International adoption has its own unique risks, including the physical condition of a child matched to you, unpredictable government relationships, policy changes in the foreign adoption country, natural disasters or epidemics, and your unexpected personal challenges. It is important to understand that you will encounter many things beyond your or your agency’s control.

It is true that adoption offers some choices that a biological birth might not be able to provide, but adoption does not offer a risk-free deal. While China adoption has been a very reputable program, it does not mean smooth sailing for everyone. The unreasonable child-match wait time we are experiencing currently is a good example. So keep the old wisdom in mind: hope for the best, prepare for the worst, and expect the unexpected.

There are several dozen adoption agencies in the US that are officially recognized by the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA), a semi-governmental agency in Beijing that is in charge of international adoption affairs in China. The CCAA has consistently stated that they will only accept an adoption dossier submitted by a CCAA-recognized and Hague-accredited adoption agency with 501(c)3 status. To find out an agency’s status with the CCAA, you can visit www.china-ccaa.org and click on “Adoption Agencies Abroad.”

Contact several Hague-accredited and CCAA-recognized agencies and request a free Adoption Information Packet.

A useful packet from a reputable agency should answer the following questions:

1. How long has the agency been in existence and how long have they been providing China adoption service?
2. Is the agency Hague Convention accredited?
3. How many Chinese children have they placed?
4. What is their opinion on the time frame of China adoption?
5. What services do they provide in the US and China throughout the adoption process?
6. What are the fees for adoption, including an all-inclusive and straightforward list of fees and costs?

Before you make the decision to adopt, you should be absolutely sure how much this adoption is going to cost you. No agency can control the rise of government or travel fees, but a good estimate is not difficult. The total cost for a China adoption can range from $22,000 to more than $40,000 among the roughly 60 China adoption agencies in the US. Ask questions! Remember, it is your money.

An agency’s fees should not change unpredictably. A good agency locks in your fee amount as soon as you sign a fee agreement. You want to work with an agency that does not have last-minute surprises or hidden charges. And if for some reason the adoption does not work out, an adoptive family is entitled to a refund. Program fees should not be paid unless the agency is ready to serve and the adoptive family is ready to be served.

Adoption can be a very long, tedious and unpredictable process. A good agency will help its adoptive families feel at ease and proceed with confidence by regularly providing honest, accurate and up-to-date information. Ask your agency, “How will you keep me informed? Do you update your Web site regularly? Do you have a call-return policy?” It is your right to expect a promptly returned phone call, e-mail or fax. Of course, you must watch out for the false promise, something uneducated customers often fail to detect. Contacting references can help you find out if an agency lives up to its promises.

China is very different from the US politically and culturally, so you want to choose an agency that has a group of dedicated, well-trained, and truly caring bilingual representatives in China who can hold your hand throughout the entire trip.

The risks of China adoption can become very real while you are in China. Get clear answers from agencies you are considering:

1. Do they have reps to meet us at every airport and take care of us while we are in China? What is their English ability?
2. Are they just typical tour guides who work for tips or are they trained adoption professionals who love children and families?
3. Are they available for us 24/7 when we are in China?
4. What kind of contingency plan do they have if my child or I get sick in China?
5. Are they going to help or advocate for us if we run into problems with our adoption in China?

The success or failure of your adoption in China largely depends on the quality of the local reps your agency assigns to you or your group. Do your homework and make sure the right agency representatives are waiting for you in China.

You can ask an agency all the questions you can think of, but remember, the answers are most likely one-sided. To learn how you will be treated after your application is approved you have to go to the most valuable resource of all – reference families. Get a list of references from your agency, and ask: Will you provide me with additional references if needed? Do you provide specific references, i.e. for an older child or a special-needs child? Are references available in our area? How are these references determined or selected? Are they paid or volunteers?

Important questions you want to ask the references:

1. What was your overall experience with your agency? If you adopt again from China, would you use this agency?
2. Do you think your agency’s fees were reasonable? Did you ever run into any hidden charges?
3. Did they return your calls, faxes or e-mails timely? Did they keep you informed?
4. Did they provide useful parent and adoption training?
5. Was their staff professional, knowledgeable and personable? Did they treat you with respect?
6. What was your experience with your agency reps in China? Were they genuinely caring and helpful?
7. Did/do they provide meaningful post-adoption support?
8. Would you whole-heartedly recommend this agency to other families?

There is a proverb in China: “Sugar coated words might be sweet to the ear but are harmful to the heart.” Here are some typical red flags to look for in your search for a China adoption agency:

Our China process is faster than other agencies.
Wrong. One of the best things about the CCAA is that it treats all agencies, big or small, equally in terms of the child-match timeframe.

We have the inside track.
Wrong. Every agency with a China adoption program has some level of professional connection with the CCAA. This is normal. What is not normal is to use these connections for abnormal and unethical promotion and operation.

We can guarantee you a child.
Wrong. No agency can promise a child at any time. In a strict sense, all agencies dealing with the CCAA are just adoption facilitators. It is the CCAA who determines and makes the final child matches.

We can bend some rules for you.
Wrong. Remember, those agencies that are willing to bend the established rules could be setting up a disastrous situation for you and them. Adoption is a legal process. Everyone should follow the rules.

We can get a child or twins faster for you if you pay more or make more donations.
Wrong.  This is not only against the child buying and child trafficking rules of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Inter-country Adoption, it is also a gross misrepresentation of the Chinese government’s adoption practice.  Any agency associating payment or donation with child placement timelines directly or indirectly should be reported to the Hague accreditation body and other relevant governmental agencies.