In speaking with a majority of couples seeking to adopt a child, it's amazing to me how many are willing to try international adoption. According to the U.S. State Department, China has been the top choice as a source of adopted children for American couples and Beijing reports show that in the last decade 4/5 of their inter-country adoptions have gone to U.S. families. Couples disappointed with adoption procedures in the U.S. find they also run into frustrating obstacles with overseas adoptions. Even after doing initial research and learning of the many obstacles involved with adopting abroad, many U.S. couples still seem to favor China child adoptions.
The many U.S. adoptive parents who tout China as their #1 source for adoption do so because they consider its government regulated system of adoption to be honest as well as efficient. Another reason is that their orphanage population consists mostly of abandoned baby girls who are much healthier on average than children from other countries. The big question that catches my eyes is: Why such a large percentage of girls?
Researching China adoptions reveals that the majority (95%) of their adoptions are girls, due to China's "one child" policy. If more than one child is born, it's the girl who is placed for adoption because the boys are needed to help care for their parents and most importantly, to carry on the family name. Another reason given for U.S. adoptive parents not requesting boys is that since China adoptions seem to specialize in girls, specifying anything different would result in their request for adoption being ignored completely. All the months of previous efforts for this adoption would have been in vain.
If you are considering becoming an adoptive parent, a brief summary of the exhausting and costly procedures may help prepare you for the proper decision. First of all, you must work through the most reliable adoption agency you can find. They in turn will do most of the dealing with China's Ministry of Civil Affairs (CCAA). Your agency must submit your China adoption applications complete with dossiers (other required documents) directly to the CCAA. Once approved, the match is made with the child whose family history and health records have been sent to the CCAA. From there the CCAA provides the U.S adoption agency with pertinent information which is then forwarded to the adoptive parents: a letter introducing the child, with photos and health records included.
In order to finalize this China adoption, the adoptive parents are required to make the trip to China. Studies reveal that although times may vary, the average waiting time from the initial step of registering to actually bringing your child home is about 18 to 20 months, which is comparable to stateside adoptions.
There are other restrictive requirements in order to be approved for a China adoption. China has recently announced new (upsetting) rules concerning who is eligible to adopt, giving priority to stable married couples between the ages of 30 and 50, leaving singles and those with certain health problems to wonder if they have been left out. The good news is that these new rules supposedly will shorten the waiting time for the couples meeting the new qualifications.
Would-be adoptive parents of overseas children, including China adoptions, would do well to carefully research the total expense of this procedure. Some research places the cost between $15,000 and $30,000, including travel costs, immigration expenditures, the donation of $3,000 to $4,000 to the Children's Welfare Institute, medical and translation fees and possible a few other fees. This is compared to domestic adoption fees which can run from nothing (welfare) to as much as $40,000. Other couples who have gone through the overseas adoption process report the cost to be between $30,000 and $40,000.
Couples could be somewhat encouraged to know that some financial help may be available for their China adoptions such as: a federal tax credit of $10,000 for qualifying expenses; loans and grants; and for some, even reduced air fare.
Well, these are the facts about adopting from China. They're yours to consider. You enter into this life-changing adventure knowing that it's going to be costly; it's going to take a long time; it requires much prayer, mounds of paper work and careful choices. Then consider why you gladly did it all. What price do you put on the head of a precious child - to call your own!
To read other articles by Robert Byrnes and for more information on child adoption agencies please visit [adoptionagencyinternational.com] a website which specializes in tips, advice and resources on baby adoption [adoptionagencyinternational.com].
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