The Chinese government has announced the end of a program that allows international families to adopt children from the country, leaving many families in limbo. According to the Associated Press, Beijing informed U.S. diplomats that they will no longer process adoption cases, except for blood relatives or stepchildren.
The State Department is seeking clarification from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs on how this decision will impact families with pending applications. “We understand there are hundreds of families still pending completion of their adoption, and we sympathize with their situation,” the State Department said.
Since 1999, over 80,000 children from China have been adopted by American parents, making up about 29% of all U.S. overseas adoptions. However, adoptions from China were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no adoptions taking place in 2021 and 2022. Last year, only 16 children were adopted from China.
The Chinese government allowed adoptions for children who received travel consent before the suspension in 2020. This decision comes as China faces a decline in birth rates after decades of enforcing a strict “one child” policy.
The news has left many families in uncertainty, wondering about the future of their adoption plans. The State Department and U.S. officials are closely monitoring the situation and working to provide support and guidance to affected families.
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