Step 1: Gathering Documents

This step normally takes about 3 to 4 months to complete.

In this step, the documents necessary to adopt a child will be collected. Americans Adopting Orphans offers three different levels of service at Step 1. You only pick one of the three levels, plus a Home Study Service. You can work on your own, you can choose to receive detailed instructions and all the consultation you need to complete Step 1 by yourself, or we can collect those documents for you.

Step 1 Instruction Pack

This is can be the fastest way to complete this step.

With our Step 1 Instruction Pack we provide you with the tools necessary to collect all of your documents for yourself, including the following:

• A list of all documents that need to be gathered for the adoption, and the number of copies of each that we recommend be collected.
• Sample letters for requesting the needed documents.
• Easy to complete, pre-printed forms with instructions that include required formatting and language for documents that must be filled out and returned to you.
• Application forms required by the US Citizenship & Immigration Services with our easy to understand supplemental instructions.
• A list of things to look for when selecting a home study provider, including specific information that the foreign and United States governments are looking for in a home study pre-placement report.
• Assistance in developing the profile of the child you wish to adopt.
• Instructions on how to write a cover letter to the appropriate foreign government authorities requesting the adoption of a child into your family.
• An organizer to help you keep track of all your documents.
• A technical review of each of your documents as they are gathered.
• Most importantly, telephone, e-mail, and/or in person consultation when you have questions.

Our fee for the Step 1 Instruction Pack is: $800 for all countries ($840 for credit card or PayPal).

Step 1 Full Service

This is usually the easiest way to complete this step.

With Step 1 Full Service we will gather and organize all of the required documents for you.

• We will file your application to adopt with the US Citizenship & Immigration Services (CIS).
• We write to gather birth certificate, marriage licenses, police reports, etc.
• We pay all fees to gather and submit documents (typically $900 - $1,200/family, including CIS fees).
• For many of these documents multiple certified or notarized copies are needed. We will obtain enough copies for all requirements including one full spare set of originals.
• We will help out of state clients find, and will work directly with, a home study provider. Fees vary between home study providers in different states, so those fees are not included.
• If necessary or appropriate, we will create a contract with your home study provider to help ensure that the home study will meet US and foreign requirements, and be completed in a timely manner.
• Current information about where each of your documents is in the process.
• Express or overnight mailings and rush service are available for an extra charge.
• There may be additional charges if documents expire and must be regathered.

Our fee for Step 1 Full Service is: $2,350 for all countries ($2,468 for credit card or PayPal).

If you purchase a Step 1 Instruction Pack and then decide you want us to gather all of your documents for you, there is no financial penalty. You just pay the difference of $1,550 ($1,628 for credit card or PayPal) and we will upgrade you to Step 1 Full Service.

Step 1 Technical Review

This is usually the least expensive way to complete this step.

For those clients who have already completed their document gathering without any assistance from Americans Adopting Orphans, we offer a third level of service. We will perform a Step 1 Technical Review on all of your documents. (This service is included with the purchase of either a Step 1 Instruction Pack or Step 1 Full Service.)

The Step 1 Technical Review includes:

• Instructions for the home study provider regarding the content and format of the pre-placement report. Home Study Review Fee is a separate service and is not included with a Step 1 Technical Review.
• A blank copy of the specific Medical Examination and Financial Statement forms required by China.
• A "tip sheet" for collecting documents.
• A thorough analysis of each of your documents for form and content verifying compliance with US Immigration and foreign government laws and regulations.
• A written report listing specific concerns about each document.
• A list of recommended or required changes to improve or otherwise bring your documents into compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and accepted adoption practices.
• If you want us to make changes to your documents for you, we will quote you a fee for making those changes.

Our fee for a Step 1 Technical Review is: $550 for all countries ($578 for credit card or PayPal).

Note - We only review documents for Step 1 Technical Review clients when they are all completely gathered (except for the home study report and 171-H). Instruction and consultation for what documents to gather and what their content should be is only available to clients who purchase the more complete Step 1 services described on the previous page. We do not recommend Technical Review for clients who are just beginning their adoption processing. This option is designed for clients who have completed their document gathering before contacting Americans Adopting Orphans. Typically these would be clients who began working with another agency, or who had begun a completely independent parent-initiated adoption process. It has been our experience that many documents gathered without our assistance and consultations need to be modified and/or re-done. Most families should use at least the Instruction Pack level of service, which includes ongoing reviews and assistance.

You have some control over the pace of your adoption. In the text above, and throughout the rest of this document, we have indicated the points at which you can have the greatest impact. For dedicated families, the fastest way to proceed is to take over the clerical work yourself, by using our Instruction Pack level of service. While we will gladly gather and process documents for you, your paperwork competes with that of other families in the process if you ask us to do the Full Service option. In practice, the paperwork of Full Service clients typically is ready to be sent to the foreign government at about the same time as documents of families working more independently. This is because most Instruction Pack clients can't be completely dedicated to completing the paperwork process as quickly as possible, because they have other priorities in their lives. Things like major projects at work, remodeling the home, temporary illness, or family emergencies impact on the completion of adoption paperwork using our Instruction Pack level of service. While Technical Review level of service is the least expensive option, we recommend that only families who have adoption experience use this since it is often a very slow and frustrating process to research and complete on your own, and frequently involves re-doing some documents.