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At the time I adopted, I followed the very organized and ethical process that was worked out between the U.S. and China. I used a long-experienced, licensed, not-for-profit adoption agency in my state, both for my homestudy and my placement.
After I had a favorable homestudy report and an approved I-600A (this was before the Hague Convention was ratified by both China and the U.S.), my agency helped me assemble my dossier and send it to what was then called the China Center for Adoption Affairs in Beijing. After a wait, the folks in Beijing selected a child for me. When I accepted the referral, I traveled to Xiamen with a group of other parents adopting through the agency. I finalized the adoption in Xiamen, and then traveled with my group to Guangzhou to get my daughter's IR-3 visa. We then traveled home.
Things are different now. When I adopted, singles and older prospective parents were encouraged to adopt, and most parents adopted children with no known special needs. Today, the non-special needs program is almost closed, because the wait to adopt is at least six years and maybe much longer. As China has grown more prosperous, more local families are adopting the healthy children. If you are open to a child with special needs or a healthy school aged child, you can adopt within a year or two. Singles can adopt only children with rather significant special needs, and there are also restrictions on older couples. Other restrictions, such as a history of taking antidepressants or having certain medical issues, exist.
I am delighted to have my wonderful daughter, who was 18.5 months old when I met her in Xiamen, and I am also delighted that she came from such a prosperous and beautiful city.
Sharon