China Waiting Child Adoption Program

China Waiting Child Adoption

Since 1994 Sunny Ridge Family Center has worked with the China Center for Children’s Welfare and Adoption (CCCWA) to find loving families for children from China. Since that time Sunny Ridge has placed over 850 children from 20 provinces. In May, 2009, Sunny Ridge Family Center was honored with the opportunity to find families for children who are part of China’s Waiting Child Adoption Program. Since then we have placed over 25 children through the China Waiting Child Adoption Program.

There are many societal issues underlying the reasons for children being available for adoption from the People’s Republic of China. Issues such as poverty, natural disasters, movement from the country side to the city, an increase in divorce, illegitimacy, and the population control policy for the Han majority are all reasons for Chinese children to be made available for domestic and international adoption. Children with special medical needs are available for adoption for a variety of reasons including the social stigma of having a physical disability and the lack of affordable health care treatments. Often more boys are available in the China Waiting Child Adoption Program due to China’s belief that more families would want to adopt boys, leading to more boys being made available. However, in actuality, adoptive families tend to have a preference for girls, meaning little boys in this program can often wait twice as long for their forever family.

Children in the China Waiting Child Adoption Program will have anywhere from minor, correctable medical needs to more involved needs. They may range in age from one year of age to 13 years of age, with healthy children over the age of eight also available.  Children of both genders are available. Before a family has access to a referral, they should have a completed home study.  They must also complete our Medical Conditions Checklist and have researched the conditions that they are open to accepting.

Due to the nature of this program, our China Waiting Child Adoption Program can only accept 20 families at one time. As a family is matched with a child, they are removed from our list and a new family can be added. This limit was placed on the program in an attempt to keep wait times down for referrals. If a family’s application is received and there are no available slots, the family will be notified that they are on a waiting list. Currently, we are taking applications.

Just starting out? Many of your questions can be answered immediately on this website. You can also learn more about our China Waiting Child Adoption Program at one of our free Adoption Information Meetings.