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Paperwork Required to Adopt from China

The collection of documents you gather for the Chinese Adoption Officials is called your dossier. Listed below are the documents that need to be included in your dossier which is submitted to the Chinese adoption officials if you adopt from China. Please do not begin gathering and/or preparing these documents until you receive our "China Dossier Guide". Our guide provides detailed instructions and sample forms to ensure that all your documents are correct and acceptable to the Chinese adoption officials.

Upon receiving your completed Application for Adoption & Adoption Services Agreement we will provide you a username and password which will give you access to FTIA's unique online resource for adopting parents: My FTIA - Online Adoption Tracking & Resource Center. Within My FTIA you will find our China Dossier Guide, as well as a checklist to help you organize your dossier, and a flowchart which will provide an overview of your adoption process. My FTIA will also allow you to track your adoption in real time - as we enter information in our database about your adoption, that information appears simultaneously on your Track Your Adoption page. My FTIA also provides you instant online access to a wealth of articles and resources that will be invaluable throughout your adoption and after.

1. A Letter/Petition to Adopt. You are required to address a letter to the China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) explaining your reason for adopting. This letter must contain certain required information described in our "China Dossier Guide";
2. Home Study. Several attachments required;
3. Birth Certificate(s). Each parent must obtain a copy of his/her birth certificate from the State Department of Health or Bureau of Vital Statistics/Records in the state he or she was born;
4. Marriage Certificate. If married, you must obtain a copy of your marriage certificate from the State Department of Health or Bureau of Vital Statistics/Records where you were married;
5. Last Divorce Decree. If you are divorced and not remarried, you must obtain a certified copy of your divorce decree(s);
6. Single Status. If you are single and have never been married, or if you were previously married and now are single, you are required to submit a document verifying your current single status;
7. Financial Statement. Our "China Dossier Guide" contains a specific form required by the CCAA that demonstrates your financial ability to adopt;
8. Signature/Photo Page of Your Passport(s). You need to make black & white photocopies of the signature/photo page from your passport(s);
9. Employment Letter(s). You must obtain a letter(s) from your employer(s) verifying your employment, salary, length of employment, etc. If self-employed, have your CPA generate a similar letter;
10. Health examination certificate. The CCAA requires a very specific medical examination certificate for each parent. This form can be copied from our "China Dossier Guide". The health examination certificate expires twelve months after date of examination;
11. Approval Notice from CIS/INS. Our "China Dossier Guide" includes a statement that must be attached to a copy of the CIS Approval;
12. Photographs. You must include a number of photographs of you and your home;
13. Local Police Criminal History Background Check(s). Each parent is required to obtain a form indicating a local police or sheriff criminal background check has been performed. This check is in addition to all other criminal history checks that are part of either your home study process or the CIS/INS procedure. This check expires twelve months after signed by the local law enforcement officer;
14. Special Parental Power of Attorney. If only one parent of a married couple is traveling to China, the non-traveling parent must have prepared a special power of attorney;
15. Statement of Unemployment. If unemployed, this statement is required and there is a sample form in our China Dossier Guide;
16. Statement of Retirement. If retired, this statement is required and there is a sample form in our China Dossier Guide.

Most of the documents in your dossier will need to be notarized (or certified by an appropriate state court or agency), have a "state seal" affixed to them by the appropriate state government office, and authenticated by the appropriate Chinese Embassy/Consulate. A list of documents requiring this procedure and specific instructions are given in our "China Dossier Guide".

Statement of Understanding and Acknowledgement & Agreement

After adopting parents send in the FTIA Application and Adoptions Services Agreement, you will be asked to sign and return the FTIA China Statement of Understanding. The Statement of Understanding is another confirmation of your understanding of the risks of international adoption. It is not meant to alarm adopting parents, but to confirm your understanding of the process and that you are proceeding with your eyes wide open.

When accepting the referral of a child all adopting parents are required to sign an FTIA Acknowledgement & Agreement in addition to any acceptance paperwork submitted to the foreign country. This Acknowledgement & Agreement confirms your decision to complete the adoption of the child referred to you and reiterates the post placement requirements once you bring the child home. Please click the link below to view a sample of this document. Please contact our office at adopt@ftia.org or 888-797-9900 if you have any questions about the FTIA Acknowledgement & Agreement.

FTIA China Statement of Understanding

FTIA China Acknowledgement & Agreement

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