Buckner began providing assistance to children in China in 1999. Each year, Buckner sends humanitarian aid and mission teams to work with the children in orphanages throughout China. Buckner began placing children from China in 2002.
The Chinese government has restrictions which limit the number of children a Chinese family can parent. Due to these restrictions, there are many babies who are abandoned by their birth mother and later made available for international adoption. The Chinese Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA), the central authority for adoptions, has a very efficient and consistent system for international adoptions.
Buckner has established a partnership with the Gladney Adoption Center and America World to provide adoption services to families seeking to adopt a child from China. Buckner will be the primary contact in working with the family by providing support throughout the adoption process, completion of the home study, education and post-placement services. Gladney or America World staff will escort the family through the adoption process in China.
Children available for adoption in our China program:
• Single children and occasionally sibling groups
• Children ages 9 months to 15 years old at the time of referral
• Buckner also has profiles of “waiting” special needs children
- Inquiry Phase
- Pre-Application and questionnaire approval
- Workshop
- Formal Application
- Education
- Home study
- USCIS approval
- Adoption Seminar
- Dossier completion
- Dossier is sent to partnering agency
- Dossier is sent to China and logged in
- Wait 24-48 months for referral
- Parents travel 6-8 weeks after acceptance of referral
- Child’s birth certificate is revised to reflect adoptive parent’s name
- A Passport is acquired for child
- Family travels to country
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Travel to orphanage
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Meets child
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Participate in cultural activities
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Embassy medicals
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Goes to Embassy interview
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Acquires Visa
- Post-placement services
Age
Applicants must be between the ages of 30 and 50 years of age. An applicant can be up to 55 years of age if adopting a child that is part of the waiting child program, either because of age or special need.
Marital Status
Married couples are accepted. Couples must have been married a minimum of two years if it is their first marriage and at least five years if there has been more than one marriage for either spouse. Neither spouse can have more than two previous marriages. Singles will not be able to apply for adoption through China at this time.
Children in Family
Couples may have children currently in their family. There must be at least a 12 month difference at the time of placement. There may only be up to four children under the age of 18 living in the home prior to adoption from China.
Faith
In recognizing the need for a child to be nurtured in a loving Christian home, applicants must be Christians and active members of a church in their community.
Financial
Families must have at least $30,000 annual income (plus assets) or $10,000 per immediate family member including prospective adoptive placement(s). The family’s net assets value should reach $80,000.
Identification Process
The China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) receives the adoptive family’s completed dossier and approval status and then refers a child for the family.
Approximate Processing Time
Application through completion of the adoption process averages 24-48 months. Actual time varies based on a current backlog of waiting families for China and varies due to the age, number of children adopting, time it takes family to complete paperwork and meet financial deadlines.
Health
The CCAA has set new restrictions for certain health conditions and medications as well as weight related health conditions which indicate that families would need to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 40.
• Both parents must travel.
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There is one trip required to China that lasts approximately 14-17 days in which the family goes to pick up the child.
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Family travels with four to six other families.
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The adoption is finalized in country.
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Partner agency staff will arrange all in-country logistics.
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Parents will have the opportunity to visit the region where their children lived.
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Parents will learn about their child’s culture and country.
Fee Sheet (.pdf - .doc)
The follow up reports, as well as pictures, are required for China at:
a) 6 months after placement
b) 1 year after placement
Monthly medical and progress reports are required for Buckner during the first six months of post adoption support.
The following is the required number of face to face contacts Buckner will make with families during the six months of post adoption support, depending on the needs of the child and/or family:
- Infants to 2 years: two visits
- Children 2 years to 15 years: monthly visits for the first six months
