You may be investigating China adoption because you have a friend who has adopted from China, or perhaps you bumped into a family at the mall or grocery store with a Chinese child. Most likely, you have already seen the beautiful picture that these families make once they have been united. Below is some information on who these children are before they meet their new parents.

Before They Are In Your Arms: An abandoned child is placed under the legal guardianship of the state, which means that after an unsuccessful search for the birth parents, the child is placed in a state-run orphanage. Because these children are abandoned, information on their birth family is not available. Most orphanages raise the children in a group-care setting; however, some orphanages place the children in foster care. While some foster care situations are positive, foster care in China is not like the U.S. system, which requires foster families to receive proper training and supervision.

Whether in group care or foster care, CCAI has a positive impression of most orphanages and foster homes and the care that the children receive. The orphanages and their staff seem to work hard with their limited resources to care for the children. Many families are interested in visiting their child's orphanage. While orphanage visits by the adoptive families were acceptable in the past, currently most orphanages are not open to visits.

Your Child's Health: A county-level hospital will conduct a general physical exam on your child while in the orphanage. This exam will be forwarded to the CCAA along with other documents as part of your child's profile. The physical exam covers weight, height, condition of limbs, eyes, ears, nose, teeth, heart, liver, spleen, spine, nervous system, genital system, etc… The child is also given a chest x-ray, Hepatitis B test, complete blood count, and HIV test. The CCAA does not match parents with children who have tested positive for Hepatitis B (unless the family is petitioning for a child with that special need). The CCAA does not match parents with children who have tested positive for HIV. The U.S. national average of Hepatitis B among adopted Chinese children is 3.5%. Among the children placed through CCAI, eighteen have tested positive after returning to the U.S., representing only 0.3% of our children. CCAI has never placed a child who has tested positive for AIDS after their return to the U.S.  Additionally, tuberculosis can still be found in China.  However, today in China there is a 70% case detection rate and an 85% treatment rate.  There have been a small percentage of children who have tested positive for PPD/TINE when they arrived home and were treated with oral medication monitored by the Health Department.  (Fewer than 10% were diagnosed with latent TB, as the BCG vaccine is still given at birth in China, and fewer than one child in 1000 has confirmed TB.)

At the time of match, CCAI confirms and translates the physical exam and sends it to adoptive families with any available pictures. On match day, families will receive at least one picture of their child, if not more. After CCAI receives a family's match, we request updated pictures and updated physical information on the child. Information on the child's background and development while in the orphanage is provided to the family whenever available.

While every approved family qualifies for a child with no known medical conditions, children with special needs or correctable medical conditions are also available for adoption, if desired. Through the Waiting Child Program, CCAI has placed children with cleft lip and palate, congenital heart disease, hepatitis B, limb differences, vision/hearing issues, albinism, and other special needs.

When You Meet For The First Time: Abandoned children must be at a certain level of health to be eligible for international adoption. CCAI wants families to have a realistic expectation of their adoptive child and what their first few weeks together may be like. It's important to remember that because an orphanage is not a home, these children may have physical or mental developmental delays, malnutrition, colds, rashes, bug bites, parasites, higher levels of lead, effects of water/air pollution, etc. For more information on known health risks in China, please visit the World Health Organization's website at www.who.int. Despite these issues, most children have had their basic needs met and will flourish once they become part of your family. We recommend you contact some of our parent references to discuss their personal experience.