age 12 are available.
* Most of the children available for adoption have been abandoned.
* There is virtually no background or health history available.
* Children are tested for Hepatitis B and HIV.

Eligibility requirements
* First time married couples must have at least 2 years of marriage. If either member of the couple has been married previously (not more than 2 times) they must be in their current marriage for 5 years or more.
* Both members of the couple must be between 30 - 50 years of age. If couples wish to adopt a special needs child, the upper age limit is 55.
* Must be physically and mentally healthy and free from contagious diseases.
* Must have no past criminal history.
* At least one member of the married couple must have a regular income. The total of the family's regular income must exceed $10,000 x the number of people in the family, including the prospective adoptive child. A family may have no more than 4 children living at home in order to apply.
* Family assetts must exceed $80,000.

Process before travel
* Apply to INS for advance approval to be eligible to adopt.
* Satisfy the laws of the state where applicant resides.
* Complete a home study by a licensed agency.
* Provide the necessary documents to the Chinese government including birth certificates, marriage certificate, health forms, occupation letters, financial status, and criminal history, etc.

Time frame
* It takes approximately 1-3 months to obtain INS approval, complete a homestudy, and prepare a dossier.
* The time between the dossier being sent to China, where it is examined, verified and approved until the time that a family receives an assignment varies but currently it takes approximately 24 months.
* Referrals for special needs and older children may be expedited.
* Upon receiving the child's assignment which includes a photo and a medical, and after a travel approval is made by the CCAA, the Alliance will assist in scheduling the family’s trip to China. Travel is about six to eight weeks from acceptance of the referral. If necessary, it is allowed for only one parent to travel to China to adopt the child.
* The stay in China is less than two weeks.

General information about China
(Statistical information taken from the 2000 CIA Fact Book)

The People's Republic of China is located in eastern Asia. The size of China is slightly larger than the United States, making it the third largest country in the world. The terrain of China is mostly mountainous, although there are areas of desert, plateau, and plains. The majority of the population lives in the eastern part of the country where the land is most fertile. The climate of China varies greatly by province due to the diverse landscapes. The south tends to have a tropical climate and the extreme north has a sub-arctic climate. The coastal areas of China face yearly monsoons in the summer time. China is just beginning to address the pollution problems that have been becoming more and more severe in areas of new development.

China is known worldwide for its production of rice, tobacco, grains, and peanuts. Nearly 61% of the population is in the agriculture industry. Although China produces large amounts of food, most of the food must be used to feed the enormous population. There are nearly 1.3 billion people in China, making it the largest population in the world.

China people and culture

The Mandarin dialect is the basis for standard Chinese, which is spoken by 70% of the population. The other 30% speak their native dialects. Fortunately, the characters are very similar, so that if they cannot communicate by speech, they can communicate by writing. Mandarin Chinese is taught to all of the children in schools, but they may speak their native dialect at home.

The diet in China has basic staples common in all of the provinces, while each region must rely on the food grown nearby for variety. Noodles, rice, grains, or tofu are the basic ingredients of most meals. Due to the high price of meat, vegetables and sauces must provide the individual flavors and variety.

The appropriate dress in China is conservative, western-style clothing designs. Women tend to wear dresses more than slacks.

The rate of population growth in the past led the Chinese government to offer incentives to families with only one child. For this reason, many of the children available to adopt in China are in orphanages because their families cannot support them.