This week we received two breaking news items from China. The first is that the CCAA, as of February 15, 2011, is now referred to as the China Centre for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA).
The greater news, however, is that single women are now permitted to adopt from China. Years ago, when single women could adopt, there were quotas for each agency. Now there are no restrictions as to the number of single women who can adopt. The CCCWA is now permitting single women to adopt the 2,000 or so Special Focus Children - children who have been waiting for a family for more than 60 days.
The requirements for singles are nearly the same as they are for married couples. In addition, the CCCWA knows that these children who are older or have special needs will require more attention and, therefore, requires that single women indicate the extra resources they have in place. Most of the requirements are in line with Nightlight’s conditions as well as good social work practice.
Adoptions from China to the US were at an all-time high in 2005, with nearly 8,000 children finding homes. In 2009, 3,000 children were adopted by US citizens from China. As we are all aware, back in 2005 more babies and non-special needs children were being placed for adoption.
When singles were permitted to adopt from China, about one-third of the adoptions were conducted by single women. Our experience at Nightlight has been that well-prepared singles, who have good support systems in place, have very successful adoptions.
Here are the CCCWA requirements that are unique to singles adopting from China:
- If adoptive mom is older than 55 years, she must be no more than 45 years older than the child.
- There must be no more than 2 children in home, with the youngest being at least 6 years old.
- Applicant must provide statement of heterosexuality.
- Applicant must state why single and attitude toward marriage.
- Indicate who will be male role models in the child’s life.
- Mom must have $100,000 in net assets.
- Indicate experience in caring for children (either professionally or through other situations).
- CCCWA would like to see experience with special needs.
- Tell what support systems are in place to help with the care of the child.
If you are interested in receiving notifications of children available for adoption from China, please sign up for our Constant Contact e-mail list.
If you have a completed homestudy and want to be considered for a match with one of the 2,000 children awaiting a family, please email our International Program Coordinator, Lisa Prather, at Lisa@nightlight.org.
Abandoned AbandonerNovember 13, 2011I can only assume that you are takilng about the Ontario Government's Expert Panel on Infertility and Adoption. Despite what you may think, Ontario is merely a province not the whole country but I digress. The purpose of this panel is to help make both infertility treatment and adoption more accessible and affordable .From what I see currently in the Canadian media the panel is working on getting infertility treatments covered by health care. In fact I haven't heard anything about adoption in regard to this panel. It is NOT a fund, there is no money set aside for this initiative just for the panel itself. In case you are unaware, a panel doesn't change laws or make them, it merely makes suggestions to the government based on the panel's findings. I do not support this panel. I support adoption and foster care reform and don't believe that a group of people making suggestions on how to better aquire children for the childless will change anything when it comes to reform. Adoption can be VERY affordable, close to free even, so I see no need to look at ways to make it cheaper. Once every adoptable child in foster care has a stable home we can look at how to make domestic newborn and international adoption more affordable (since that will never happen I feel safe saying that LOL). Fertility treatments are not the responsibility of the tax payer either. The only thing I want my tax dollars supporting in that area is therapy to help infertile people cope with the loss of their fertility but it is not our job as a nation to ensure that everyone gets what they want and having children is not a necessity like a biopsy or x-ray. Also, this is not popular in Canada though it may be popular in Ontario, no other provincial government is doing anything similar ( to my knowledge) and that is just fine with me.ETAAfter reading the report itself, I had only read the summary, I agree with most of their suggestions about foster care adoption other than the point made about access to natural family members. A child can have contact with their natural family and still be adopted once it becomes clear that reunification is not a possibility and I am unsure what the suggestion about contact actually is. I it not clear if they want to allow contact and change the law so that contact doesn't interfere with an adoption or deny contact to speed up the adoption process. I would not be in support of the latter.I do not agree with any of the suggestions regarding infertility treatments.ETA 2OH HELL NO! I really should have read even more I do NOT support THIS statement;Become formally responsible for adoption planning for Crown wards at the TIME OF APPLICATION for Crown wardship.The intent of foster care should always be reunification. If that is not possible adoption is a viable SECONDARY option. It should not be mandated that as soon as a child enters care they be fast tracked into an adoptable status.