Info on China adoptions.....

[Gemini]

I've been looking around on the internet lately on this and just got a free info packet in the mail from one agency that does chinese adoptions. I've read through all the info and read through the few posts here that are about China, but what else can you tell me about it?

Are there agencies that are better than others? Some that are just plain bad? It's late and I can't think of anything else right now.

Any more info would be great. The whole process is definately intriging me, and the only thing really holding us back is the money. That's a lot of dough to dish out. But I am really wanting to see if I can make it work. I've had this in the back of my mind for a couple of years now, and I'm now looking into it seriously.

[EFmom]

Hi Gemini,

I've adopted from China twice. There are a lot of good agencies out there and a few really bad ones. Yes, some agencies are better than others, but the important thing is that you find an agency that is going to be a good fit for you, and that might not be the same agency that's a good fit for me.

What you need to do is try to think about things that are important to you, where agencies often differ. Some examples of that include:

1. Fees and fee structure. Some require more fees upfront, which IMO, you want to avoid. In case the agency falls down on the job, it's best if the bulk of the fees aren't due until after you have your referral. Some agencies are thousands of dollars more than others for no good reason. As long as you are using a reputable agency, it is not necessarily a case of more $ being better.

2. Additional, Non-China requirements. Some agencies have heaps of additional requirements beyond what China requires, like religion, family size, demands that one parent stay home for a given length of time, income levels, etc. For me, any agency that added on additional requirements got crossed off the list, even if those requirements didn't affect me.

3. Local. Some people want a local agency. I couldn't have cared less, and ours was across the country. I actually preferred it that way.

4. Is the agency China only or does it have other programs for which you qualify? The latter was extremely important to me. I've watched international adoption long enough to know that countries sometimes suddenly close down. While China has been relatively stable, that could change overnight and you'd be up the creek. So, I restricted my search to agencies with at least one, and preferably two, other progams we qualified for. Other people want a China-only agency thinking they will be more focused.

5. What happens if you get pg while waiting for a referral? Some agencies will cancel your adoption and others don't care. Find out beforehand if that's even a remote possibility.

I recommend the Report on Intercountry Adoption from ICC. http://www.iccadopt.org/ It's one place where you can get all the agency specs and compare them easily. Once you've narrowed down your search, check references. Better yet, ask people on APC http://groups.yahoo.com/group/a-parents-china/ to email you if they've worked with a particular agency and are willing to discuss their experience. It's good to check the refs the agency gives you, but it's better to hear from a cross section of people not hand picked by them.

Best of luck!

[Gemini]

Thank you so much for responding!

Wow! Two girls! That so neat! How old are they now? Do you mind sharing what agency you went with?

1. I just got a packet of one agancy, and I'll look at it again to see their payment schedule.

2. We are both over the age required and we meet all the other stuff too.

3. The one I'm looking at is not local, and I wouldn't mind that at all.

4. I guess I am specifically looking at China. I thought of China girls for a few years now.

5. We have two girls of our own now. My hubby had a vasectomy, so no more for us, or we would have a few choice words for his doc.

I'm sure you didn't want/need to know all that, but I do appreciate your lengthy response. I will look at those links you gave. Thanks again!

[EFmom]

Hi Gemini,

My oldest is 6 and my youngest turns three next week. We used WACAP (www.wacap.org) in the state of Washington and were very happy with them.

Re the other countries issue, we very much wanted to adopt from China also. But, the question to ask yourself is, "If China closed to international adoption tomorrow, would I still want to adopt?" Countries also sometimes change the rules without much warning. China has been more reasonable than some other countries in grandfathering in people who are already in-process, but not always.

I should also mention that the Report on Intercountry Adoption is something you have to pay for, but the cost is nominal and I found it to be invaluable.

[Gemini]

Thanks for presenting these issues with me. Something to think about.

I ordered a printed copy of that report you suggested and I also requested a packet from the agency you used. Thanks so much for helping me out.

So my journey begins.

[wemberly]

We're planning to use Harrah, in Texas. They get an excellent rating from people who have used them, and they work to keep the costs to less than 17,000.00 including travel for two. The cost factor definitely appealed to me, but I wouldn't have considered them at all if not for the glowing recommendations provided by people at the apc board. Just another agency you might want to look at to do some comparison.

[Gemini]

Well, I got that 25 dollar book you suggested and it is a good investment!! I've also sent for some different agencies packets, and am looking into those. I also signed up to those yahoo groups (apc is a little scary at times : ) and I signed up for the waitingchildrenchina group too. Thanks a lot for your info ladies.

eta~Does Harrah have a website?