What are the steps in the process of adopting from China?

The process to adopt a baby from China is not difficult, just time consuming. CCAI will give you a great Dossier Guide to follow. You will know exactly what to do next. Follow the directions, gather up your paperwork for your dossier, and CCAI does the rest.

Basic Steps and the timeline of the China adoption process
(Courtesy of Chinese Children Adoption International)
Application Approval to Travel:
26 Months
Application
Dossier
Dossier Review
Wait to Match
Match to Travel
Travel
5 working days
3-5 Months
9-11 working days
24 Months
5-8 Weeks
14-16 Days
There are benchmarks in every China adoption. To give you an idea of what is involved in a China adoption through CCAI, the following is a six-point summary that highlights the major steps and timeframe of the process. Because of the nature of international adoption, this timeframe can change during your adoption process, but CCAI is committed to keeping you informed of the current timeframe as you work toward your adopted child. Understanding the process and timeline now will enable you to be better prepared for this incredible journey that brings you and your child together.
1. CCAI Application for Adoption
Your application allows CCAI to screen your qualifications for a China adoption. From your application, we are able to determine whether or not you meet the requirements of our agency and the requirements of the various government entities that will be involved in your adoption- U.S. government, Chinese government, etc. If a family submits a complete and truthful application and is approved by CCAI, we commit to serving you through all the stages of a China adoption.
2. Compilation of Dossier Materials - 3-5 Months
Once your adoption application has been approved, you will begin to compile your adoption dossier. Your dossier is a collection of documents that report on various aspects of your life and represents you as adoptive parents to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA), the Chinese government agency responsible for all international adoptions in China. This part of the adoption process often seems daunting to adoptive families, but it is important to remember that by following CCAI's copyrighted Adoption Dossier Guide, and getting help from our knowledgeable Dossier Team, over 7000 children have been successfully adopted.
You generate and compile many of the dossier documents on your own, but your dossier cannot be complete without your China Home Study Report and immigration approval from the USCIS (United States Citizenship & Immigration Services). The timeline for compiling your dossier is determined by how efficiently your Home Study agency and local USCIS office runs and how diligent you are when preparing your documents.
3. CCAI Dossier Review and Mail to China - 9-11 Days
Once you submit your completed dossier to CCAI, our Dossier Team will critically review your documents, bind your dossier, mount the pictures, and write an agency recommendation in Chinese. We will then send it to CCAI's China office via international Express Mail. Our Beijing representatives will hand-deliver it to the CCAA.
4. The Wait and CCAA Child Match - 24 Months
Every family considering China adoption must come to terms with the wait between dossier submission and child match. Please remember child match and travel timelines are controlled by the CCAA and are subject to change. The timeframe may lengthen or shorten while you are in process. Throughout the wait, families are encouraged to check in with CCAI regularly. We publish newsletters that help you stay informed about the current match timeline and also post frequent updates on our Web site. We maintain a library of books and resources at our office and are able to recommend relevant reading materials to families as they wait.
When it is your turn to be matched, the CCAA will match you with a child according to your qualifications and preferences as presented in your dossier. Your child's photos and translated physical examination report will be sent to you through CCAI.
5. Travel - 5-8 Weeks After Match
Once you sign and return your Child's Acceptance letter to CCAI, we will Express Mail it to the CCAA. You will be put into a travel group and invited by the CCAA 5-8 weeks later to travel to China to complete your adoption. We will provide you with the needed travel training. CCAI will arrange your group's travel, accommodations and adoption finalization in China. Your China trip will last fourteen to sixteen days.
6. Post Placement Support and Adoption Validation
After you return to the United States, CCAI will provide one year of post placement support to assist you with your adoption transition. Two post placement reports must be submitted by your Home Study agency to satisfy CCAA requirements. CCAI will provide necessary information to you concerning how to validate your finalized adoption through your local court, enable your adopted Chinese child to receive a U.S. birth certificate from your state, and obtain her/his Social Security card and citizenship, if necessary.

See www.chinesechildren.org for up to date information on timelines.

You can read more details about Alaina's timeline and Hudson's timeline.