Expanding Your Family:
Adopting from China
China is one of the world's oldest civilizations dating back some 6,000 years. Accordingly, it has some of the world's most beautiful, long-standing and unique cultural histories. It is thought some 100 ethnic groups exist within China's population of 1.3 billion people.
Hope Cottage currently has a cooperative agreement with Chinese Children Adoption International (CCAI), a placement agency accredited in China to facilitate international adoptions. (CCAI is located in Englewood, Colorado, and serves many Texas families.)
We also work with families who have selected other Chinese placement agencies around the country by preparing a family's home study and doing initial adoption education. We assist them through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approval process, provide guidance for additional training during the waiting time and conduct the post-placement services required by China. Families who want more personal contact throughout the waiting and supervision stages have the additional option of participating in training and support services through Hope Cottage.
The Children We Serve
Most of the available children from China are baby girls from 9 months of age at assignment, and children of both sexes under three years. Children with designated medical issues are also available through a special needs adoption program. Social and medical information on the child is available from the orphanage; however, information on the birth family is not available.
Who We're Looking For
Couples and individuals whose application has been accepted by a Chinese placement agency are eligible to begin the home study process.
Hope Cottage works with families in the North Texas area. Due to Hague regulations, we are not able at this time to assist families who live outside of the North Texas area who are adopting from Hague Countries.
The Adoption Process
With the help of your dossier specialist at CCAI or other Chinese placement agency, you'll work on the documents required by the Chinese government for international adoption. When your dossier is finished, it's sent to your placement agency for translation and entered into the files of the China Center for Adoption Affairs. This committee will be in charge of assigning a child to you when your dossier comes before them. Your China placement agency will be able to share with you the most current estimate of waiting time for your adoption.
Initially, you'll be placed on a waiting list of families ready to parent a Chinese child. When a child is identified for you, a photo and information about the child will be sent to your placement agency. The agency forwards the information to you, along with assignment documents for you to sign and return. And in seven to nine weeks, you can expect to travel to China to bring your child home.
When you arrive in China, an agency representative will meet you and your group. Someone from your agency will be with you throughout your stay in China. You'll travel to the region where your child lives and, soon after, meet and take the child with you to your hotel. You'll appear in court for the adoption hearing. The Chinese placement agency will take all the steps necessary for your paperwork to continue moving through the legal channels.
Prior to returning to the United States with your child, you'll be interviewed at the American Embassy in Guangzhou so that a visa can be issued for your child. The adoption agency staff in China schedules an interview and provides all Chinese legal papers needed. (Note: A visit to an approved medical clinic for the exit physical exam will be required prior to this embassy appointment.)
Rest assured, supervision and support for your family will continue even after you return home with your child. We'll send post-placement reports and pictures to the Chinese placement agency at the six- and 12-month marks after returning home with your child.
Overall, your Chinese placement agency will be able to keep you updated on your expected wait as you go through the process. Chinese placements are predictable under normal circumstances, but there is always the chance of an unforeseen delay.
Adoption Fees
The average total costs for a China adoption run in the range of $18,000-$20,000. These costs include Hope Cottage and Chinese placement agency fees, donation and government fees in China, costs related to Citizenship and Immigration Service applications, dossier expenses, the child's visa to enter the U.S. and the parents' visa to enter China, travel and living expenses in China and other incidental costs related to international adoption.
We are currently accepting families in this program. For an individual orientation, please contact us.