China has announced the termination of most foreign adoptions of its children, a move that leaves hundreds of American and other international families with pending applications in uncertainty. This decision marks the end of a decades-long program that began in the early 1990s and saw tens of thousands of Chinese children, many abandoned due to the country’s one-child policy, adopted by families abroad. Nearly half of these children found homes in the United States.
In recent years, the number of international adoptions from China has significantly declined. The country’s economic growth, coupled with a slowdown in birth rates, has reduced the need for international adoptions. The Covid-19 pandemic further halted the process, and now the Chinese government has made it official, citing alignment with global trends. The decision also comes as China grapples with a sharp decline in birth rates and the looming threat of a demographic crisis.
China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that no more Chinese children would be sent abroad for adoption, with the only exceptions being for foreigners adopting children or stepchildren of blood relatives in China. Spokesperson Mao Ning emphasized that this decision aligns with international conventions and expressed gratitude for the love and desire of foreign governments and adoptive families.
However, this move raises uncertainty for hundreds of American families currently in the process of adopting children from China. The US Embassy in Beijing is seeking clarification from China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs regarding the new directive. According to the US State Department, Beijing has indicated that it will not continue processing any cases, except those covered by the exception clause.
Since China opened its doors to international adoption in 1992, more than 160,000 Chinese children have been adopted by families worldwide, with about half of them going to the US Between 1999 and 2023, American parents adopted 82,674 children from China, representing 29% of all US overseas adoptions. However, international adoptions from China have been suspended since 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2021 and 2022, no Chinese children were sent to the US for adoption, and only 16 children were adopted last year.
The end of China’s one-child policy, which had contributed to an aging population and shrinking workforce, has not reversed the declining birth rate. Despite allowing two children per family since 2015 and further relaxing the limit to three in 2021, China’s birth rate continues to fall. Efforts to encourage larger families, including extended maternity leave and tax incentives, have yet to yield significant results amid changing social norms and economic uncertainties.
