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[ Up ] [ China Adoption Costs ]
China Adoption Paperwork
One of our 11 photos for our dossier. A dossier is a compilation of paperwork and pictures required for adopting from China.
Some of the reasons China is a popular choice for international adoptions are that the process and fees are set by the Chinese government, every family follows the same procedure, and families must use a non-profit adoption agency. The CCAA, Chinese government governing adoption authority, and the U.S. INS thoroughly review all paperwork to ensure that applicants are emotionally and financially fit to be parents.
Timeline
| Application to Approval by Adoption Agency |
2 weeks |
| 3-5 months | |
| Dossier Review by Adoption Agency | 2-6 weeks |
| DOSSIER TO CHINA (DTC) | DATE YOUR DOSSIER IS LOGGED IN BY CHINA's CCAA |
| DTC to Referral: | 8-10 months |
| REFERRAL | RECEIVE PICS AND REPORT OF CHILD! |
| Referral to Travel | 4-8 weeks |
| Travel in China | 2 weeks |
Paperwork Required for Dossier
Each document must be notarized, authenticated by the state it is notarized in, authenticated by Washington D.C. and certified by the Chinese Consulate.
| Petition to Adopt |
1 letter written to CCAA |
| Birth Certificates | 2 if married; 1 if single (requires state seal) |
| Marriage Certificate | 1 if married; 0 if single (requires state seal) |
| Financial Statement | 1 self-report of current finances |
| Employment letters | 2 if both employed; 1 if 1 employed |
| Passport Photos | 3 each |
| Life Photos | 11 (8 with family; 3 of couple) |
| Police Clearance Reports | 1 each |
| Physicals | 1 each |
| INS 171 (approval of INS 600-A) | 1; fingerprints required by INS |
| Home Study Report | 1; Must be completed by certified social worker in your state. Requirements for home study: autobiographies by each person; 3 visits; child abuse clearance check |
Our Significant Dates
| 11/15/02 |
We sent our application to CCAI, our agency, to adopt our daughter from China. We also submitted our INS 600-A, Petition to Adopt an Orphan, to the INS. |
| 11/22/02 | Accepted by CCAI for our agency and Forever Families for our home study. |
| 12/10/02 | Fingerprinted by the INS. |
| 12/19/02-12/20/02 | Visits by Barbara Slaton from Forever Families Adoptions |
| 1/17/03 | Received home study report. Original sent to INS. |
| 2/4/03 | Received our INS 171!!!! |
| 2/5/03 | Sent Lea’s MI birth certificate to Chinese Consulate in NYC.
Sent our MI marriage certificate to Chinese Consulate in Chicago.
Sent all other paperwork to Virginia State Department. |
| 2/7/03 | Received all state certified documents back from Richmond!
Sent to Assistant Stork, a courier in Washington DC, to walk through U.S.
Dept. of State and Chinese Embassy in DC. |
| 2/15/03 | Attend Chinese New Year with the Hampton Roads Children from China Association |
| 2/21/03 |
2/21/03 Dossier sent to CCAI |
| 3/12/03 | Official DTC!!! |
| 5/18/03 | Lunch with Tiffany Hines and Kristin Jacobson, two other moms waiting to travel to China. |
| 5/15/03-6/24/03 | 5/15/03-6/24/03 China referrals and adoption travel on hold due to SARS. |
| 9/5/03 | October and November 2002 DTCers received referrals! |
| 10/7/03 | Received our pre-adoption paperwork from CCAI!!! |
Websites
The following links helped us during the paperwork phases:
www.vitalchek.com You can order authenticated marriage and birth certificates online. It’s more expensive, but also quicker than mail.
www.assistantstork.com
After fedexing and receiving back our state certified paperwork to Richmond, VA
we used this courier service to get everything certified by the U.S. Dept of
State and then authenticated by the Chinese Consulate in D.C.
www.irs.gov This site gives important information on the adoption tax credit! Also, remember to check with your employer to see if you company helps with adoption expenses.
www.fedex.com We found Fedex the most reliable way to send and receive our documents. It provides next day service and tracking, both important to us.