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Major Reasons the Chinese Place Their Children Up for Adoption
There are thousands of abandoned children in China. There is a law decreeing each couple may have only one child because
the government claims the population is too much. China is the world's most populous nation, with more than one billion citizens.
The one-child policy has become more flexible over the years so more couples are allowed to have more than one child. Usually
if a couple has a girl, they put her up for adoption. In China, boys are considered better to have because they care for their
parents in their elderly years and can help with farmwork, if the family lives in a farming region, boys carry on the family
name, and for cultural reasons, boys are preferred. Poverty and unemployment is also a major factor for the Chinese to place
their children up for adoption. Birth defects, correctible or not, can cause a family to abandon their child as well.
However, it is most likely a child is in the adoption process because of the government's child policy and the cultural
wanting for boys. 95% of adopted Chinese children are girls. If you want to adopt a boy, China is not the best adoption program
for you.
(Advantages/Disadvantages) Major Reasons Adoption from China is so Common
If one wants to adopt a girl, China is a great adoption program to learn about. There are limited restrictions for parents.
The children are also healthy. There is no waiting list because there are so many children needing families. The Chinese government
allows people from every country to adopt. Only one trip to China is necessary for the adoption process, and you will be traveling
with other adopting families and a translator/coordinator. This is also a great chance to tour the beautiful country of China.
The Chinese orphanages are extremely well-maintained and clean. The children are also checked by medical worker both Chinese
and Western. The process is relatively fast, but the referral time, time until you are given information about a child, is
becoming longer. The average time of the adoption process is 12 - 15 months long. Compared to domestic US adoption, this is
like paradise! You will most likely receive an infant ( 6 - 12 months old). Older couples and older singles may receive older
children, usually 1 - 3 years old, or older depending on if you want an even older child. There are also twins, but these
are given to high-income families. There are a few available boys, as well as many special needs children. Special needs
children may have developmental delays due to being in an orphanage, correctible birth defects, and minor/moderate/serious
medical conditions. Older children are considered special needs. In America, a birthmother reserves the right to claim her
child back, but in China, there is virtually no information about the birthmother or family. Many Chinese children are adopted,
so there are events, camps, playgroups, holidays, support groups, resources, e-mail groups, classes, and cultural products
dedicated to Chinese children, adoptive parents, and Chinese adoption. Travel is definately a disadvantage, since China is
halfway around the world.
Requirements
A healthy abandoned child (a child eith one or both parents living), can't be adopted if you are childless and 35 or older.
Parents under 35 and/or already have a child or children, can only adopt an orphan (one whose parents are dead) or can adopt
a disabled child. Parents who plan to adopt orphans or disabled children are allowed to adopt more than one of these children.
Married couples and singles can adopt. Homosexuals may not adopt. With couples, only one parent needs to be a US citizen and
over 25. Singles must be US citizens and over 25. Children under 14 can be adopted if they are orphans, were abandoned and
their parents can't be found, or their parents are incapable of caring for them. There can some exceptions which will be judged
on a case-to-case basis. Singles must travel to China, and it is recommended both spouses travel with couples. If only one
is traveling, the parent should bring the power of an attorney.
Other Information
Infants, toddlers and school-aged children are all available from China. All children live in orphanages before placement.
Most girls are between 6 - 18 months old. After reviewing medical information and a photo, parents can decide if they want
to adopt the child or not. Single women may adopt. At least one parent must travel to China. The trip is about two weeks.
Couples must be married for at least two years. Usually, parents between 30 and 45 receive a healthy infant, unless they don't
want a girl that age. Parents between 45 and 49 receive a toddler-aged child, and parents between 50 and 55 receive a child
between 2 and 10. Smaller families are prefered. Most parents travel in groups of other adoptive parents with a translator
/ agency representative. The trip usually takes 10 to 14 days. Unlike with other countries, there is no court case to finalize
the adoption.
Weather / Packing Tips
Please remember to bring formal clothes for when you appear in the government buildings. I have noticed that during the
summer months, it is usually hotter than what is expected, so pack lighter clothes than what is written below, as well as
what I have written (the expected weather).
If adopting from the Northwest (Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang provinces, northern half of Gansu and Qinghai provinces,
including Urumqi city) pack for long, cold winters (with gusty winds and dust) and hot summers. There is little rainfall
all year round, so the area is dry. In the winter, wear heavy clothing. Bring a coat, hat, boots, and gloves. In the summer,
bring a light jacket or sweater for the evenings. Bring long-sleeves and jeans as well. In the fall and spring, pack a light
coat or jacket, and bring a winter hat.
The Northeast = (Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning provinces, including the cities of Harbin, Changchun,
and Shenyang). Pack for long, cold, and dry winters (in the northernmost parts, subzero temperatures) and warm, shorter
summers. In the winter, wear heavy clothing. Bring a coat, hat, boots, and gloves. In the summer, bring a light jacket or
sweater for the evenings. Bring long-sleeves and jeans as well.There may be some rainfall in this area during the summer,
so bring a waterproof jacket, boots, and an umbrella. In the fall and spring, pack a light coat or jacket, and bring a winter
hat.
The North = (Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi, upper half of Jiangsu, Henan, and the northern
tip of Anhui, including the cities of Xi'an, Beijing, Zhengzhou, and Tianjin). Pack for cold and dry winters and hot,
wet summers. In the winter, wear heavy clothing. Bring a coat, hat, boots, and gloves. In the fall and spring, pack a light
coat or jacket, and bring a winter hat. In the summer, wear loose, tropical, waterproof clothes, and sunglasses.
The Southwest = (Tibet/Xizang province, southern half of Qinghai and Gansu, and western half of Sichuan province,
including Lhasa city). Pack for mild but dry summers and gusty winds in the cold and dry winters. In the winter, wear
heavy clothing. Bring a coat, hat, boots, and gloves. In the summer, bring a light jacket or sweater for the evenings. Bring
long-sleeves and jeans as well. In the fall and spring, pack a light coat or jacket, and bring a winter hat.
Sichuan (West - Central China) = (Mostly the center of Sichuan, including Chongqing city). Pack for hot,
wet and humid summers and misty, cool winters. In the winter, bring mild clothing, such as a light jacket or coat, and jeans.
Make sure to bring waterproof jackets, boots, and un umbrella for it rains in the winter. In the summer, wear loose, tropical,
waterproof clothes, and sunglasses. In the fall and spring, bring a light sweater or jacket and clothes suitable for rainfall.
The South = (southern half of Jiangsu, Anhui, and Henan, all of Hubei, Zhejiang, Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Shanghai,
and the northern part of Fujian and Taiwan, including the cities of Nanning, Nanchang, Shanghai, Guilin, and Taipei).
Pack for cool to cold, dry winters, and hot, wet summers. In the winter, bring mild clothing, such as a light jacket or coat,
and jeans. In the summer, wear loose, tropical, waterproof clothes, and sunglasses. In the fall and spring, bring a light
sweater or jacket and clothes suitable for rainfall.
The Southeast = (southern tip of Fujian, most of Guangdong, east Guangxi, all of Hainan and the southern tip
of Taiwan, including the cities of Guangzhou and Hong Kong). Hot, wet summers, and warm and dry winters. In the winter,
bring light, warm clothing, such as a sweater. In the summer, wear loose, tropical, waterproof clothes, and sunglasses. In
the fall and spring, bring a light sweater or jacket and clothes suitable for rainfall.
Yungui = (Yunnan, including Kunming). Pack for warm summers and cool winters. In the winter, bring mild
clothing, such as a light jacket or coat, and jeans. In the summer, wear loose, tropical, waterproof clothes, and sunglasses.
In the fall and spring, bring a light sweater or jacket and clothes suitable for rainfall.
Be watchful for pickpocketers in tourist destinations, outdoor markets, and stores. If you will have a kitchen in your
hotel room, pay a carbon monoxide detector and make the carbon monoxide can't escape by making sure the gas appliances are
vented. Hotel rooms may be searched for high-tech items. Don't open your hotel door to anyone you don't know because there
have been cases of theft. Pickpocketers may steal your passport, so make sure they are out of reach and always keep it in
a safe place. Chinese customs officials are strict on bringing religious materials, antiques, and banned publications. The
Chinese embassy and consulates have a more specific list (see my links pages as well as the 'Int. Adoption Info Page'). The
Chinese are known to have seized items (such as literature and letters), they view as pornographic, political, as well as
religious items in large quantities. Religious items for personal use is allowed.
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