The process of adopting in China

We chose an agency (CCAI) that is accredited for adoptions in China. We collected a lot of papers including birth certificates, police clearances from the sheriff, marriage certificate, financial statements, and employer’s statements. We both got a physical from our family doctor, including a load of blood tests.We had 4 visits with our social worker with Partners for Adoption and got our first set of fingerprints . We applied with the UCICS to bring an orphan into the county and received an approval called a 171-H.
It took us about two months to collect all those individual pieces of paper, get them notarized, authenticated by the Secretary of State, and sealed by the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco. We complied a dossier to send to China that included all those papers and and eight pictures of us with family and friends

We are now waiting for our referral from CCAA in China. Currently the wait time is around 12 months, but the wait does change (we are hoping for a decrease and planning for an increase). The average age of a child is about 10 months, with a range from about 6-18 months, The referral contains the child's picture and health report.

About 6-8 weeks after referral, we will fly to China and spend 12-14 days with the guide assigned by CCAI. We should have Leilani within the first 2-3 days after arrival, while in Leilani’s province. Then we travel to the US consulate in Ghoungzhou and then back home.