Adoption Voices

History

Family Requirements for Couples

Family Requirements for Single Applicants

About the Children

Adoption Process

Adoption Costs

China Adoption Laws

CCCWA Document Processing UPDATE

View Current Waiting Children

Family Testimonial

Family References

Mentoring Program

Resources

Hague FAQ for New Adoptive Families

Post-Adoption Services

Humanitarian Aid in China

The Dillon Benefit

Contact China Program Director

History

Sometimes called the "sleeping giant," the country of China, or The People's Republic of China as it is officially called, is the most populous country in the world with a population of over 1.3 billion people. China also has the second largest economy in the world. China officially recognizes 56 distinct ethnic groups, the largest of which are the Han Chinese comprising about 91% of the population. China has a rich heritage with a creative people who have produced not only classic literature, but also various inventions such as paper, gunpowder and the magnetic compass. 

Dillon International began placing children from the People's Republic of China with U.S. families in 1993.

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• Heterosexual married couples, with or without children, between the ages of 29.5 – 54 at the time of application, are eligible to adopt.

• Couples must be married for at least 2 years.

• Second marriages must be a minimum of 4.5 years. 

• No more than two previous marriages per spouse. Prior agency approval will be needed for persons with more than one previous marriage. 

• No more than 15 years age difference between husband and wife.

• Families may have no more than 5 children under the age of 18 years living in their home to be eligible to adopt.  Exceptions may be made, on a case-by-case basis, for larger families.

• Applicants must be high school graduates or have a GED equivalency.

• A family must have a minimum annual income of $30,000 or $10,000 per family member or dependent including the child they are planning to adopt.

• A family must have net assets valued at $80,000 minimum.  (click to download CCCWA's Certificate of Financial Status)

• Applicants should be in good mental, emotional and physical health with no serious illnesses of a chronic, debilitating and/or life-threatening nature.

• Applicants cannot have taken medication to treat mental health issues (such as depression or anxiety) in the past two years.

• Applicants must have a body mass index (BMI) less than 40.  (click for BMI calculator)

• Applicants must have no arrests or alcohol-abuse related incidents in the previous 10 years.

• U.S. citizens in all 50 states are eligible to adopt from this program.

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• Single heterosexual women between the ages of 29.5 - 49 at the time of application who are living alone or with family members may adopt.

Age exceptions may be made, on a case-by-case basis up to age 54, if the age difference between the child and applicant is no more than 45 years.

• No more than two previous marriages. Prior agency approval will be needed for persons with more than one previous marriage.

• Applicant may have no more than two children under the age of 18 years living in their home. If the applicant has children, the youngest child must be at least six years old.

• Applicant must be a high school graduate or have a GED equivalency.

• Applicant should have parenting experience and/or be employed in a medical or child-related field (e.g., doctor, nurse, teacher, etc.).

• Applicant must have a minimum annual income of $30,000 or $10,000 per family member or dependent including the child she is planning to adopt.

• Applicant must have net assets valued at $100,000 minimum. (click to download CCCWA's Certificate of Financial Status)

• Applicant should be in good mental, emotional and physical health with no serious illnesses of a chronic, debilitating and/or life-threatening nature.

• Applicant cannot have taken medication to treat mental health issues (such as depression or anxiety) in the past two years.

• Applicant must have a body mass index (BMI) less than 40.  (click for BMI calculator)

• Applicant must have no arrest history.

• Applicant should have a strong family and social support network, including positive male role models.

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As more infants are adopted domestically in China, the children with the greatest need for families are children with special needs and older children. Dillon International is honored to be chosen by the China Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) to participate in the CCCWA special needs program. Dillon has access to the CCCWA shared agency list of children with special needs. We also receive individual listings of children who are assigned only to Dillon. We firmly believe every child deserves a loving, permanent family, and we embrace children from all parts of the People’s Republic of China with a wide variety of special needs.   

Boys and girls ranging from infants to 13 years of age need families. All children have identified special needs. The special needs range from minor and/or correctable to significant and belong mainly to the following categories:

• Cleft lip/palate

• Congenital heart disease (e.g., ASD, VSD, PDA, Tetralogy of fallot, pulmonary atresia)

• Children with limb deformities (e.g., clubfee, hip dysplasia, partial or missing limbs, webbed fingers and toes, hemiplegia)

• Infectious disease (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV)

• Hearing impairments (e.g., atresia, hearing loss, deafness)

• Vision impairments (e.g., cataracts, glaucoma, nystagmus, missing eye, blind)

• Neural disease (e.g., spinal meningocele, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, epilepsy)

• Blood disorders (e.g., thalassemia, hemophilia)

• Gastrointestinal (e.g., anal atresia/imperforate anus, megacolon)

• Urogenital disorders (e.g., hypospadias, undescended testes, genital malformation, ambiguous genitalia)

• Skin conditions (e.g., albinism, ichthyosis, nevus birthmarks, burns)

• Mental challenges (e.g., mental deficits, microcephaly, Down Syndrome)

• Older children who may have attachment, emotional and/or behavioral issues (generally 9 years and older)

     · Minimal medical information is available on each child. The availability and quality of medical treatment varies depending on the geographic location and orphanage. Some children do receive corrective surgeries in China. 

If you would like to view more information about Waiting Children from China, please go to the China Waiting Child page and complete the online screening form. Before completing the screening form, we ask you to review Dillon’s China Adoption Program and the agency’s general Adoption Policies to make sure you meet the guidelines for our adoption program in the People’s Republic of China.

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Dillon’s Waiting Child Program Coordinator can connect you with other Dillon families who have adopted children with special needs. These families can share their experiences with you and help you with questions you may have as you consider adding a specific waiting child to your family. Please email our Waiting Child Program Coordinator to receive a reference list of our “mentor families.”

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·        Family completes a Dillon adoption application.

·        Family completes a home study and applies for USCIS approval.

·        Family gathers dossier documents.

·        After the family has an approved application, the family can view social and medical background information on available waiting children.

·        Family reviews the child’s information and seeks medical consultation from their doctor, medical specialist and/or international adoption clinic.

·        If the family decides they want to apply to adopt a particular child, they complete the CCCWA Letter of Intent to Adopt a Special Needs Child application. If the child is a designated referral for Dillon, the family has at least two weeks to make a decision. For children on the CCCWA shared agency list, the application must be uploaded with 72 hours of locking the child’s file.

·        The CCCWAA reviews the family’s Letter of Intent and issues a pre-approval notice granting preliminary approval of the application. If the CCCWA does not agree with the match, they decline the family’s application.

·        If the family’s dossier is already logged-in at the CCCWA, the CCCWA will review the dossier and send Dillon the Letter of Seeking Confirmation from Adopter. This is the CCCWA certificate officially presenting the referral of the child to the family if they approve of the match. If the family’s dossier is not already at the CCCWA, the family must gather the dossier and Dillon will submit the dossier to the CCCWA so it can be translated and reviewed prior to issuance of the Letter of Seeking Confirmation.

·        Upon receiving the official referral of the child from the CCCWA, the family has at least two weeks to make a decision about accepting the child.

·        If the family accepts the referral of the child, they file the I-800 application with USCIS and receive a notice of provisional approval.

·        The family submits a copy of the I-800 provisional approval notice and the U.S. visa application for their child to the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou. Upon reviewing the application, the Consulate will issue an Article 5 letter to the CCCWA.

·        After receiving the Article 5 letter, the CCCWA sends the Notice of Traveling to China for Adoption (also known as travel clearance) to Dillon.

·        Dillon requests an appointment for the family with the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou.

·        The family must travel to receive their child. At least two adults must travel to receive the child. Families are responsible for scheduling their own flight arrangements to and from China after Dillon International notifies them of their travel dates.

·        All travel & lodging arrangements within China will be scheduled by Dillon International.

·        The family will travel alone or in a small group with a designated guide/translator who will assist them with the various steps in completing the adoption process.

·        The family spends approximately 2 weeks in China sightseeing in Beijing, completing the adoption in the child’s province and applying for their child’s U.S. visa in Guangzhou.

·        The family registers their child's adoption in the U.S. after completing 2 post-placement visits with the family's caseworker, usually takes 6 months.

SPECIAL NOTE on US Citizenship:  All children completing a Hague adoption from China receive an IH-3 visa and, therefore, will become a U.S. citizen upon entering the United States.  Families will automatically receive their child’s U.S. Certificate of Citizenship, generally within 45 days of returning home.

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The government office with overall responsibility for adoptions in China is the Ministry of Civil Affairs, and specifically the China Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA).  In addition, Child Welfare Institutes (roughly the equivalent of orphanages), the Civil Affairs Bureau, Chinese government notary offices, and the Public Security Bureau are also involved.  

The laws and regulations regarding foreigners/U.S. citizens adopting children from the People's Republic of China may be found on the China Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) website or by visiting the U.S. State Department's website.

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Specific fees are only due after a particular service has been rendered in the adoption process and are considered non-refundable after payment has been received. 
All fees are subject to change and services are charged at the rate that is current at the time of billing. 

ESTIMATED CHINA PROGRAM ADOPTION COST:  $23,415-28,140
(Estimate includes agency, international, and travel fees ONLY.) 

Other fees and expenses families will incur during the adoption process include:

·        home study and post-placement services,
·        USCIS fees,
·        refundable deposit,* and
·        out-of-pocket expenses related to the family's state of residence and the country adopting from.  

Dillon International has relationships with licensed home study providers across the U.S. and can assist families living outside our service area in locating a licensed agency near them for these services.  For families living in Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and southern California (counties of Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, San Diego, and Imperial), Dillon International will provide their home study and post-placement services.   

Dillon International's home study & post-placement fees for non-Hague countries is $2,900 and for Hague countries, it is $3,150 (in California these fees are slightly higher). 

For a complete breakdown of expected fees and services for Dillon's China program, please see the Explanation of Fees and Services in Dillon's adoption application packet which can be downloaded from our website. 

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*Each family adopting with Dillon International will also be required to pay a $500 Refundable Deposit which will be returned in a lump sum after the family provides Dillon with the following:
1) proof of a will
2) proof of their child's U.S. final adoption decree/ registration
3) copies of their child's in-country adoption documents (exception for Korea)
4) proof of their child's Social Security Number
5) proof of their child's U.S. Certificate of Citizenship
6) submission of all post-placement reports required by their child's birth country
Families must provide this documentation within three (3) years after their child arrives home in order to receive their refund.

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The following Dillon International families, who adopted from the People's Republic of China, would be glad to visit with you and answer your questions about their adoption experience through Dillon International.

Lisa @ 501.248.1145 or email Lisa            

Angela @ 562.431.4810 or email Angela                    

Patrice @ 305.596.1180 or email Patrice                         

Sharon @ 763.862.6030 or email Sharon    

Amy @ 330.882.0049 or email Amy                       
 

Family Adoption Videos
The Germans Adopt Girls from China

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• Dillon International believes that post-adoption support fosters an overall positive adoption experience for both adoptee and adoptive family

• Our long-term experience has shown us that adoptees develop a better sense of identity, purpose, and boost in their self-confidence from an understanding and appreciation of their birth heritage

• The agency provides a variety of activities and events to allow an adoptee and his/her family to celebrate his/her Chinese heritage

• For more information on specific Chinese heritage events and tours, visit the post-adoption section of Dillon's website

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·        Families travel alone or in small travel groups, therefore, receiving more individualized attention during their stay in China

·        Bi-lingual Dillon representatives meet each family at the airport and accompany the family throughout their stay in China

·        Families stay in luxury "five-star" hotels during their 13-15 day trip, which are accustomed to serving the needs of adoptive families traveling in a foreign country

·        Dillon staff regularly travel to the China and are very familiar with the details of the trip; thus know how to prepare families so that their trip is as comfortable as possible with no surprises

·        Excellent post-adoption support through our China Heritage Camp held annually for adoptees and their families and annual China Birthland Tour.

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