The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) just announced that single women are now allowed to adopt from their Special Focus special needs adoption program!! For a child to be considered a “Special Focus” child they must have been waiting on the “shared list” (list of Chinese orphans who are harder to place for adoption due to their age or special need) for more than two months. Generally, although not always, these are older (4+) or with a more significant special need.
Who Can Adopt?
Here are the specifics for single women to adopt:
- A woman must be between the ages of 30 and 50. A woman over 50 can still adopt a special focus child, but the age difference between the child and the applicant can be no more than 45 years.
- The woman must sign a statement that she is not a homosexual. She must give her reason for being single and her attitude towards marriage. (In other words, would she be open to being married.)
- She can have no more than two children in her home under the age of 18, and her youngest child should not be younger than 6.
- A single woman can only adopt one special focus adoption at a time. (Married couples can adopt two special focus children at a time.) Singles can reapply for another child after one year.
- The woman must meet the health requirements (physical and mental) of the traditional China adoption program. (An issue for many people is the 2 year prohibition on antidepressants. Exceptions have sometimes been made for special needs adoptions, but it is not clear and probably doubtful whether an exception will be made for single women.)
- Income Requirements: The family annual income shall reach $10,000 per family member, including the prospective adoptee and the family net assets value should be $100,000. The applicant must have adequate medical insurance to cover the medical expense of the adopted child.
- Applicants should have experience in caring for children or be occupied in child-related fields, such as doctor, nurse, teacher, child psychological counselor, etc. Preference will be given to applicants that have had successful experience in caring for special needs children.
- The applicant must have wide social and family supporting network that can provide assistance any time.
- If the woman has a stable relationship and lives with a male partner, the requirements of couple applicants shall be applied.
The China program was very popular with single woman before China prohibited singles from adopting. However, at that time, most singles did not adopt special needs children. I feel the need to caution that adopting a child with a special need or adopting an older child is not for everyone and is not for anyone who is not prepared. Do NOT blindly go into this program without considering what it means to parent an older child or a child with a special need. Creating a Family has many resources, podcasts, and videos to help you decide if this is the best option. As most of you know, I LOVE the Special Needs section of the fabulous Rainbow Kids website as the best place to get specific information on different types of special needs.
I am so happy that the CCAA has decided to take the step of allowing singles to adopt from China again. They are clearly putting actions with their words of trying to find homes for their orphans with special needs. I love it when anyone, especially a government, walks their talk.
Image credit: ROSS HONG KONG
I have always wanted to adopt a baby from china
Since I was 8 years old
I’m 38
I would love a little girl or boy
No greater preference
Sadly, the China program has been “suspended” with no new applications or progress made on pending processes since the early days of the pandemic. Recently, China invited a select few families to finalize their processes – only that were already matched and ready to travel before the early days of the pandemic. There’s been no other movement since then. If you are interested in international adoption more broadly, this resource will be helpful.
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope they open all the way back up again…but this is GREAT progress!!!!
I got am email about this today. That is wonderful!!
that is great to hear!!!
well I once was an offen so I know what means to not be loved or feeling out of space so I have alot to give I breath four minor children myself and I’am very response able caring and willing to help so if I can take children and teach what a mother is spouse to give the tools in life to sucess and in god everything is possabile.
Wow this is exciting news! Something to consider for sure.
Wow, that’s kind of great news. As a single person I think that’s great, but I’m still horrified by their prejudice against women who don’t want to get married and aren’t straight. I guess they are moving toward (what I think is) the right direction.
..The China Center for Adoption Affairs is opening the program to aid in finding good families for their . Children with a Special Focus designation are those who have been waiting on the shared list for more than two months they are generally older pre-school- and school-aged or any age infant through school-aged who have an identified special need…The following is the notice released by the CCAA ..Government departments and adoption agencies in receiving countries In order to promote special needs child adoption and guarantee the basic interests of the orphaned and disabled children CCAA decided to accept the adoption applications from female single applicants to adopt according to the requirements listed in this notice starting from March 15 2011 ..Female single applicants are allowed to adopt listed on the special Needs System of CCAA…
That’s Awesome!
Wonder if this is going to change in Australia then as well?!
The change was initiated by the CCAA (the Chinese adoption authority) so unless Australia has a separate law restricting singles from adopting (unlikely), then I would assume that this ruling would apply to all countries that allow adoptions from China.
Thanks for keeping us up to date on what’s happening. I really mean it.