關於領養中國弧兒 (1)

沒有什麽能比得上給殘疾弧兒一個溫暖的家更偉大的了。這個想法很勇敢很感人，能幫助一個是一個，尤其是有殘障的孩子。你得作好心理準備，由於中國政府的無能, 腐敗和"要麵子"，領養四川殘疾弧兒等的時間可能比一般的國際領養還長。我在上海的親戚想領四川地震弧兒，等了一年，一點消息也沒有，隻好改成從上海領。

因你是國際領養，你一定得通過美國的代理。北京的中國收養中心(CCAA)是不接收外國個人審請的。也就是說，幾乎沒什麽"後門" 可走那怕你是海外中國人。孩子們的材料是在孩子大概三四個月大的時候從各地方弧兒院交到北京的。沒有中央的指令，地方不能再安排已交上材料的孩子。在中國其實弧兒(健康或殘疾)很多很多，如你想早點領到孩子，不一定非要四川地震殘疾弧兒。

因你在美國，下麵我就用英文寫出一些手續和必須的材料:
1. Application to a US Adoption Agent。 They will arrange your Home Study and you need to get your own fingerprints at USCIS or INS local office.
2. Dossier to CCAA (DTC) (http://www.china-ccaa.org/)
3. Wait...Possible Home Study revisit (some states are different, TX is only valid 6 months)
4. You will receive Referral photos of your baby. If you agree, you sign a form then CCAA will mail you a Travel Approval (TA). Your agent normally has a group of applicants travel together or meet in China
5. Going to China get your baby (You could return the baby if you change your mind - very very rare case)
6. Apply for baby's Chinese passport
7. US Consulate (Guang Dong) Interview and US Visa
8. Coming home
9. US Citizenship and Birth Certificate Application (Birth Certificate needs an attorney (<$1000) but some parents chose not do it)

There are normally four separated packages of documents - please prepare many duplicates and pay attention to the expiration date of each document:
1. Application to the US adoption agent
2. Home Study to social worker
3. Dossier to CCAA
4. All documents when travel to China including for the Chinese government and US consulate

I heard there is a "magic matching room" in CCAA with orphan files from various orphanages in China and family application files from adoption agencies around the world. The Chinese social workers will match a child with a family based on the application materials and pictures in the files.

We know we cannot put a price on a baby, but it is a very practical question. The average cost is about 20K to 25 K. The agent, state social study and immigration office take most of it. Then the Chinese government and orphanage. However, the IRS will give you a tax break of about 10K+. Some large companies will give you some reimbursement too. If you consider going back to China anyway, then the air tickets should not count into the cost. So it really does not cost that much. When you holding your baby in your arms, all the paper work, long waiting and cost is nothing.

When chose a US adoption agent, please check online for reputation. If you can, I suggest to use a local one。 If you have any questions or miss a paper work, it is much easy just to drive there to resolve the problems.
Otherwise, FedEx will be your friend :-).

Yes, patience with both the US and Chinese adoption system is the key! Think that all these documents are needed for babies' sake not child-smuggler.

The other people's Chinese adoption stories will really help you to pass the difficult waiting time:

http://www.chineseadoptionstories.com/
http://www.tussah.com/lara/chinasto.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/8800/stories.html

GOOD LUCK!