Family & Community Services, Inc. Foster Care & Adoption Services has been placing children from China into loving homes since 1994. We are accredited through China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA). Due to our excellent performance reviews over the years, in 2009 we were approved to refer children with a special needs designation, which means that a child is not readily matched with an adoptive family. Children on this list are often of an older age or have a medical condition or delayed development. It is important to remember that these needs have a vast range and can be mild or treatable to significant or permanent.
ADOPTION PROCESS
Pre-adoption: The pre-adoption process will take most applicants 4-6 months.
- Application
- Adoption study
- Immigration approval
- Dossier preparation
Matching: Once the pre-adoption process is complete, we monitor CCCWA’s list of waiting children to see if a child who is available for placement meets the medical/developmental needs criteria that individual families have agreed upon with their social worker. This wait time will vary depending upon the severity of developmental disabilities the family will consider, as well as the age and gender of the child they wish to adopt.
When we find a child who appears to be a good fit, we will lock them in on the CCCWA list. This prevents other approved agencies from matching the same child with a different family. The referral is immediately sent to the family and any professional they have involved in the process (such as a doctor). The family then has 72 hours to decide whether or not to proceed with the adoption of that specific child.
CCCWA approval: Once a child is matched with an adoptive family, we inform the CCCWA of their interest. Then, we wait for the CCCWA to approve the match. After this approval is granted, a typical Chinese waiting child adoption takes 6-8 months, depending on whether or not the family’s dossier has already been submitted to China.
Finalization in China: The adoption of a Chinese child is processed and finalized in China. At least one parent must be present, but we recommend that both parents go if possible. If there are already children in the family, they are welcome to come as well. Most families spend 10-14 days in China. Many families start in Beijing to do some sightseeing. Then, they must go to the province where their child resides. The adoption is finalized in the capital city of the province, and then the family must go to Guangzhou to apply for their child’s visa. Once the visa has been issued, the family can return to the US.
REQUIREMENTS
Residence: Family & Community Services, Inc. Foster Care & Adoption Services welcomes inquiries from anyone interested in adopting from China. Families throughout the U.S. are welcome to apply. We will provide comprehensive services (home study, placement, post-placement) to applicants residing in the states of Michigan and Ohio. Families who reside in other states must obtain certain required services from an agency in their state of residence. We partner with a number of agencies throughout the US.
Marriage: Applicants who have not been previously married must be married a minimum of 2 years. If any applicant has been previously married, the current marriage must be married a minimum of 5 years. No more than 2 divorces per spouse are permitted. Single females are eligible to adopt children who have a special focus designation on the special needs system of the CCCWA.
Age: Parents between the ages of 30-55 are eligible to adopt a child with special needs. For single applicants over 50, there must be no more than a 45 year age difference between the parent and child to be adopted.
Education: Each applicant must have the minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent.
Children: For married applicants, there can be no more than 4 children under the age of 18 currently in the home. The youngest child must be at least one year old at the time of the dossier submission. For single applicants, no more than 2 children under the age of 18 and the youngest should have reached the age of 6 years old. Some exceptions can be made with approval from the CCCWA.
Income: A minimum of $10,000 per family member (including the child to be adopted) derived from a stable employment source. Adoptive couples must have a minimum of $80,000 in net assets. For single applicants, net assets must exceed $100,000.
Criminal Record: Applicants with no criminal convictions are preferred. Some exceptions may be made, depending on the nature of the crime and when it occurred. Contact us to discuss your personal situation prior to applying to adopt from China.
Health: Good health strongly preferred. Each applicant must have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or less. Applicants must have a normal life expectancy and/or no restrictions to their daily living. Infectious disease, chronic or long-term physical or mental health diagnosis, and history of alcohol or drug abuse should be discussed with us prior to application.