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Q: How difficult is it for long-term expats to adapt a child in China?
11 years 50 weeks ago in Family & Kids - China
I assume you mean adopt.
The rules for a long-term expat are almost the same as someone who still lives in their native country. However, expats have a slightly harder time because they are not seen as someone who has a 'stable' home.
China has been greatly reducing the number of children that are up for adoption to foreigners over the last few years. The two main reasons for this is: 1) They market was so hot that it was prompting large scale kidnapping and human trafficking. And 2) In some government circles it is seen as a loss of face to give Chinese children away to non-Chinese.
My husband and I have lived here two years and have been trying to adopt that whole time. The biggest issue with adopting while living in China is finding an agency who understands the words "I live in China." I contacted dozes of agencies explaining upfront we needed specific help because we live in China who would say they would help us, get my hopes up and start the paperwork, only to find out "oh, you live in China, we can't help you." However, we have finally found an agency that knows what they are doing. Children's Hope International has an office in Shanghai specifically so they can help expat families. You can contact Tammy Watkins there at Tammy.Watkins@childrenshope.net. However, it is a very, very long process, taking between 3-5 years right now.
Good luck.
istri:
Hi Aroberts! Glad I found this discussion with your comment on it. I'm curious to see how is it going in the end with your adopting process.. what city are live in now while the agency is in Shanghai. I'm more curios about the financial expenses than the length of process itself, though.. form what we've learned it's very very expensive to adopt a child--the overall process especially the legal/paperworks. May I contact you personally for further info about this?
My husband and I don't have kids, and we don't mind to adopt a kid when we're done with our first goal--buying a house in my country/not china. So, it's sorta info digging time for us.. thanks for the info on this comment. Will check the link as well. Pls have a good day!
Just a detail that maybe adopting families in China don't know.....a child illegally born and whose parents cannot pay the fine, are often taken away from their parents and put into the same list for adoption.
So, you never know who you may finally adopt : a child without parents, or a child taken away from his parents because of the one child policy.
Xpat.John:
Or a child that was kidnapped. Or a child that was produced in a 'baby factory' (don't laugh, several have been busted already).
istri:
Xpat.John, could you pls explain more about 'baby factory' stuff? never heard that and curious..
Sangoku, thanks for the info about the 'taken away baby'.. never seen first hand but makes sense to me.. sad!
