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China Adoption Process

Kentucky Adoption Services, Inc. is pleased to partner with a CCAA accredited agency to offer child placement services in the Peoples Republic of China for the many children in need of a loving home.  This program is open to families living throughout the state of Kentucky. Out of State families will be referred directly to our partner agency.  Children typically arrive home between eight and fourteen months of age, and the adoption process usually takes about (22) twenty-two to (25) twenty-five months after registration with the Chinese government (although the projected wait time could always speed up or slow down).

The Home Study

Kentucky Adoption Services, Inc. can provide home study services to Kentucky families adopting from China. For families outside the state of Kentucky or those employing the home study services of another agency, the investigation process will be similar to the program described on our home study page, but will be administered under the discretion of your chosen home study agency.  You may contact our office if you need assistance selecting a home study agency or to see if a home study submitted by your chosen agency would be accepted by KAS, Inc.  We will correspond with the agency you have selected to give them the specific requirements about what a home study for China should include and the number of pages that are recommended.  Please note, China will only accept a home study prepared by a licensed, non-profit agency.

Immigration Paperwork

The next step, which can be done concurrently with your home study, is to file the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS, (formerly INS) paperwork, form I-800A. We will provide you will exact instructions for completing this form, as it is very important that this application is submitted correctly. This form is basically your application to Immigration to adopt a child, and in this case, specifically from China.  After the I-800A has been sent to the USCIS office for your state of residence, you will receive an appointment to be fingerprinted.  Some USCIS offices allow families to hand carry their application in and be fingerprinted the same day.  Your local service provider, the home study agency, should be able to tell you if this is the case in your state.  After USCIS receives your home study and your fingerprints have been filed, they have 60-90 days to issue an approval or disapproval of your I-800A application.  Once you receive approval you are ready to submit your dossier. 

Dossier Preparation and Submission

The Dossier is a compilation of documents that require various seals at different levels of government.  These documents will be notarized (or certified from an appropriate state court or agency), certified (by the Secretary of State from the state the document originated), and authenticated (by the appropriate Chinese Embassy/Consulate). KAS, Inc. will provide adopting families with exact direction about how to prepare their Dossier and an up-to-date Dossier document list when they have chosen to adopt from China.  Don't be overwhelmed - we'll help you with this, and KAS, Inc. can even manage dossier preparation and domestic and international mailing! Families should begin collecting these documents early in the home study process so that when the 171-H arrives they are ready to submit the documents to the appropriate entities for the seals. Once your dossier is properly authenticated and ready to submit, your documents will be reviewed and your family will be registered in China.

Referral

The current wait time for a child from China after a family is paper-ready is about 22 to 25 months (although this can always change!), and adoptive parents will travel approximately six to eight weeks later.  Referral information includes as much detail as we receive from our overseas counterparts, including a photograph with medical and social history.

Travel

Travel for one parent is required, although both are encouraged to make this unforgettable trip.  Length of stay in country is between 10 and 14 days, and families will travel in a group with other adopting families.  Families are always met by a guide and are never left unattended, outside the hotel property. 

Post-Placement Visits

KAS, Inc. (or your agency providing local services) will conduct a minimum of three post adoption evaluations in the months following your child's arrival.  Pictures and a report describing the child's health and adjustment is then written at one, six and twelve months. (The six and twelve month reports are submitted to China.)