The Children

In China, girls and boys ages 7 months to 12 years are available for adoption. Presently, over half a million children are in orphanages throughout China. China's overpopulation has forced the country to limit families to only one child. Male children are preferred and thus girls are often abandoned or placed in orphanages. The children's health is generally excellent… Most need only the attention that your loving home can provide.

Adoption Requirements

China implemented new criteria for adoptive parents effective May 1, 2007.  The new criteria prohibits single parents from adopting from China.  Currently, adoptive parents must be between 30 - 50 years old, be in good health, have stable employment, and have a maximum of two divorces between the couple.  Please click here to see the full criteria from CCAA.  If you have any questions about whether or not you meet these criteria, please contact Sara Lang, our China Coordinator, to discuss your individual situation. Both healthy and children with special needs are available in China.  The upper age limit for parents who would like to adopt a child with special needs extends to age 55.  For more information, please see our China - Waiting Children program page.

 Waiting Time

Madison does not delay the processing of a dossier to wait for other families. Documents are sent to be authenticated as they are received, and each dossier is sent to China as soon as it is complete.  Presently, the waiting time for a referral has increased considerably, with families currently waiting over 2 years.  Due to a backlog of dossiers within CCAA, this wait time may continue to increase.  However, for those not in a hurry, China remains a wonderful option for families.  There are many beautiful children in need, and the health and care of the orphans is wonderful.

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 $19,000 - $21,000. This is a complete price, including USCIS fees, home study, documentation and courier fees, visa and Embassy doctor fees, the agency fee, China Center of Adoption Affairs registration fee, and estimated hotel and airline fees for two people.

Getting Started...

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?