China ends adoption program for foreigners, leaving hundreds of US families in limbo

The Chinese government is ending a program this week that allows international families to adopt children from the country.

According to the Associated Press (AP), Beijing said in a phone call with US diplomats in China that it would not “pursue the cases at any stage” except for cases where blood relatives adopt a child or stepchild.

The Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the embassy is asking the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs for written clarification.

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“We know there are hundreds of families still waiting to complete their adoption and we understand their situation,” the State Department said.

“This is in line with the spirit of relevant international conventions,” Mao Ning, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a press conference. “We are grateful for the desire and love of the governments and adoptive families of the relevant countries to adopt Chinese children.”

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Since 1999, American parents have adopted over 80,000 children from China, according to statistics from the State Department, which accounts for about 29% of all U.S. international adoptions. Adoptive parents typically travel to the country to pick up the child and then return the child to their home country abroad.

The Chinese government is ending a program that allows families to adopt children from the country, leaving U.S. officials wondering what impact the decision will have on families with pending adoption applications. (Xinhua/Shen Hong via Getty Images)

Before the Chinese government stopped adoptions completely, it had already suspended international adoptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shows that there were no adoptions from China in 2021 and 2022.

Last year, 16 children were adopted from China.

The Chinese government allowed adoptions for children who had received travel authorization before the suspension in 2020, the AP reported.

The Chinese government allowed adoptions for children who had received travel authorization before the suspension in 2020, the AP reported. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP) (Photo by ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP via Getty Images)

This development comes at a time when China is struggling with declining birth rates after decades of a strict one-child policy.

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