Adoption Associates, Inc: Domestic Infant and International Adoption Agency

The CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affairs) suggests an annual income guideline of $10,000 per family member plus the adopted child. If a family’s income is less than the suggested guideline, we may be able to present other assets the family may have such as 401-k, trust funds, properties owned, stocks, home equity, etc.

Each person much have a passport with a validity of at least six months and two blank visa pages remaining. Each person must also have a visa obtained from the Chinese consulate in the U.S. before travel. A single entry visa is $50 per person and is valid for three months. (You must use a courier or visa service to apply for a visa, and you will incur extra cost from their processing and handling fee.)

Some of the best books available about China adoption include, “The Lost Daughters of China,” by Karin Evans, “A Passage to the Heart,” by Amy Klatzkin, and “Intercountry Adoption from China,” by Jay Rojewski. Some excellent videos include “Adopting From China, A Video Survival Guide,” available at http://www.adoptingfromchina.com and “China’s Lost Girls,” available through National Geographic at http://shop.nationalgeographic.com.

Yes. Look for a language class geared to adoptive parents. Most people in China speak Mandarin rather than Cantonese, but more specifically the majority speak a conversational Chinese called PinYin. The best phrase book for PinYin is entitled “Chinese at a Glance,” by Scott D. Seligman and published by Barron’s Press. ISBN # 0-7641-1250-3. The cost is approximately $8.95.

You may want to order the Chinese at a Glance kit which includes the phrase book, a cassette, and a pocket-sized abbreviated phrase book. ISBN # 0-7641-7631-8. This great little phrase book features thousands of expressions you will need as you travel throughout China and as you assist your adopted child with her transition into your family. It also includes a dictionary, maps, travel tips, stores and restaurants, menu suggestions, hotels, taxicabs, sightseeing tours, airports, car rental, emergencies, and much much more.

Hao yunqi (Good luck)!

Shots are not mandatory unless there is a state department advisory. If you have not already had the Hepatitis B series, you may want to consider starting the series before you leave. You may also consider the Hepatitis A shot, which immunizes against the Hepatitis A virus found in contaminated food and water. Typhoid and malaria shots may be necessary, depending on where you will travel in China and the time of year.

Check with your physician, the CDC (Center for Disease Control), the state department, or your local health department for recommendations and administration of shots.

The prospective adoptive family that has any medical and/or criminal issues should discuss these issues with a consultant from our AAI China team before applying to the program. On a case by case basis, AAI will determine if the family will qualify, or if it is necessary to contact CCAA in order to get a verbal pre-approval to proceed with the adoption plan. Some medical situations may require support from a doctor’s letter of explanation.

After the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) reviews your dossier and gives you a referral of a specific child, the adoptive family must sign the Confirmation of Acceptance form (stating that they accept this specific child). This form is then mailed back to CCAA. Three to four weeks later, CCAA will mail to the adoption agency a travel notice (aka: travel approval) for each family, giving permission to travel to China. This travel notice also gives the family permission to apply for a visa to enter China, and allows the adoption agency to apply (on behalf of the family) for an Embassy appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Guangzhou. Families will then hand-carry this travel notice to China to present to Chinese and U.S. officials when necessary.

You will need to apply immediately for your passports, as they are needed as part of your dossier (your legal papers needed to send to China to complete the adoption). Usually families have approximately four months to prepare their dossier paperwork. You will need to secure a passport within those first four months in order for the passport copies to accompany your dossier to China. You can contact any U.S. post office to obtain a passport application. You will also need small passport photos as well. Check with your local post office to get the details on passport photos, application time frames, and costs.

Ask yourself these questions and be very honest in your answers. If you can answer the majority of these statements below with a YES, you are ready for an international adoption experience.

• I am goal oriented. Once I make up my mind to do something, I almost always accomplish it.
• I feel I handle stressful situations well. I’ve found ways to reduce my stress level before I “blow up.”
• I consider myself to be a patient person in situations that others find trying.
• I have a good sense of humor. It helps me keep things in perspective.
• Differences interest me. I find it rewarding to try new things. I like travel, meeting new people, trying different foods, etc.
• Challenges make me determined to succeed and I do not give up easily.
• When faced with a problem I become a problem solver. My motto is, “where there is a will, there is a way.”
• My friends, family, and coworkers would say that I am a loyal person.
• I am realistic in my expectations of myself and others. When things don’t go as I’ve planned, I can adjust.
• Even though my family and friends sometimes let me down, I can overlook their shortcomings and accept them as they are.
• I am usually an optimistic person. I like to look on the bright side of things.
• I like to do things my way but can accept the fact that some things are out of my control.
• I have a lot of support in my life from family and friends.
• I am pro-active. I value the advice of others and seek help when I need it.

AAI can provide you an itemized statement of fees paid to AAI, such as home study fee, country-specific program fee, administrative fee, and application fee. We can also list other expenses you have incurred, such as in-country expenses, if you can provide AAI with a detailed record of all those other expenditures.

A receipt request form is provided in your China travel packet that will assist you in organizing all your expenditures. AAI will need this form in order to generate your statement.

The most common and also quite a time consuming mistake that adoptive families make when compiling their dossier is with the required notary seals. Often, families use notaries with expired (or close to expiring) commissions. Another common problem is that the notary is required to sign his/her name exactly the same way it appears on the notary stamp and often they do not.

In the dossier instructions that families receive from AAI, there is a page entitled INSTRUCTIONS FOR NOTARIZATION OF DOCUMENTS. Families should take this with them each time they are getting a document notarized. If the notarization is done incorrectly, the document must be redone, and this is frustrating and time consuming. The China dossier is a fairly simple dossier to compile if some of these troublesome areas are avoided.

AAI international consultants encourage families to use credit cards and/or cash when purchasing international flights. Typically, debit cards have a daily maximum limit that can range from $500 to $1,000, and when a debit card is used for an amount which may be over the limit, a couple’s card may be denied. Using a credit card or cash will prevent payments from being denied.

From submission of dossier to referral of child, it can range from 18-22 months.

The reason has to do with the laws of the Chinese government. Generally it takes seven business days to process the adoption in the province, and additional days are required to complete the visa process for the child at our own U.S. Embassy. We also plan two to three days in Beijing at the front of your trip to sightsee and acclimate to the time change.

Possibly. If one or both parents is of Chinese heritage, their adoptive process can be faster by approximately one month. However, the parents must submit some proof of Chinese ethnicity with their dossier such as a birth certificate of the adoptive parent, a passport showing birth place, or even a birth certificate of an adoptive grandparent.

There is no guarantee that CCAA will expedite the adoption even with proof of Chinese heritage.

Families should expect to stay five business days in the local city as civil affairs officials complete the legal paperwork and final adoption registration before traveling on to Guangzhou for the U.S. Embassy appointment. There is one province, however, that requires families to stay seven business days.

Yes, our Special Waiting Children’s program runs approximately six to nine months from selection of a special needs child to traveling to China.

Even though the U.S. allows one carry on and two checked pieces of luggage per passenger on all transcontinental flights from the U.S. abroad, this is not the case for in-country flights within the country of China. You may only have one carry-on and one checked piece of luggage for flights within China. You may be heavily fined for more pieces and/or overages in weight. It is our recommendation that you plan to take one carry-on and one checked piece of luggage per person. Most items (baby clothes, food, diapers, etc.) needed can be purchased in China. Please contact Travel Intrigue, our in-house travel agent for specifics on luggage restrictions at 1-800-399-3279.

Chinese law does not allow for adoptions to be completed using escorts for the children. Provincial authorities want to have the opportunity to meet with you personally and interview you. Additionally, this gives you a wonderful opportunity to support your child during a difficult transition. If absolutely unavoidable, it is possible for just one of two parents to travel, but we strongly recommend that both parents make the trip.

Yes, you may take others with you to China such as your children, extended family members, or a friend; however, you must keep in mind that your adoption trip is not a vacation opportunity for others to travel to China. Your trip to China is about adoption and the majority of the activities revolve around the legal paperwork process of your adoption. We do not recommend traveling with small children under the age of four as the daily itinerary and foods available are not conducive to young ones. Some adoptive parents have taken grandma and grandpa along, especially when traveling with other children. The extra help is great, allowing you time to concentrate on bonding with your new daughter. AAI does not recommend taking a large group of people with you to China as it complicates the travel planning and may interfere with this very special time you have to spend with your new daughter in China.

It is not necessary to leave China immediately after obtaining the child’s visa. You may stay and enjoy other areas of China, including Hong Kong.

It is important to note, however, that your child’s visa to enter the United States is good for only a few months. You must return to the United States in order to establish your child’s U.S. citizenship. Make sure to check the expiration date on your child’s visa to be certain that you enter the United States before it expires.

Each person much have a passport with a validity of at least six months and two blank visa pages remaining. Each person must also have a visa obtained from the Chinese consulate in the U.S. before travel. A single entry visa is $50 per person and is valid for three months. (You must use a courier or visa service to apply for a visa, and you will incur extra cost from their processing and handling fee).

One trip of 14 to 15 days in country is required. Either one or both parents must travel.

Most families plan their travel into and out of China through our agency’s own travel service, Travel Intrigue (800.399.3279). Some families choose to work with their own travel agent or book tickets online. AAI will inform families of the time and date they must arrive in Beijing, China, where they will be met by our English speaking guide. In-country flights within China are booked by our guides in advance of travel. Most families fly into Beijing and out of Hong Kong or Guangzhou.

The best months for the most pleasant temperatures and overall weather are April, May, and September. If you travel during these months, you will avoid the coldest winter months in Beijing, and the searing heat in Guangzhou in the summer months. However, in April it is best to avoid the trade shows in Guangzhou which cause the cost of hotels and airline tickets to soar. In May, we avoid the first full week, which is a National Holiday Week.

Even though the U.S. allows one carry-on and two checked pieces of luggage per passenger on all transcontinental flights from the U.S. abroad, this is not the case for in-country flights within the country of China. The total allowable weight for each passenger’s luggage is 20 kilograms (44 pounds). You may only have one carry-on and one checked piece of luggage for flights within China. You may be heavily fined for more pieces and/or overages in weight. It is our recommendation that you plan to take one carry-on and one checked piece of luggage per person. Most items needed (baby clothes, food, diapers, etc.) can be purchased in China. Please contact Travel Intrigue, our in-house travel agent for specifics on luggage restrictions at 800.399.3279.

Families must expect to stay five business days in the local city as civil affairs officials complete the legal paperwork and final adoption registration before traveling on to Guangzhou for the U.S. Embassy appointment. There is one province, however, that requires families to stay seven business days.

Generally you should speak directly with our international contact. He or she speaks English and can usually offer the most precise explanation of why things are being done in a particular way. In many cases, customs and culture overseas dictate that things be done differently than what you’re used to here in the U.S. Remember that you are a guest overseas and that you are being given a wonderful opportunity to parent a child.

AAI works very hard to create a wonderful travel package for adopting families. Groups travel to China every four to six weeks, arriving in Beijing to sightsee and to acclimate to the time change and rest before moving to the province to receive their child. The two-and-a-half days spent in Beijing will likely include excursions to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Tienanmen Square. You may also experience a Chinese acrobat show, a traditional tea ceremony, a visit to the jade factory-and of course, fabulous shopping!

Banking systems overseas frequently are poorly developed or unstable. Citizens do not trust banks because funds frequently “disappear” from banks or banks themselves disappear and citizens have no recourse to recover their lost funds. As a result, personal checks are unheard of - citizens pay cash. Furthermore, personal credit cards are rare. Wire transfers are not usually possible. Also, please note that neither the Chinese or even the American consulates will accept old, torn up, or marked currency.

A calling card with international minutes from a major carrier will work. You may also consider purchasing a calling card in China for international use when calling home. Otherwise, you may purchase a phone card online at phonecardsforsale.com for family and friends to use when calling you in China. This may be the least expensive option, as the rates can be as low as two cents per minute.

Since you may not know until you arrive at your hotel exactly which hotel you will be staying in, we recommend that you call home from your hotel soon after you arrive. Before you call, get the phone number from the hotel where you’re staying so you can give this to those at home. From the United States, they would need to dial 011 plus the number you are given for the hotel. Beijing is approximately 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

Adoption Associates, Inc. has primarily used the White Swan hotel for our families while they are in Guangzhou to complete their U.S. Embassy paperwork and obtain their child’s U.S. visa. The White Swan is a five-star hotel located on the historical Shamian Island, overlooking the Pearl River. Most patrons are adoptive families from all over the world. It is located next door to the U.S. Embassy. Visit the White Swan web site at .

AAI has used other wonderful four and five star hotels in Guangzhou as well.

Most families do the majority of their souvenir shopping in Guangzhou, as it is often cheaper than Beijing with the same availability of items. However, if you are looking to buy silk rugs, wall hangings, or jade items, we recommend that you purchase those in Beijing. The cost may be higher, but the quality is the best. All other items can be reasonably purchased in your child’s province or in Guangzhou.

The U.S. Embassy is located in Guangzhou, China, in the southernmost part. Families will fly down to Guangzhou for the last few days of their trip to appear at the U.S. Embassy, where they will receive their child’s U.S. visa. Then families fly from Guangzhou to Hong Kong, where they fly back to the United States.

It is best to wear slacks, khakis, button shirts, sweaters, casual skirts, and modest sun dresses. You may wear nice jeans, but not to official meetings with the civil affairs department or to the U.S. Embassy visa appointment. Avoid tight-fitting or revealing clothes and excessive jewelry. Comfortable shoes are important. Athletic-style apparel is less commonly worn in China, so stay away from wearing shorts, athletic shoes, and ski jackets if you do not want to draw any unnecessary attention to yourself.

Also remember that you are a representative and an ambassador for future adoptive parents coming to China and will need to demonstrate an attitude of respect in your actions, behavior, and dress.

A former client, Tracey, emailed us with the following tip: “Our group found it very helpful to pick one general color scheme and to make every piece of clothing mix-n-match; it helped tremendously in keeping the volume of clothing down. All the ladies in our group generally wore red, black, and white. Cardigans were great over blouses or turtlenecks so that we could use our clothes in multiple climates (we traveled in December). Also, if all you pack is black slacks, nobody knows when you’re wearing the same pair! Laundry services at the hotels were great too!”

Due to the length of international flights and your projected arrival time, normally you will not see your child until two or three days after you arrive. Because your port of entry is not the same as the region where your child is located, it will normally take an extra day before you arrive in that region.

Once you have passed through passport and immigration checks and have picked up your luggage, you will be met by a Chinese/English speaking guide in the terminal area of the Beijing airport. The guide will be holding a sign that reads “Adoption Associates, Inc.” or individual family names. It is important that families traveling in a group communicate with each other before travel to arrange arrival in Beijing around the same time on the designated day of arrival.

In all cases we provide an interpreter so that you can ask your questions. Questions may be answered by the orphanage director, the child’s caregivers, or the government official. Prepare a prioritized short list of questions for the caregiver or orphanage director before travel. Suggested questions can be found in AAI’s red China Travel Orientation packet.

Generally you should speak directly with your guide or local contact person. He or she speaks English and can usually offer the most precise explanation of why things are being done in a particular way. In many cases, customs and culture overseas dictate that things be done differently than what you are used to here in the U.S. Remember that you are a guest overseas and that you are being given a wonderful opportunity to parent a child.

Many variables affect how much will be needed in your particular situation. Your consultant can provide you with a listing of costs specific to your case prior to travel. There is a “required donation” of $3,000 U.S. dollars to your child’s orphanage, in addition to the expenses of in-country airfare, lodging, interpreter costs, local legal fees, etc. It is recommended that you carry $1,000 to $1,500 emergency cash as well.

AAI works very hard to create a wonderful travel package for adopting families. Groups travel to China and arrive in Beijing to sightsee and to acclimate to the time change and rest before moving to the province to receive their child. The two-and-a-half days spent in Beijing will likely include excursions to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Summer Palace and Tienanmen Square. You may also experience a Chinese acrobat show, a traditional tea ceremony, a visit to the jade factory, and of course, fabulous shopping!

You can take precautions by using only bottled water for drinking and brushing your teeth. Close your eyes and mouth when directly under the shower. Take Pepto-bismol tablets each day to coat your stomach. Bring prescription anti- diarrheal medicine, NOT over the counter. You may want to consider the two shot series of Hep A that covers food and water contamination.

If you stick with the good restaurants and avoid street vendor food, you should be fine. Don’t miss out on the great food because you are concerned about getting sick. If you do get sick, tell our guide and they will assist you in getting the help you need from an international clinic if necessary.

Banking systems overseas frequently are poorly developed or unstable. Citizens do not trust banks because funds frequently “disappear” from banks or banks themselves disappear and citizens have no recourse to recover their lost funds. As a result, personal checks are unheard of - citizens pay cash. Furthermore, personal credit cards are rare. Also, please note that neither the Chinese or even the American consulates will accept old, torn up, or marked currency.

You may now wire a portion of your fees to China in order to minimize the amount of cash you carry, but you will still need to carry cash.

We have been very impressed with the orphanage conditions in China. Families have been impressed as well. The orphanages have benefited greatly from the $3,000 orphanage donation each adoptive family has carried to China over the years. China works very hard to improve the lives of the orphaned children there, something adoptive parents greatly appreciate.

From our experience, there do not appear to be English speaking persons in the orphanage to speak with the children before they are adopted. The orphanage staff will, however, prepare the child for the adoption by explaining that the prospective adoptive parents will be coming soon and they will have a forever family. It is also important on the day you meet your child, that the caregiver or orphanage director explain to the child that these are her new parents, and essentially give the child permission to go with the adoptive parents at the time of transition.

Most children coming home are between the ages of nine and sixteen months. Our China special needs program includes special medical needs boys and girls from ten months to five years old.

Yes, unless you request a special needs child.

In all cases we provide an interpreter so that you can ask your questions. Questions may be answered by the orphanage director, the child’s caregivers or the government official. Prepare a prioritized short list of questions for the caregiver or orphanage director.

Most clients request a female child as they represent the majority of children available from China. It is possible to request a boy or child of either gender when applying to adopt from China. There will likely be a longer wait for those waiting only for a boy. AAI has received one boy referral through the regular program and many special needs boys through the Special Waiting Children’s program.

Some clients wishing to adopt an Asian boy have turned to our Russian program for Asian looking boys available throughout Siberia and other regions of Russia.

Remember that your child is being taken away from everything and everyone she is familiar with. She doesn’t understand your language and you don’t understand hers. Under these circumstances, it is perfectly reasonable for her to desire the perceived safety and security of what she is familiar with—the orphanage or foster home. Your child may very well be grieving the loss of caregivers, friends, routines, etc. Your best bet is to understand that these feelings are normal and try to comfort her as best you can, while assuring her that you are not taking her back to the orphanage.

Children often express their feelings more through behavior than words, and in this situation, she doesn’t yet have the ability to verbalize how she feels. Acting out is her way of communicating anger, sadness, fear, etc. Generally, you need to set limits so that she doesn’t endanger herself or others. Beyond that, understand that the first few days or weeks are likely to be difficult both for her and you.

Actually, it is quite common for adoptive parents to feel very little toward their new daughter or son at first. The feeling of love for someone often grows out of nurturing and caring for that person over time. This feeling of love will come as your relationship grows with the child. At that moment you first meet your child, it is really about commitment rather than feelings of love. Give it time… love will flourish.

While in China, it is best to stick with the foods the child is used to, such as noodles (or Lomein), rice, and congee (creamed rice with or without chopped, boiled egg—available at all hotel breakfast buffets). Also, try to use the same baby formula that the orphanage gave her. Sometimes, the caregiver will bring you a bag of powdered formula, or provide the name of the formula for you to then purchase at the department store markets.

It is recommended that you wait until you arrive home to introduce different foods. Introducing strange food while in China may cause severe diarrhea, or refusal to eat or drink. Remember to schedule an appointment with your pediatrician immediately upon arriving home. Your pediatrician will assist you regarding the best time to present new foods.

AAI will contact China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) to request updated medical reports on our special needs children. We cannot guarantee, however, that CCAA will respond in a timely way. AAI will advocate and do everything possible to get updated information so families can make as informed decision as is possible.

Most clients request a female child as they represent the majority of children available from China. It is possible to request a child of either gender when applying to adopt from China. There will likely be a longer wait for those waiting only for a boy. AAI has received two boy referrals through the regular program and many special needs boys through the Special Waiting Children’s program.

Some clients wishing to adopt an Asian boy have turned to our Russian program for Asian looking boys available throughout Siberia and other regions of Russia.

Each referral package contains several pictures of the child to be considered, extensive medical information, social history, and the Confirmation of Acceptance form. A translation of the medical report will be provided approximately 24 hours after receiving the referral package. Clients are encouraged to have the medical information checked by their selected pediatrician before signing the Confirmation of Acceptance form.

Even though it is frowned upon by CCAA, they do allow for a referral to be turned down. It must, however, be for a good reason such as health issues or age of referral is too close to age of other children in the home. CCAA will not accept reasons such as the child is a few months older than requested or the child is not attractive.

The China Center of Adoption Affairs requires that adoptive parents wait one year after their first adoptive placement before submitting another dossier for another adoption. Those interested in adopting again from China typically start to prepare their dossier at nine months after the original adoptive placement, so that the dossier will be complete to mail to CCAA at the one year mark.

The Chinese Culture Group of Greater Grand Rapids is open to families just beginning the adoptive process, as well as those now home with their daughters. This group provides meetings, activities, and web groups to assist families in learning about the adoption process, raising multi-cultural families, and exploring Chinese culture. Their goal is to inform and culturally prepare adoptive families. To learn more to to http://www.ccgggr.org.

Families With Children From China, another parent support group, has many chapters throughout Michigan as well as the United States. Southeast Michigan families can visit http://www.hvcn.org/info/fwcc. Detroit area families can visit http://www.fcc-md.org. Kalamazoo and Battle Creek area families can e-mail for more information to Cougar2754@charter.net.

Other chapters of FCC throughout the United States can be located by visiting http://www.fwcc.org/contacts.html.

“Asia for Kids” is a great educational catalog with many resources in arts, crafts, literature, games, play activities, language, music, and educational resources. For more information visit http://www.asiaforkids.com or call 513-563 -3100.

Another great resource is the “Tapestry Books” catalog. This catalog offers books and videos related to international and domestic adoption issues, as well as foster care and birth parent topics. They also offer a wide variety of children’s books related to the above topics. For more information visit http://www.tapestrybooks.com or call 800-765-2367.

The China Center of Adoption Affairs requires that each adoptive family undergo a post adoption supervision interview, conducted by your licensed agency caseworker, at six and twelve months after the child comes home. The CCAA is looking for a report that describes the child’s adjustments in her new family, her physical, emotional, and social development, and her accomplishments and achievements since the adoption. The reports are sent to the CCAA along with eight recent photos of the child and the adoptive family.

The Report on Intercountry Adoption of 2004 has an excellent answer for this question: “Even though adoption is a very normal, acceptable way to build a family, it still is unusual. Therefore, while family and friends can offer a great deal of support, they may not fully understand the questions and concerns of adoptive parents. Adoptive parent groups provide a network of people who share similar experiences. They too, have struggled with the decision to adopt, worked with strangers to find a child, readjusted their lives after placement, and dealt with the curiosity of strangers. Even though they may have traveled different paths to the point of adoption, and even though they may have adopted very different types of children, members of adoptive parent groups have one very important bond: they love and care for children who live with the painful fact that their birth parents could not or would not keep them. Helping children deal with this loss at different stages of life adds a unique dimension to adoptive parenting.

Adoptive parent groups offer a safe and supportive place to raise questions, express uncertainty, vent frustration, brag about successes, and rejoice in the growth and healing of children. An additional benefit is the opportunity for adopted children to meet one another. For children who may believe that adoption has happened only to them, it can be very reassuring to meet other adoptees.”

First of all, make an appointment (before leaving for China) for a thorough physical exam for your child with your physician to be scheduled within a day or two after coming home from China. It is important to select a pediatrician that is experienced in the issues that surround the health of internationally adopted children.

For all children, regardless of age or country of origin, the following testing is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Complete history and physical, including developmental examination, and vision and hearing testing
• Complete blood count with erythrocyte indices
• TSH screening
• Rapid plasma reagin (RPR) or VDLR for Syphilis
• Hepatitis B profile, including assays for HBsAg, anti-HBc, and anti-HBs
• Hepatitis C antibody & lead levels
• Mantoux (intradermal PPD) test with candida control
• Diphtheria & tetanus antibody testing, if low, or if child received fewer than 3 DPT vaccines, begin complete AAP immunization sequence
• Complete STD screening, if risk factors present
• HIV-1 and HIV-2 by ELIZA and by PCR
• Stool cultures for Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia & Campylobacter, if symptomatic
• Stool examination for ova & parasites
• Urinalysis

Contact your local county probate court and request two forms to apply for the child’s new state birth certificate and to change the child’s name and/or age—the Application to Establish Delayed Registration of Foreign Birth and the Motion and Order For Delayed Registration of Foreign Birth. You will then mail the completed forms, along with the requested documents, back to the court. The court will file your application and forward this on to Lansing (or your state capital). In order to change the child’s age, you will need a letter from your child’s dentist and doctor stating the child’s possible age range, and a letter from you stating the age desired and why you want the age changed. Please note that some counties may not allow you to file these forms until the child has maintained residence in the state for at least one year.

NOTE: Changing the child’s name or age or obtaining a new state birth certificate may vary in procedure from county to county and state to state. In some states, you may be required to re-adopt; in Michigan, you are not required to re-adopt. Contact your local county probate court for more information if you are not a Michigan resident.

To apply for the child’s social security number, you can apply at your local social security office (Michigan residents 800.772.1213). You will need his/her new Michigan birth certificate, the final adoption decree in English, and his/her proof of citizenship (Certificate of Citizenship). It should be mailed to you automatically 45 to 60 days after arriving in the U.S. with your adopted child.

If you choose to apply for the child’s social security number before obtaining the new birth certificate or before receiving the Certificate of Citizenship, you will follow this process: once you do obtain the new birth certificate or Certificate of Citizenship, you will have to return to the social security office to change the name/age on the social security card or to update the child’s status.

The majority of the children are referred by CCAA from the Eastern and Southern parts of China, which are the most populated areas. However, we are beginning to see some children being referred by CCAA from the more remote Central areas of China. Even though these provinces are less familiar with the international adoption process, and the paper processing may not be as smooth, the time frames will not be affected.

Two categories of special needs children are available. They are as follows:

Boys and girls between the ages of ten months and 13 years of age with special medical needs problems, such as cleft palate, heart murmur, congenital heart problems, missing or extra digits, or Hepatitis B.

Also, older boys and girls, six years and older, with no medical issues or concerns.

CCAA will place one child at a time and will accept a second dossier from a family only after the family has been home with their first adopted child for one year. Some families have requested two children through their home study, either siblings, twins or crib mates, but placement of two children is very rare. Simultaneous multiple placements constitute less than one percent of all placements through China.

The China Center of Adoption Affairs is a government organization within China, under the supervision of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, with the sole purpose of carrying out the work of adoption in China. The organization known as CCAA was approved December, 1995, and was prepared and set up by the Ministry of Civil Affairs in June, 1996. Authorized by the Chinese government, the CCAA is mainly responsible for receiving and examining adoption applications, receiving certified documents of available orphans from provincial civil affairs officials and orphanage directors, matching orphans to approved adoptive families, and issuing final permission to travel (the Notice of Coming to China) to adoptive families. The CCAA also oversees the incoming post adoption supervision reports regarding the adjustment and upbringing of adopted Chinese children.

In the China Special “Waiting Children” program, we receive referrals of special needs children from China at the beginning of the adoption process for family consideration. The family then submits a letter of intent for a specific selected special needs child, along with a rehabilitation plan unique to the child’s needs. As the family is waiting for pre-approval from CCAA to adopt the selected child, they are working to prepare their dossier. Once pre-approval has been given, the dossier is sent to CCAA. Approximately two to three months later, the travel permission is received, and the family travels to China to adopt their child.

The entire process for special needs children takes approximately six to seven months to complete. Those in this program will not travel with a group of families to China, but will still be met by our guides and enjoy their excellent assistance while in China. A more detailed China Special “Waiting Children” program adoption process sheet is available from the China Special “Waiting Children” Intake Consultation Packet on our web site under “documents to download.”

Those families that are seriously considering a special needs child can ask to be added to our China Special “Waiting Children” e-mail group by submitting on-line, the special needs assessment questionnaire at:

http://www.adoptassoc.com/international/china/special_needs/sn_questionnaire

We will send out an e-mail to this group with information on every new group of children we have received from CCAA for placement. There is no cost or obligation to be included in this e-mail group. If you wish to be added to this e-mail group, please contact Mary at 616.667.0921 or e-mail us at adopt@adoptassoc.com.

According to the adoption guide of 2003-2004 from Adoptive Families magazine, the following number of orphan visas were issued to children adopted from China. There were 4,681 placed in the United States in 2001; 5,053 placed in 2002; and 6,589 placed in 2003. For other orphan visa statistics, please visit the web site of the U.S. State Department at http://www.travel.state.gov/family/adoption_resources_02.html.

There is a great article titled “How to Lobby your Employer for Adoption Benefits” available for downloading at http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/clip.php. The article, written by Elizabeth Mair, directs you initially to the booklet entilted “Advocating for Adoption Benefits: An Employee’s Guide,” then gives suggestions on how to approach your employer, and provides a sample of the authors actual benefit proposal submitted to her employer at the time she planned to adopt.

For the regular China program, both adoptive parents must be between the ages of thirty and fifty at the time the dossier is submitted to China.

For the China Special Waiting Children program, both adoptive parents must be between the ages of thirty and fifty-five at the time the dossier is submitted to China.

CCAA will place one child at a time and will accept a second dossier from a family only after the family has been home with their first adopted child for one year. Some families have requested twins through their home study, but placement of twins is very rare. Simultaneous multiple placements constitute less than one percent of all placements through China.

The majority of the children are referred by CCAA from selected orphanages in the Eastern and Southern parts of China, which are the most populated areas. We are beginning to see some children being referred by CCAA from the more remote Central areas of China.

Boys and girls between the ages of ten months and 13 years of age with special medical needs problems, such as cleft palate, heart murmur, congenital heart problems, missing or extra digits, club feet, limb deformity, or Hepatitis B.

Yes, we are! The China Program Fee will be reduced by $500 for those families who have previously adopted from China. This fee reduction does not apply to the Special Waiting Children program and is subject to change at any time without notice.

Yes! New to AAI is a site that will allow you to create your own adoption-themed journal and post updates about your adoption journey that your family and friends can respond to with their own comments. Best of all, this service is free to families adopting through AAI.

Families adopting from China, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Haiti, Nepal, and Russia can customize their journal by choosing a country-specific background. These themes feature children’s artwork created with various types of artistic mediums or international artifacts and will give your adoption journal an international flair. Generic backgrounds are also available for families adopting from other countries.

Have photos that you would like to share? When you create a journal, you will be able to post an unlimited number of pictures to your journal for your family and friends to enjoy without ever leaving their homes. Because all journals are password-protected, you’ll be able to rest easy in the knowledge that only those who have your password will be able to view your postings. Once your journal is set up, simply share the site link and password with friends and family that you would like to keep updated about your adoption journey.

To start your journal today, visit http://www.adoptionjournals.org, or ask your international consultant for more information.