“The Dragon Sisterhood: A Guide to Chinese Adoptive Parenting” which I think might answer alot of your questions.

It can be found on our blog:http://www.dragonsisterhood.blogspot.com

Thanks!Beckett Gray

Back then, the process took about 18 months – start to finish.

Today, it takes years.

Why? There are many people who speculate as to why, but the only people who really know are the people who run the China Center for Adoption Affairs (the office in China that is responsible for all international adoptions in China.) They have some reason for the current slowdown, I guess, but I can’t say why it is.

As for safety, I found China much safer than the U.S. (Except for the traffic. I was a bit scared when we were being driven around – either by bus or cab. The traffic is a bit frightening.)

And, BTW, the cyclone was NOT in China. It was in Myanmar (Burma). But there was a terrible, catastrophic earthquake in Sichuan Province in China. Many, many people died, many of them school aged children. There are some children who need parents, but right now is not the time to place them for adoption. The Chinese officials are still trying to figure out if any of these children have any living relative. This will take time. And then they have to be registered for international adopiton. This doesn’t happen all at once.

There are still children in orphanages in China that need families, but not as many as before. Less children are being abandoned in China, and many more people in China are adopting children in Chinese orphanages.

But to answer the question someone else asked – why did those of us who adopted in China adopt there and not in the U.S.? Well, why is it better to adopt a child in the U.S.? My daughters needed families just as much as any child born in the U.S. I don’t see why U.S. born children are any more deserving of families than children living in orphanages in other countries.

Living in an orphanage in a developing country is not the best thing for a child, even in a pretty good orphanage. Let’s not try to one up each other – implying things like “my adoption is better than yours”. Surely it’s more important that children who need families are adopted? That’s what is really important.

It’s a long and very expensive process (over $30,000). It took two years from start to finish, and can be heart wrenching. The Chinese people are awesome, but China itself is not very nice (most Americans get sick from the food and water… I had a blood-borne infection for weeks after returning). But my daughter is precious and I can’t imagine life without her.

It’s generally a safe and secure procedure. Just make sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons. (The previous poster was correct: single people generally can not adopt from China)

when i get older i want to start a christian orphanage and have children from all around the world there! that would b sooo great!

im sorry i kno nothing about the process though… but good luck!

i also heard that u have to be married and cant be overweight and have to have wonderfull health conditions to get a china child!

I would recommend your mom check out the web site

I do know someone who has adopted from there this was before the new criteria went into effect. They started their process in late 05 or early 06 and they got their child in Spring 2007. This was their 2nd adopted china child.

There are tons of children in the USA foster care system that need homes too if your mother wanted to look into that.