China Bans Inter-Country Adoptions

By Natalie Bowman

Sept. 6, 2024

Mao Ning, Chinese foreign ministry representative, formally announced on Thursday, Sept. 5th, 2024, that Beijing is completely banning all inter-country adoptions unless it is a family adopting a child of a blood relative who lives in China. Since before COVID-19, China had already begun slowing down inter-country adoptions. During COVID-19 in 2020 and into the following several years, adoptions were suspended completely. The reason for this suspension was cited as primarily due to COVID-19 along with China’s changes in the political, economic, and demographic sectors. The suspension caused much angst amongst adoptive parents who had been matched with a waiting child in China. These children went several years without being able to connect with their adoptive parents. It was traumatic for all involved. 

It now appears that all families who are licensed to adopt or have pending applications to adopt in China will no longer be able to do so. Per letters sent to some adoption agencies, the only exceptions are adoptions that have already received travel authorization. The shock has been felt by hundreds of families waiting to adopt and orphans in China, especially those who were already matched to an adoptive family but had yet to be granted travel approval.

Since approximately 1992, when China began allowing inter-country adoption, over 160,000 children have been adopted from China. US families adopted 82,674 of these children. Many of these children had disabilities. There are grave concerns for those children who remain in China without a family. However, there appears to be an overall decrease in the number of orphans in China per China’s reports. A 2019 report states there were more than 300,000 orphaned children, but China reported only 159,000 children as orphans in 2022 with 59,000 of them in official state orphanages. 

It is well known that China long maintained a one-child-per-home standard. In 2023, the number of babies born in China decreased to about 9 million, contributing to the overall decline in population for the second consecutive year. China had already relaxed its one-child policy since 2016, gradually allowing each family up to three children per home. This could be a driving force in China slowing down and now banning inter-country adoptions. Another possible factor is China’s improved economic and social conditions. However, China has not issued much of a response as to their reason for banning inter-country adoption. Ning stated it was made “in line with the spirit of relevant international conventions.” Ning went on to thank adoptive families and governments for the concern and care they have shown over the last several decades toward orphans in China. Many in the US are still processing the impact of this news, and there is concern about the treatment of and care for the remaining orphans in China.

Much prayer is needed in the coming days that those in positions of power in China will make decisions in favor of the overall well-being of these orphaned children. 

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Further reading on this developing news:

Council on Foreign Relations:

https://www.cfr.org/blog/closed-door-orphans-unpacking-chinas-international-adoption-policy#:~:text=As%20of%202022%2C%20China%20reported,(59%2C000)%20in%20state%20orphanages.

National Public Radio:

https://www.sdpb.org/2024-09-06/china-ends-most-international-adoptions-leaving-many-children-families-in-limbo?_amp=true

The Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/sep/06/china-ending-foreign-adoption-international-intercountry#:~:text=Intercountry%20adoptions%20had%20been%20largely,tightening%20of%20the%20adoption%20policy.

Action steps:

Thinking about what you can do to help the hundreds of thousands of orphaned children around the world and in your own community? Contact us to schedule a conversation with our pro-life policy advisor, Natalie Bowman, a licensed social worker with a background in Christian adoption and significant expertise in foster care and adoption. Reach out today at info@danburyinstitute.org.