Adoption

  

Qualifications:

Age Requirements for Parents

• Married couples 30 to 49 years old or less (at time of dossier registration) are eligible to adopt from China.
• Both adoptive parents must be less than 50 years old when their dossier is registered at the CCCWA (China Center for Children's Welfare and Adoption).
• Adoptive parents must be at least 30 years old when the dossier is registered in China, and less than 50 years old.
• Married couples ages 30 to 55 years old are eligible to adopt a Waiting Child from China. Both parents must be less than 55 years old when the dossier is registered in China.
• Married couples 55 to 60 years old, please contact China adoption agency for a case-by-case consultation.
• Single women (have to be at least 30 years of age) are eligible to adopt a "special focus" waiting child. Contact a China adoption agency for more information and specific requirements.

Education Requirements

• Each potential adoptive parent must have at least a high school diploma or the equivalent.

Financial Requirements

• The family must show a positive net worth (assets vs. liabilities) of at least $80,000.
• There must also be an income earning of at least $10,000 per person in the household, including the adopted child. Adoptive parents must demonstrate an annual minimum combined income of $30,000. This represents $10,000 per adult plus $10,000 for the adopted child. An additional $10,000 income is required for each additional person in the household. For example, a married couple with two children living in the home must earn at least $50,000.

Parental History

• Prospective adoptive parents who have terminated parental rights after the age of 18 are not eligible to adopt.
• If you have been investigated by Child Welfare Services please contact an agency for a personal consultation.

Health HistoryFamilies are not eligible to adopt if any of the following apply:

• Diagnosed with major depression or any other severe mental health concern
• Current diagnosis of depression or anxiety or currently on medication for depression or anxiety; if you were previously diagnosed with depression or anxiety, you must be off medication and recovered for at least 2 years.
• Diagnosed with alcoholism within the last 10 years
• Any history of illegal drug/narcotic use or abuse
• Major organ transplant/surgery within 10 years
• One or both parents use a wheelchair or mobility aid
• Diagnosis of cancer or lupus
• Binocular blindness
• Active Hepatitis A, B, or C
• One or both parents with a seizure disorder
• BMI over 40

All health issues will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact adoption agency if you have questions for a private consultation.

Criminal History

Families are not eligible to adopt if any of the following apply:

• Current warrants or currently on probation
• Any use of/arrests for illegal drugs
• More than 3 DUI or DWI charges
• DUI or DWI charges within the last 5 years, regardless of outcome
• Any arrest for a violent crime (examples: assault, domestic violence, child abuse/neglect)
• Any felony arrests

Any other criminal charges are reviewed on case-by-case basis. Please contact a China aodption agency for a personal consultation.

Marriage Requirements

• If it’s your first marriage, couples must be married at least two years at the time their dossier is submitted to China.
• If either spouse is in a second marriage due to the death of a spouse, the current marriage needs to be a minimum of five years.
• If either spouse has one or two divorces, the current marriage needs to be a minimum of five years.
• Couples where one or both spouses have three or more divorces are not eligible.

Maximum Number of ChildrenEvery child deserves the undivided care and attention of a loving parent, especially children who have been orphaned at a young age. For this reason, the CCCWA limits the number of children in the household to a maximum of five.

• Couples with less than five children, less than 18 years old living in the household, may adopt from China.
• Couples with adult children (not living in the home) may adopt from China.
• Couples with more than four children in the family, but not all living at home, may adopt from China.

If there are more than four children living in the household, please contact a China aodption agency to discuss your specific situation.

Household Requirements Adoptive children entering a family require time to adjust to their new environment and bond with their adoptive family.

• If you have recently given birth to a child, or adopted domestically or from another country, you must wait until the child is 12 months old to submit your dossier to China.
• If you have recently adopted a child from China, you must wait until after you have submitted the 12 month post adoption report to submit your dossier to complete another adoption from China.

Subsequent Adoptions from China

• Adoptive parents may submit their dossier to China after they submit the 12 month post adoption report for the previous adoption.

Citizenship Requirements

• One adoptive parent must be a US citizen.
• If one parent is not a US citizen, the other parent (who is a US citizen) must travel to China to complete the adoption.
• If you are a US citizen living abroad, we can help you adopt from China. Many agencies have placed  children with Americans living in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

China Adoption Agencies:

Dillon International

www.dillonadopt.com

Lifeline Adoption Agency
www.lifelinechild.org

Children's Hope International
www.childrenshopeint.org

American World Adoption Association
www.awaa.org

Bethany Christian Services
www.bethany.org