China adoption requirements and China Adoption Criteria

China

Children Who Need Families

  • The China program matches girls and boys with varying levels of special needs.
  • Children without identified special needs are adopted domestically, so they are no longer available for international adoption.
  • Many children are 2-4 years old at time of placement, but children through age 13 are waiting for families.
  • Children from China are ineligible for adoption once they reach the age of 14.
  • Older children and those with more involved special needs are featured on our Waiting Child photo listing.
  • Waiting children can be matched with families who have an approved home study.
  • Younger children with manageable/correctable conditions must be matched with a family whose dossier is completed and logged in with China.
  • We rarely see biological siblings from China and families may not adopt two unrelated children at the same time.

Parent’s Age

  • Both parents must be at least 30 years of age at the time of dossier submission.
  • There can be up to 50-year age difference between the child and the younger spouse.

Length of Marriage

  • Couples must be married at least 2 years at the time of dossier submission.
  • If either spouse has two divorces, the minimum length for the current marriage is 5 years.
  • Cohabitation can be included in the total length of relationship.

Divorce

  • No more than two divorces per spouse.

Children in Family

  • Families can have up to 5 children under the age of 18 in the home.
  • The youngest child must be at least 3 years of age at the time of dossier submission.

Single Applicant

  • Only single women may apply.
  • Single applicants must be at least 30 years of age at the time of dossier submission.
  • There can be up to a 50-year age difference between the child and the applicant.
  • There can be up to two children under the age of 18 in the home, and the youngest child must be at least 3 at the time of dossier submission.
  • The minimum annual income is $30,000 plus $10,000 for each child currently in the home.
  • The minimum net worth for singles is $100,000.
  • There are additional requirements for single applicants who live with a male partner.
  • Single applicants will be required to have a companion when traveling to China.

Travel in Country

  • At least one parent is required to travel to China, although travel by both parents is strongly encouraged.
  • The average trip length is 14 days.
  • Solo spouse travelers and single applicant travelers are required to have a traveling companion.

How Long it Takes

  • For a waiting child who is older or has more involved special needs, the process takes about 12 months from application to placement.
  • For younger children with manageable/correctable conditions, most families are currently completing the process in about 2 years.
  • Due to recent changes in China, we expect this time frame to expand in the coming year.
  • Families need to be as flexible as possible in terms of age, gender, and special needs to receive a referral in a reasonable period of time.
  • Time frames are subject to change and we will keep you informed on a monthly basis as you make your way through the adoption process.

Waiting Child Program

  • Many children who are older or have more involved special needs appear on the China Waiting Child photo listing.
  • Families may request files for waiting children, but they may not be matched until they have an approved home study.

Additional Information

 

  • China requires minimum annual income of $30,000 plus $10,000 for each child currently in the home, and net worth of $80,000 for couples and $100,000 for singles.
  • Body mass index (BMI) cannot exceed 40 for each applicant.
  • If one spouse is healthy, China is open to a chronic well-controlled medical condition in the other spouse.
  • For skin, thyroid, breast or testicular cancer, the applicant must be cancer free for at least 3 years.
  • For other types of cancer, the applicant must be cancer free for at least 5 years.
  • China is open to one or both applicants with a well-controlled mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression, with a positive mental health letter.
  • For families coming back into process, the soonest they can submit a dossier or LOI for another child is 12 months after the last adoption was registered.
  • Home studies for China MUST be done by a Hague or COA-accredited agency.
  • You will find a list of accredited home study agencies in your state on our website.