Q:   Does CCAI offer a Full Dossier Compilation Service?
A:   Yes.  For families who need extra help to complete their dossier, CCAI offers the option of a Full Dossier Compilation Service for an additional fee.  Please contact our Dossier Department at 303-850-9998 or dossier@chinesechildren.org for more information.

Q:  Do you have specific home study agencies you work with?
A:  CCAI provides home studies for families in its licensed states (CO, FL and GA) and will provide a list of accredited “network home study providers” for prospective adoptive families in all other states.  CCAI is responsible for ensuring that every prospective adoptive family’s home study is completed in accordance with federal, state and Chinese requirements.  Part of this responsibility includes an Exempt Provider Agreement with the home study provider.  Prospective adoptive families (who live outside of CO, FL and GA) who choose to complete a home study prior to choosing a placement agency assume the risk that the home study will not be in compliance with set regulations and may need to be modified to ensure compliance. 

Q:  If I have been arrested, do I need to disclose it on our application?
A:  Yes.  When an adoptive family applies to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the FBI will locate all past arrest records.  If an arrest was not disclosed on the original CCAI application and the USCIS application, it will jeopardize the family’s approval.  Non-disclosure of any arrests will result in CCAI closing the family’s file.

Q:  What if our family moves during the adoption process?
A:  It is OK to relocate during your adoption process.  If you move after your dossier arrives in China, you will need to have a home study addendum written for USCIS to address any information that has changed since the original home study.   If you might be moving during your adoption, please contact CCAI for more information.

Q:  We are of Chinese descent — how does this affect our China adoption?
A:  If one or both of the adoptive parents were born in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Macau (or if one set of the adoptive grandparents were born in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Macau) you may qualify for an expedited referral through the non special needs program.  Please contact CCAI about regulations and current timeframes for Chinese descent families.

Q:  Are twins available for adoption?
A:  Yes, but only rarely.  Please be prepared for the strong likelihood that twins may not be available and only one child will be placed with you.  

Q:  Are healthy boys available?
A:  Yes.  The wait time is usually the same as when requesting a girl.  In the Waiting Child Program, families open to boys with identified medical conditions can often be matched more quickly.

Q:  How do I get started in the Waiting Child Program?
A:  The very first step is to complete and submit a Medical Conditions Checklist (MCC).  If you aren’t currently in process with CCAI, make sure to include your Family Information Sheet.

Q:  If I adopt through the Waiting Child Program, how much faster is the timeline?
A:  The average timeline to a potential child match in the Waiting Child Program is about 6-12 months, but this timeline will vary tremendously based on a family’s openness to age, gender, and special needs. In general, families who desire to adopt a boy, an older child, or a child with more significant special needs will wait shorter, perhaps even just a few weeks, and families who desire to adopt a girl under 2 or 3 with more minor special needs will wait longer, possibly up to 18 months.  Once you have submitted your dossier to China AND accepted a specific Waiting Child, you will generally travel to China in about four to six months.

While it is true that the Waiting Child program has a shorter timeline, this program is designed for families who are truly prepared to parent a child with a special need.  Although important and attractive, a shorter timeline should not be the primary motivation to consider the Waiting Child Program.  Accepting a Waiting Child may mean that you will hold your child’s hand sooner than if you were matched in the traditional non special needs program, but it may also mean managing this child’s special need for the rest of your life.  Please keep this in mind as you determine whether or not this program may be right for your family.

Q:   May I pursue both programs at the same time?
A:  Until you accept a particular Waiting Child, your process will actually follow the path of the traditional non special needs adoption program.  That means you can have an MCC on file at the same time as you compile your dossier and even as it waits its turn in the CCCWA’s process.  Having an MCC on file with CCAI does not affect your dossier in China.  If you accept a Waiting Child, your dossier will at that time switch to the Waiting Child Program.  If you do not accept a Waiting Child, your dossier will still be matched by the CCCWA in the traditional non special needs adoption program.  Your dossier CAN be used to adopt a child from both programs at the same time in the case of adopting a Special Focus child.  For more information, please see the Special Focus Program page in this packet.

Q:   Does CCAI use the “Shared List” or an agency-specific list of Waiting Children?
A:  CCAI uses both!  We focus on a designated, agency-specific list of Waiting Children assigned to us by the CCCWA. We also have access to the “Shared List” of Waiting Children and we match families from either list. 

Q:   What if we don’t meet all of the qualifications?  Are there waivers available?
A:  While the CCCWA doesn’t term it a “waiver,” the CCCWA does routinely allow, in the form of a “pre-approval,” extra flexibility in the area of parental age (up to 55, potentially higher for the adoption of a Special Focus child) and number of children in the home (more than 4) when families pursue an adoption through the Waiting Child Program.  You are welcome to begin compiling your dossier and even log it in at the CCCWA – with the understanding that you must ultimately accept a child through the Waiting Child Program.  Recently, China has allowed even more flexibility on their qualifications, particularly when a family adopts a Special Focus Child.  Please feel free to contact CCAI to discuss your individual situation!

Q:   Must we have a home study or dossier completed in order to be considered for a match in the Waiting Child Program?
A:  Not necessarily.  As soon as your MCC and Application/Family Info Sheet arrive at our office, we will put them on file and will contact you if we receive a file of a child matching your desires – you are not required to have reached a certain milestone in the adoption process.  The only exception is those children that the CCCWA requires to be matched to families who already have a dossier logged in (“LID”) with them (generally the youngest children with the most “minor” conditions).  This applies to less than half of the children on our designated list, as well as to some children for the first 30 days their file appears on the shared list. 

Q:   May I view CCAI’s full list of Waiting Children?
A:  Only about a quarter of the Waiting Children’s files that CCAI receives will be placed on our website;  most of the children whose information we receive will be placed directly with families who have submitted a MCC (and application or Family Information Sheet) to CCAI.  Only those children whose information does not directly match a family’s request are listed on the website, so these children may not be a typical representation of the children in the Waiting Child Program.  In many cases, these children may be older, male, or have more significant special needs.  To access profiles of these children, go to www.chinesechildren.org and click on “Waiting Child Program.”  Then look for a link on the left-hand side called “Child Profiles.” 

Q:   How are Waiting Child matches made?
A:  Unlike the traditional non special needs adoption program, in which the CCCWA matches children to their families, with the Waiting Child Program, the CCCWA makes children’s files available directly to adoption agencies.  CCAI places all MCCs on file in the order in which they are received.  As children’s files become available on the designated and shared lists, we are able to use those MCCs to determine a potential child match.  We then contact a family directly about a child, and email the child’s entire file to the family.

Q:   Does CCAI recommend certain doctors to review children’s information?
A:  We believe it is most beneficial for you to have a child’s information reviewed by a doctor in your area, who might actually treat the child you are considering.  Your own physician, pediatrician, local Children’s Hospital, or international adoption clinic may be able to provide you with excellent specialist referrals if needed.

Q:   What happens if we can’t accept a child referral that is presented to us?
A:  CCAI will only contact you directly about a child who matches what you’ve indicated on your MCC, so we encourage families to do thorough research about these conditions.  If, however, you feel you cannot accept a child presented to you, please discuss your decision with CCAI and consider whether you need to make changes to your MCC (and whether those changes would still allow for a potential successful match).  Refusing a child match will not result in your MCC moving to the “back of the line” and CCAI will continue to attempt to match you with a Waiting Child. 

Q:  Do I travel with a group?
A:  Yes, if at all possible.  You will meet your group on the scheduled arrival date in the port city and travel together throughout China for your adoption trip.  Families travel in groups for several reasons.  First, families are grouped together if their children are from the same orphanage or province.  Second, traveling in a group provides adoptive families with emotional support when they go to a country that is so different from their own.  Third, families can benefit from group rates on hotels and airfare while in China when five or more families travel as a group.  Any additional touring may be arranged by individual families before or after the group’s scheduled arrival and departure dates.

Q:  If I don’t travel with a group of families, will I be alone in China?
A:  Absolutely not.  While our first choice is to place a family in a travel group, if a group is not available, we will create an adoption trip for your individual family.  Even if you do not travel together with a group of other families, you will always be with a local CCAI representative to serve you through the adoption process in China.

Q:  Do both parents need to travel?
A:  No.  China’s adoption law requires that at least one parent travels to China to finalize the adoption.  CCAI recommends that both parents travel to China whenever possible. 

Q:  How much notice will we have before we leave for China?
A:  Because we depend on USCIS and China to issue your final travel approval, you will have about a week to 14 days notice before you leave for China.  You can generally plan to leave about 11 - 15 weeks from the time you sign your child match Acceptance Letter (LOA).

Q:  Does CCAI arrange my travel?
A:  CCAI, together with our staff in China, will arrange your in-China flights, hotels and ground transportation.  You will need to coordinate with a US travel agency to arrange your US domestic and international air travel. 

Q:  Can I use frequent flier miles for my international travel?
A:  CCAI supports you in using your frequent flier miles for your international travel.  However, because of the short notice of exact travel dates and the need for adoptive families to be in China at specific times, families often find that their frequent flier miles program is not flexible enough to accommodate their international travel for the adoption trip. 

Q:  Who can we take with us on the trip to China?
A:  CCAI recommends that, whenever possible, both parents travel to China for the adoption finalization.  If only one parent can travel we recommend that you select a healthy, supportive travel companion.  Many families have had great experience in taking their children with them on the adoption trip.  We recommend that parents honestly assess whether their minor children will be able to handle the rigors and emotions of the adoption trip before making the final decision.  A physician’s statement is required for all travel companions.

Q:  Can we wire the $5,500 (35,000 RMB) Orphanage Fee to China ahead of time?
A:  Currently, it is an option to wire the Orphanage Fee to some provinces.  We hope more provinces in the future will follow suit and consider this a safe and convenient option.  Our Travel Department will update you with more information about your child’s province once you receive your child match. 

Q:  Are physicians readily available for my child and me in China?
A:  Yes.  Whenever possible, CCAI arranges for our families to stay in major cities at five-star hotels.  Most hotels have doctors and clinics available in case of emergencies.  In some major adoption provinces we also contract experienced Chinese pediatricians to act as consultants.

Q:  Do I need to immunize my adopted Chinese child?
A:  Yes, you will be required to sign a statement and make an oath at the American Consulate in Guangzhou, China, promising to begin immunizing your adopted Chinese child within 30 days of arriving in the United States.

Q:  When is the adoption finalized?
A:  Your child’s adoption is finalized in China after completing adoption registration procedures (shortly after you receive your child), even if only one parent travels.

Q:  When does my child become a US citizen?
A:  Your child becomes a citizen when she/he returns with you to the US.

Q:  What kind of support do I get from CCAI after I return from China?
A:  CCAI can help you connect with various support groups in your area.  CCAI operates the Joyous Chinese Cultural Center that makes its curriculum available to families throughout the US and sponsors an annual cultural camp that your child is welcome to attend.  CCAI also organizes an annual National Reunion, as well as annual reunions around the country, and publishes a monthly online newsletter to keep you connected.  Last but not least, our website has helpful resources on adoption and parenting that are available to all parents throughout their adoption.  CCAI’s Post Adoption Department staff will join hands with your social worker to provide whatever support you need after you return home with your child.