The Children

Madison Adoption Associates was approved by the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) in May 2005 to find families for children who are considered harder to place due to a special need. The needs of these children vary, but some of the common conditions include cleft lip and/or cleft palate, limb difference, heart defect, and skin conditions.  Families who would like to consider the adoption of a child with special needs can view our current waiting children by applying for membership to the Madison Adoption Associates Waiting Child (MAAWC) Yahoo group.  Please remember that the names and locations of these children are confidential and access to these files is only given to families who are seriously considering adopting a waiting child. 

Adoption Requirements

According to CCAA, the ideal candidate for adoption of a waiting child is a married couple, both parents under 55 years old, financially stable, and with access to services specific to the child's need.  Families interested in petitioning for one of our available waiting children will need to fill out a family information form and a letter of intent describing the plan of care for the particular child.  If MAA approves this paperwork, we will send the request to the CCAA; however, please remember that CCAA makes the ultimate decision on whether or not an adoption will be approved. Please contact Sara Lang, our Waiting Child Coordinator, to discuss your individual situation or help guide you through this process.

Waiting Time

The wait time for the Waiting Child program is significantly less than the standard China adoption program. Once a commitment is made to a child, MAA will send the required paperwork to the CCAA, including a "Letter of Intent" from the adoptive parents.  China will then issue a “Pre-Approval” for the adoption and Madison will work with each family to complete their adoption process.  The adoption dossier is submitted to CCAA upon completion.  CCAA will send an Acceptance letter (LOA) and then a Travel approval (TA). The wait time to bring a child home is approximately 4-5 months once the dossier is registered with CCAA.

Required Travel

China supports the belief that the adoptive family should be familiar with the child's heritage. Thus, both parents should travel for the in-country portion of the adoption process.  It is possible for only one parent to travel; however, it will lengthen the travel stay and complicate the adoption process.  Please note that Madison Adoption Associates does not delay travel in order for other families to receive their travel approval. Parents can travel either individually or in small groups. This expedites both the departure date and the adoption process while in China. We work with the top travel service in China and families will have a guide with them for entire trip.  Total travel time in China is significantly shorter than with most agencies, with the expected stay in China to be approximately 10 days.

Adoption Fees

The total cost of the program is approximately $24,000.  This is a complete price, including USCIS fees, home study, documentation and courier fees, visa and Embassy doctor fees, agency fee, China Center for Adoption Affairs registration fee, and estimated hotel and airline fees for two people.  Madison Adoption Associates provides a Grant of $1000 toward agency fees for the adoption of a waiting child.  Additional grants are given based on how long the child has been waiting and the financial need of the family.

Getting Started...

    Once you have decided to adopt from China

The staff at Madison Adoption Associates guides families through every step of the process. We help families prepare and complete the dossier, answer questions, provide support and assist with travel arrangements. It is important to begin the home study and the USCIS immigration process as soon as possible because these generally take up to six months to complete.

  Interested?

Contact us!