The PAPERCHASE

The “PAPERCHASE” is the infamous quest to gather your Birth Certificate, passport, employment, financial, and medical information. The “PAPERCHASE” also includes a local police clearance, fingerprinting and FBI criminal background check, a search to see if you’ve ever been convicted of child abuse, parenting classes, meetings with your social worker, an inspection of your home, a physical exam, blood tests, and submitting photos of yourself and your home. You must also submit forms to U.S. Immigration, so that your future daughter will become a U.S. Citizen and can enter the United States.

You also need to write a letter to the China Centre for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) requesting permission to adopt from China, and submit a notarized statement saying that you are heterosexual. You need to appoint a married couple to be guardians to your child, if anything should happen to you. The Guardians need to submit a letter stating that they are financially and physically capable of raising your child, and will treat the child as if she were their own.

I had to also fill out a 16 page Personal Data Information Sheet that had such questions as: What are my parents and siblings names? What is my educational background? What was my childhood like? What will my parenting and disciplinary style be? How would I incorporate her Chinese Heritage into her life? Was my community diverse? Where is the nearest school and hospital? What are my greatest accomplishments? What religious faith, beliefs, or values do I plan to pass on to my child? How will I explain adoption to my child? How will I deal with the stress of parenting?