The Paperwork Guide For Hague Convention Adoptions If you have any questions, please contact us for assistance 248 Addie Roy Road, A 102 Phone: (512) 323 9595 email: info@gwca.org Austin, TX 78746 Fax: (512) 323 9599 www.gwca.org Copyright 2011. Great Wall China Adoption. All rights reserved. It is against the law to copy, reprint, store in a retrieval system or transmit any part of this guidebook in any means for any purpose without written permission from Great Wall China Adoption.
Introduction We put this guide together as a one stop shop for all things Hague! Now that your family s adoption is classified as a Hague Convention Adoption, there is specific information that we must relay to you as part of the Hague Adoption process. We also hope to provide you with a general overview of the adoption process under the Hague Adoption Convention this overview will start from the beginning, so some of the information may be a repeat for you, but it is important to us that you have a full understanding of the Hague adoption process. Intercountry Adoption Intercountry adoption is a private legal matter between a private individual (or couple) who wishes to adopt, and a foreign court, which operates under that country s laws and regulations. For additional information on Intercountry Adoption and The Hague, please check out the following link provided by the U.S. State Department: http://adoption.state.gov/. An Overview of The Hague The Hague is an International Treaty to protect children who are adopted across national boundaries. The Convention s Provisions are as follows: The Convention will apply to adoptions in which children move from one Convention party country to another. Such an adoption may take place only if: the country of origin has established that the child is adoptable, that due consideration has been given to the child s adoption in its country of origin and an intercountry adoption is in the child s best interests, and that after counseling, the necessary consents to the adoption have been given freely, AND, the receiving country has determined that the prospective adoptive parents are eligible and suited to adopt, and that the child they wish to adopt will be authorized to enter and reside permanently in that country. Adoption agencies and individual providers of international adoption services may be authorized to perform designated functions with regard to individual adoption cases provided they have become Hague Convention accredited or approved. Persons wishing to adopt a child resident in another party country must initially apply to a designated authority in their own country to obtain approval for intercountry adoption. The Convention provides that, with limited exceptions, there can be no contact between the prospective adoptive parents and any parent or other person/institution that cares for the child until certain requirements have been met. The Convention requires the recognition of Convention adoptions certified as such, unless recognition would be manifestly contrary to the country s public policy, taking into account the best interests of the child. To view The Hague Convention in its entirety, please click on the following link: http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=conventions.text&cid=69
The Intercountry Adoption Act On October 6, 2000 President Bill Clinton signed into law the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000, the US implementation of the Hague Convention on International Adoption. To view the IAA in its entirety, please click on the following link: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=106_cong_public_laws&docid=f:publ279.106.pdf Summary of the Provisions of the Intercountry Adoption Act of 2000 (IAA) The State Department oversees the process of accreditation and approval of U.S. adoption service providers, and has designated a non federal qualified accrediting entity, the Council on Accreditation (http://coanet.org/), to perform the actual Convention accreditation/approval functions pursuant to Hague standards and procedures. The State Department and Department of Homeland Security have also established a case registry for all incoming and outgoing adoptions covered by the Hague Convention as well as non Convention intercountry adoptions. Your State s Intercountry Adoption Laws Laws for adoption vary from state to state in the US. Each state has its own set of rules and regulations. Intercountry adoptions may be finalized abroad or domestically. Most State statutes give full effect and recognition to intercountry adoptions finalized abroad. Full effect of a foreign adoption decree means that adoptive parents and adopted children have the same rights and obligations as they would have if a State court had issued the adoption decree. Recognition of a foreign adoption decree means that the decree is just as valid and binding as a decree issued by a State court. Additionally, most State statutes provide for validation of the foreign adoption or readoption of the child under State law and establish application procedures for adopted children to obtain a U.S. birth certificate. For information on recognition in your State, check out the following link: www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/intercountry.cfm The following above information is provided from the following: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families Children s Bureau Child Welfare Information Gateway Children s Bureau/ACYF
Resources for Your Adoption Great Wall provides many opportunities to participate in informational sessions. For your convenience and ease, we provide webinars for our families. The webinars are hosted live to allow you the opportunity to ask the host any questions you may have about the adoption process. To sign up for the next FREE webinar you may visit our Webinar page. This is a list of home study provider agencies that Great Wall is currently working with in your area. If you do not reside in Texas or Florida, you are welcome to contact any of those agencies and select one to complete your home study. If you do reside in Texas or Florida, we will contract a social worker to provide these services. If you are currently working with a home study provider that is not on our list, please contact us for additional information. Important Note: If you are currently in the process of completing an adoption from China and your dossier is logged in before October 1, 2011, if you move during the process and you are no longer working with the home study agency that completed your original home study submitted as part of your dossier, you will need to work with a COA or Hague accredited agency for the completion of your post adoption reports. All dossiers submitted after October 1, 2011, must have a home study completed by a COA or Hague accredited agency. The following information is available upon request: number of placements in the last 3 years including % of disruptions/dissolutions; number of applications on a yearly basis based on the past 3 years; number of children eligible for adoption. Grievance Policy and Procedure We strive to provide helpful and informative information to our families. Any concerns or complaints that may arise at any time during the adoption will be mediated between the assigned Great Wall China Adoption case manager and the family. For unresolved complaints, Great Wall China Adoption/Children of All Nations provides a Complaint/Grievance Form on the Family Only Section of our website. This form can also be sent to families upon request. Complaints may be submitted online or registered in writing by mail to: Great Wall China Adoption/Children of All Nations, Attn: Client Service & Relations Director, 248 Addie Roy Rd, A102, Austin, Texas 78746. All formal complaints received by Great Wall China Adoption/Children of All Nations will be reviewed by the Grievance committee and responded to in writing within 30 days. Grievances alleging fraud is deemed time sensitive by the committee and will be expedited. Complaints may also be filed by any prospective adoptive parent, adoptive parent or adoptee directly with the U.S. State Department via the Hague Complaint Registry (http://adoptionusca.state.gov/hcrweb/welcomeform.aspx), about any services or activities of the agency or person, including supervised providers, that he or she believes raises an issue of compliance with the Convention, the Intercountry Adoption Act (IAA) or the regulations implementing the IAA.
Preparation and Training All Prospective Adoptive Parent(s) currently in the adoption process through Great Wall must complete the parent education training program prior to the finalization of their Hague homestudy. A part of the Hague Convention is to provide a minimum of 10 hours of training to families on specific topics outlined in the regulations of The Hague. Training for Prospective Adoptive Parents, will include, but are not limited to: intercountry adoption process, the general characteristics and needs of children awaiting adoption, and the in country conditions that affect children in the Convention country from which the prospective adoptive parent(s) plan to adopt; the effects on children of malnutrition, relevant environmental toxins, maternal substance abuse, and of any other known genetic, health, emotional, and developmental risk factors associated with children from the expected country of origin; information about the impact on a child of leaving familiar ties and surroundings, as appropriate to the expected age of the child; data on institutionalized children and the impact of institutionalization on children, including the effect on children of the length of time spent in an institution and of the type of care provided in the expected country of origin; information on attachment disorders and other emotional problems that institutionalized or traumatized children and children with a history of multiple caregivers may experience, before and after their adoption; information on the laws and adoption processes of the expected country of origin, including foreseeable delays and impediments to finalization of an adoption; information on the long term implications for a family that has become multicultural through intercountry adoption; and an explanation of any reporting requirements associated with Convention adoptions, including any postplacement or post adoption reports required by the expected country of origin. Great Wall China Adoption and Children of All Nations have developed a comprehensive program that offers prospective parents a convenient and reliable way to prepare for their international adoption journey. In order to meet Hague standards, Great Wall China Adoption and Children of All Nations developed an informative curriculum of online courses specifically for inter country adoption. The coursework provides families with an overview of the inter country adoption process, information related to travel in their child s country of origin, and the issues that affect adoptive families. Please contact your case manager for information on the courses necessary to cover all of the required Hague topics. We welcome you to visit our training website to explore an overview of the program and frequently asked questions at: www.haguetrainingonline.org Filing the I 800A with USCIS If are preparing to adopt from a Hague Convention country or your USCIS approval has expired, under the guidelines of the Hague Adoption Convention, all parents adopting a child from China, or any Hague Convention
Country will file the Form I 800A with the US Department of Homeland Security s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Why file the I 800A? Since you are adopting a foreign child, you need to obtain approval from USCIS to adopt a foreign child, in order to receive a visa for your child to enter the U.S. The I 800A is the initial application form filed in the U.S. for this approval. You will receive this approval as form Notice of Favorable Determination or I 797. This is needed to file the I800 and commence the final Visa Adjudication process after receiving your referral. To download the I 800A please click on the following link: Form I 800A. As part of the I 800A, you will need to be fingerprinted by USCIS in a specialized location. USCIS arranges your fingerprinting appointments after you ve submitted your I 800A along with the supporting documentation and fees. The fee for fingerprinting is $85 for EACH person over 18 living in the home. This is in addition to the $720.00 filing fee for the I 800A form. The fingerprinting and filing fees are due when you submit the I 800A to the USCIS. USCIS will notify you as to when and where to go for fingerprinting. Only one adoptive parent can be listed as the petitioner. If you are sure both spouses will travel, you can list either spouse as the petitioner. Some states require that the adoptive parent listed as the petitioner on the Form I 800A must be the parent traveling to finalize the adoption. If you are not certain that one of you will be traveling, please list as petitioner, the parent that will be traveling to finalize the adoption. If only one parent is a U.S. Citizen, that person must be listed as the petitioner. To apply with USCIS, the following documents are required: 1. A completed I 800A form. 2. Birth Certificates or Proof of Citizenship Photocopies are acceptable. 3. Divorce Decree of ALL prior marriages, if applicable. Photocopies are acceptable. 4. Death Certificate if you have been a widow or widower. Photocopies are acceptable. 5. Marriage Certificate For current marriage only. Photocopies are acceptable. 6. A favorable Home Study 7. A Filing Fee of $720 along with the fingerprinting fee of $85 per adult in the household. Make your check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 8. A cover letter. 9. A photo Copy of your original home study and photocopies of all updated or amended home studies. PLEASE NOTE: Your I 800A, Passport and Home Study must ALL bear the same name(s). If your name is hyphenated on one of these documents, it must be hyphenated on all of your documents. If you have used an Original and/or Married Last Name on one of these documents, you must use it on all of these documents. It will take the USCIS office a minimum of 45 days to approve your I 800A once they have received all of the
documentation, including the home study. When you receive USCIS approval, please provide Great Wall with a photocopy and you will keep the original document for your files. Instructions for Completing the Form I 800A Part 1: Information about you 2. Answer: Child s Country of Origin Part 3: General Information 1. Answer: The home study is attached to this application 2. Answer: B Name of Adoption Service Provider: Great Wall China Adoption Point of Contact: Your case manager s name Daytime Phone #: 512 323 9595 Street # and Name: 248 Addie Roy Road Suite A102 Austin, TX 78746 United States 3. Answer: Not Applicable 4. Answer: A If there are any adults residing with you except for your spouse, you must complete Supplement Form 1. All Great Wall Families must complete Supplement Form 2. Please write the following information in Supplement Form 2: Name of Adoption Service Provider: Great Wall China Adoption Point of Contact: Your case manager s name Street Number and Name: 248 Addie Roy Road Suite A102 Austin, TX 78746 United States Daytime Phone Number: 512 323 9595 Fax Number: 512 323 9599 Email Address: Your case manager s email address
Home Study Updates and the Duty to Disclose While waiting for your Referral, there is always a chance that your family will experience changes such as moving to a new home or changing jobs. As part of the Hague process, under the Duty to Disclose, while your USCIS approval is current, USCIS requires that you update your home study to reflect these changes as they occur. Ordinarily, a home study will not have to be updated or amended after it has been submitted to USCIS unless there is a significant change in your household since the home study was completed. Such as: You ve changed jobs You have a change in your household (additional member/s of household, etc.) You experience a significant increase or decrease in income You move to a new address You need to document a change in the number of children or characteristics (such as health status, age and/or gender) of the child you intend to adopt Your USCIS approval expires You will need to submit an amendment to your home study identifying the change and updating the approval. This update to your home study must be submitted to USCIS. If you have had any of the changes above, please contact us for more information about updating your paperwork. Texas and Florida residents You will need to complete a Home Study update if your home study is older than 1 year at the time you are preparing to travel to complete your adoption. For families that were Texas residents at the time you signed your contract, the travel Home Study Update fee may be included in your Home Study services fee, which you paid as part of your initial adoption fees. Please note: If you need a Home Study Update due to your I 171H/I 797 has expiring. This requires a more in depth Home Study Update; please contact us for more information about these fees and services. How in depth the Home Study Update must be is dependent on the regulations of the state you live in. Some states have very specific Home Study Update regulations while other states only require a short document. Normally an expired USCIS approval or moving to a new home requires a more in depth Home Study Update. Please contact your social worker or Home Study agency to determine your state s requirements. Please note that all Home Study Updates should: State that you have met state requirements to adopt. Be printed on the Home Study agency letterhead and have your name and correct address at the top of the page. Contain an updated recommendation to address any new issues. Be completed or reviewed by a Hague accredited agency. If your home study is not Hague accredited, please provide us with a copy of your home study to review and approve.
I 800A Extension In order to apply for the one time free extension of your I 797 or any second or subsequent extensions, you will need to submit a request for the extension to the National Benefits Center prior to your I 797 expiration date, but no sooner than 90 days prior to your I 797 expiration date. We recommend that families filing for an extension begin by updating their home study. Once the home study update is complete, you can then file the I 800a Supplement 3 with the National Benefits Center. Please contact us for additional details on this process. Please note that your home study agency must be a Hague accredited provider or one of the agencies we work with as cooperatively to provide home study services, also known as an exempt provider. We do require that your social worker provide us with a copy of your home study to review and approve before your home study can be finalized. IF your agency is not Hague accredited, our review and approval letter MUST be attached to your home study, including the update submitted to NBC/USCIS. Once you have submitted the proper paperwork and fees (if this is a second extension), USCIS will send you a new I 797 form with a new expiration date. Again, it is the family s responsibility to track the expiration date of their I 797 and to renew it if necessary. *Please note, it is not required that families take advantage of these extensions. Families have two options you can apply for extensions of your paperwork with USCIS, or allow your paperwork to lapse and re file with USCIS under the I 800A closer to referral. Please check with your home study agency regarding your State's requirements for the expiration of your home study before allowing your home study approval to lapse. Referral Acceptance Procedures For families approved with USCIS under the I 800A: Once you receive your referral, if you choose to move forward with the acceptance for the child referred to you, your fist step is to sign the referral acceptance documents for your child s country of origin. For China, this is known as the Letter Seeking Confirmation or LSC. You will then submit a Form the I 800 to USCIS along with a copy of your signed LSC and a complete photo copy of your child s referral documents (translated and untranslated). Under the Hague process, many documents that are filed in China under the I 600A, are filed before you travel to China if you are approved with USCIS under the I 800A. Please see a brief overview of these steps below: Step 1: File the I800 and supporting documents with NBC/USCIS Step 2: Receive I 800 approval and a letter from the National Visa Center stating your approval has been sent to the Consulate in Guangzhou, China. Step 3: Return your signed referral acceptance to China Step 4: Complete and submit the DS 230 Visa Application to the American Consulate in Guangzhou Once you have completed the steps above, we will send your child s visa application (DS 230) to our staff in China so that this may be submitted to the American Consulate and we will return the signed LSC to the CCCWA. Upon approval of your DS 230, the American Consulate will issue the Article 5. This is a document the consulate issues to our courier stating that all of your immigration approvals are up to date and you are
approved to adopt your child. This is picked up by our staff and then sent to the CCCWA. Once the CCCWA has your signed LSC and the consulate s Article 5, they will begin working on your Travel Approval. Once we receive your Travel Approval your Travel Advisor can schedule your Consulate appointments. We cannot begin scheduling Consulate appointments until we have received your Travel Approval number. Once your Consulate appointment is set, the Travel Coordination Team can begin to arrange your travel. For Hague families, the estimated time between receiving your referral and your actual travel is about 3 to 4 months. This can vary due to processing times for USCIS, the Consulate and the CCCWA. Your Travel Advisor can assist you with any questions or concerns you have regarding your travel arrangements. You will receive more detailed instructions regarding these steps from your referral counselor as you prepare for the arrival of your referral or Letter Seeking Confirmation. Fees for DS 230 Filing Due to the implementation of Hague Convention, all families who have filed I 800A will need to go through this new Hague DS 230 filing processing. American consulate in China has made it very clearly that all fees paid to the USCIS and all required documents must be hand delivered by Great Wall in country facilitator to the Guangzhou consulate. This requirement results in additional work by Great Wall staff and its facilitator, extra expenses including bank charges, and express mail cost. The fees are as follows: USCIS DS 230 fee $404 Sending and receiving bank international wire fees $50 Beijing/Guangzhou round trip express mail fee $30 GW facilitator and service fees $80 U.S to Beijing China DS 230 Documents International Express Mail fee Total amount due if paying by Credit Card (Visa & Master card) $75 $658.17 Cash discount amount if paying by check $639
Disruption Policy and Procedures Great Wall works very hard to do all we can to ensure your family has a smooth adoption. Unfortunately, there are certain situations that arise in China and it is important to understand the procedures and policies in the rare case of a disruption in China. A disruption is defined as the decision by the Prospective Adoptive Parent(s) to decline a child while in China, but before the adoption of the referred child has been finalized. Should you arrive in China and discover a medical condition with your child that was not previously diagnosed and you do not feel you can move forward with the adoption, there are certain standards and protocols to follow per the Chinese Government. The following steps are for families who have not signed adoption paperwork for the child and would like to request a second referral from the CCCWA. 1. Contact your guide and let them know your concerns. 2. Contact Great Wall in Austin. If after business hours you will contact the emergency number listed in your itinerary. 3. Take the child to a Chinese Doctor per the local civil affair official s approval and suggestion or with the company of the official. If the diagnosis is confirmed, you will work with your guide to obtain a letter from the Chinese Doctor regarding the diagnosis. 4. The family will write a letter regarding the reasons for not moving forward with the adoption and the request for another referral. 5. The letters are presented to the Provincial Civil Affairs and they make a decision to accept/deny the request for another referral 6. If accepted, the information is forwarded to the CCCWA. 7. Great Wall China Adoption Beijing Staff will present the paperwork to the CCCWA and request a second referral. 8. Family is notified. If the Chinese doctor does not substantiate the medical condition Great Wall will advocate to assist your family. The decision to approve a second referral without medical documentation from a Chinese doctor will be solely decided by the Provincial Civil Affairs and/or the CCWA. Should you decide that you are not able to request another referral at that time or you are unsure about the future regarding an adoption from China, please do NOT put any indication in the letter that you will not pursue adoption from China in the future. It will prevent you from pursing China adoption in the future. The above procedures are subject to change without prior notice because each provincial government may handle such situation differently. Great Wall cannot and does not have control over or guarantee that each provincial government or CCCWA will follow the above procedures.
At all times Great Wall China Adoption will do our best to advocate for your family within the laws, policies and regulations of the Chinese Government. Please note: Due to the nature of the Hague process, families who receive a second referral must return to the U.S. to withdraw their initial I 800 and re submit a new form I 800 and complete the necessary steps to file the DS 230 prior to travel to complete the adoption of their second referral. Great Wall Dissolution Policy A dissolution is defined as the decision by the Prospective Adoptive Parent(s) to dissolve the adoption of the referred child after the adoption has been finalized. In accordance with the standards of the Hague Convention for International Adoption, please review our Dissolution Policy below: In the event that dissolution occurs once the adoption is finalized in the United States, the matter becomes a domestic matter that would follow U.S. Federal and State guidelines for domestic adoption. In the event of dissolution, at no time ever will Great Wall assume custody of the adoptive child. Once the adoption is finalized in China and in accordance with China law, the Prospective Adoptive Parent(s) become the legal parent/guardian of the child and the child acquires all the rights, privileges and immunities of a child born to the client(s). Great Wall China Adoption does not and cannot have any influence regarding the steps within this legal matter. Chinese Law states: the act of leaving your newly adopted child in China, after you have signed the adoption paperwork, is highly illegal. Failure to comply could result in civil and criminal penalties for such behavior and Great Wall cannot be responsible for the actions of the Chinese officials. This act would be considered second abandonment, and action may be taken by the Chinese government for individuals who engage in this activity. *In the event of dissolution, all post adoption reports MUST still be submitted to the China Center for Children s Welfare and Adoption on behalf of the child. We request cooperation in submitting these reports to China to ensure the well being of each child. Please contact our offices if you have any questions or concerns regarding our disruption or dissolution policies. Our staff is available to offer education, support and resources as needed.
The Travel Process - Hague Receive Referral File I800 and Prepare DS-230 Send Signed Referral/LSC; DS-230 and NVC letter to Beijing. GW staff forwards to American Consulate for Pre-Approval and issuance of Article 5 Receive I800 Approval and Letter from NVC Article 5, signed LSC sent to CCAA Travel Approval Apply for Chinese Visa. Start all adoption paperwork for USCIS, collect $100 bills, Order Great Wall Amenities. Request Consulate Appointment Finalize Travel requests. Collect Gifts to bring Confirm Consulate Appointment Purchase International Flight tickets Book International Flights Invoice From Great Wall Pay Intra-China fees within 2-3 days of receiving invoice Final Itinerary Great Wall makes Intra-China Arrangements upon receipt of payment Pack. Verify all paperwork. Notify friends, family and colleagues of definitive travel dates Travel
American Consulate Document Checklist for Hague Convention Adoption Copy of your current and valid I 797C Passports with visas: When you receive your passport back from the Consulate, be sure to open your passport to verify that the stamp is in the passport, and that your name is spelled correctly on the stamp. Please be aware that some visa stamps only contain your last name and first initial. If your name has been amended on your passport, your visa will be issued in the name originally listed on your passport. Passport Copies: Two copies of each parent s passport, one passport photo for each parent, two copies of visa page for each parent. Money needed for Legal Fees and Orphanage Donation: Collect clean, new looking $100 bills for the $7,000 adoption cost: $5,300 orphanage donation (this amount can vary depending on money exchange rate at time of adoption) and $2,000 for Province legal fees. American Consulate Checklist (aka Adoption Document Checklist) provided by your Travel Advisor. Simply print this document and take it with you. It is not to be completed at this time. Consular Questions: During your consulate appointment, you will be asked the following questions during the interview process: 1. Was a current record of your fingerprints cleared by the FBI before your appointment date? 2. Since CIS approved your I 800A application, have significant changes occurred in your household ( e.g., residence change, marital status, criminal history, financial resources, addition of children or adults to household)? 3. Do you have a referral from the Chinese Government for this child? 4. To your knowledge, does this child have special needs/disabilities? Paperwork After You Return Home After returning from China, there are several documents that will be necessary and/or advantageous for you to obtain for your child. In order of importance and convenience, these include: 1. Will (for Guardianship Purposes) 2. Life Insurance 3. Readoption, Name Change, and U.S. Birth Certificate 4. Certificate of Citizenship (This is automatically sent to you if both parents travel. It will have to be applied for if only one parent travels.) 5. Social Security 6. U.S. Passport
Below you will find information about the various documents. Readoption: If you are married and only one spouse travels to China, you will need to readopt your child when you return to the U.S. Please check with your state laws for details on the readoption process. Some states will affirm or recognize the adoption from China without readoption. Many couples choose to readopt in order to leave a legal paper trail in their state and to obtain documents in English that will legally protect their child in the future. We recommend readoption (when available) for all families regardless of who travels. Name Change: When you re adopt or affirm your adoption in your state you will have the opportunity to legally change your child s name. Most adoptive couples choose to change the child s Chinese name either in part or completely. The name change will need to be done before new legal documents regarding the adoption and the child are processed to ensure that all documents have your child s new legal name. Even if you have the ability to change your child s name in China, do not assume the name change is legal without first consulting with your state officials or completing a legal name change. Birth Certificates: Some states will issue a birth certificate in English when your child is readopted or your adoption is affirmed. This may be needed for future documents, such as passports. Having an English birth certificate makes paperwork much easier since you will not be able to get duplicate copies of the Chinese documents from China. Certificate of Citizenship: It is very important for you to obtain a Certificate of Citizenship for your child. The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 states that once you bring your child to the U.S. he or she is considered a citizen. If both parents travel to China, you should receive a Certificate of Citizenship within 45 60 days of your arrival home. However, if only one parent travels, you must first complete the readoption process before you can apply for the Certificate of Citizenship. To get more information about obtaining a Certificate of Citizenship, please go to: http://uscis.gov/graphics/services/adop_prospective.htm To apply for a Certificate of Citizenship, please go to: http://uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/n 600.htm Social Security card: To apply for a Social Security card you will need to locate a Social Security office near you. We suggest that you wait to receive your certificate of citizenship or complete a readoption before obtaining a social security card. The IRS can provide a temporary number called an Adoption Taxpayer Identification Number (ATIN) that can be used for tax information if a social security card cannot be immediately obtained. http://ssa custhelp.ssa.gov/cgi bin/ssa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=134
These issues will be discussed further during the Post Adoption phase of your adoption. We simply want to prepare you for the road ahead. Once you return home from China our Post Adoption Counselor will be available to address any questions or concerns you may have regarding these and other Post Adoption issues. Post Adoption Requirements In order to ensure the smooth integration of the adopted child into the adoptive family, the CCCWA has increased the required number of post adoption reports as well as the frequency of the reports. There will be 6 reports at the following intervals: 1 month, 6 months, 12 months, 2 years, 3 years and 5 years. For adoptees that are close to fourteen years old at adoption, the reports should be prepared until the child turns 18 years old. If you are currently in the process of completing an adoption from China and your dossier is logged in before October 1, 2011, if you move during the process and you are no longer working with the home study agency that completed your original home study submitted as part of your dossier, you will need to work with a COA or Hague accredited agency for the completion of your post adoption reports. All dossiers submitted after October 1, 2011, must have a home study and post adoption reports completed by a COA or Hague accredited agency. In order to meet these new requirements, our agency has established new policies and procedures for adhering to these guidelines. At the time of referral you will receive an amendment to your current contract with our agency that outlines these new post adoption requirements, changes in fee structure, responsibilities of both your family and our agency and includes a timeline for completing these reports. A review of the fee structure is also listed below: ONLY one row can and MUST be checked Client(s) Resident Status TX & FL Resident(s) Adopting One (1) Child TX & FL Resident(s) Adopting Two (2) children Non TX/FL Resident(s) Adopting One (1) child Non TX/FL Resident(s) Adopting Two (2) children Great Wall Post Adoption Fees $1,200 $0.00 $2,400 $0.00 $500 $1,000 $1,000 $2,000 Post Adoption Commitment Deposit to Payment Due Payable Upon Receipt of Travel Approval GREAT WALL Upon Receipt of Travel Approval GREAT WALL Texas and Florida Residents: The $1,200 Texas and Florida Residents fee includes four (4) post adoption reports for one (1) child completed by a Great Wall licensed social worker.
Non Texas/Florida Residents: The $500 non TX/FL Residents fee includes working with your Hague or COA accredited home study agency, our service and support during the 5 year post adoption monitoring period, reviewing and translating post adoption supervision reports and submitting the post adoption reports to the CCCWA. This $500 fee does not include any post adoption reports services as those fees are paid directly to your Hague or COA Accredited home study agency that will assist your family in the completion of these reports. Please note that all post adoption supervision reports must be provided by a Hague or COA Accredited Agency. Fees for Non Texas/Florida residents also include a Post Adoption Commitment Deposit of $1,000 per child. The Post Adoption Commitment Deposit is fully refundable if we receive all six post adoption reports within 30 days from the due date of each post adoption report. Communication will be key in assisting your family to meet these requirements. Keep in mind that China will now require a 1 month post adoption report, so you will be hearing from us soon after your return home! We hope this information will be helpful to you! For questions or additional information regarding any of the topics discussed in this guide, please contact your Great Wall/Children of All Nations Case Manager.