World Association for Children and Parents (WACAP) is one of the largest and most experienced international nonprofit adoption and child assistance agencies in the United States. We provide nutritional, educational and medical aid to children in need and place several hundred children needing parents with U.S. families every year.

Since its inception, WACAP has provided aid to more than 200,000 children in countries around the world, including China, Colombia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, India, Kazakhstan, Korea, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States. In addition, we've helped families adopt more than 9,000 children.

<top> 

A group of adoptive parents organized WACAP in 1976. At the time, a number of barriers—financial, legal, cultural and procedural—stood between adoptive families and the children who needed them. International and transracial adoptions were both uncommon and difficult.

WACAP's goal was to encourage more families to adopt by removing as many of these barriers as possible. Our founders wrote the agency's guidelines and obtained the licenses necessary to provide adoption services.

<top> 

Our philosophy and our child assistance programs set us apart. At WACAP, where the current staff have adopted a total of 26 children, adoption is a personal and professional commitment. Our first priority, however, is to return children from institutions to their birth families whenever possible. We consider adoptive placement only for children who don't have a connection to a birth family.

For every child who finds a family, thousands more need help. For more than 20 years, WACAP has worked to improve the lives of children around the world through innovative child assistance programs.

If you're adopting a child from another country, you may feel frustrated that so much of the process is out of your control. WACAP understands these and other frustrations. In the spirit of hope and opportunity, we believe anything is possible for children in need. We hold fast to this belief while working through complex racial, ethnic, national and political barriers on behalf of individual children.

<top> 

Our nonprofit work in adoption and child assistance is supported solely by funding from adoption fees, donations, grants and corporate support. WACAP receives no government subsidies.

<top> 

Look for an agency that has a solid reputation for professionalism, ethics and reliability. Also, look for a hands-on, teamwork approach. A reputable agency strives to work together with the family and child placement authority toward a common goal: placement of a child into a loving home.

<top> 

WACAP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color or national origin in the conduct or provision of child welfare services, including but not limited to the conduct of homestudies, the assessment of prospective adoptive families in the United States who wish to adopt children from other countries, and facilitating the adoptive placements of children from other countries with prospective adoptive parents in the United States. Prospective adoptive parents interested in international adoptions should be aware, however, that countries outside of the United States may have their own laws, regulations, policies and cultural practices that treat prospective adoptive parents differently. For more information, see the Adoption pages for each individual country.

<top> 

WACAP accepts homestudies only from other licensed nonprofit agencies that can provide complete pre- and post-adoption services to families. Additionally, the foreign governments and agencies we work with always prefer - and in most cases require - that homestudies be written by a licensed, nonprofit agency.

<top> 

WACAP does homestudies only for families who plan to adopt a child through WACAP. If your family is planning an independent adoption, we suggest you contact an agency that does independent homestudies.

<top> 

Most adoptions take about one year to process, but some can take as little as seven months. The wait depends on the country and the type of child you want to adopt.

<top> 

WACAP provides financial aid to adoptive families in some cases. Also, U.S. families may receive a tax credit of up to $11,650 when they adopt a child. Find out about this and other sources of financial assistance.

<top> 

The children's needs are great, and there is much you can do to help. Families, institutions and businesses can provide donations and in-kind contributions. In addition, these groups can partner with WACAP to greatly enhance the success of WACAP's programs in the United States and around the world. Specifically, you can:

Donate money
You can give to support WACAP’s child assistance projects in one of two ways:

Here's how to reach us by mail or phone.
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 88948 Seattle, WA 98138 Main Office: 315 South Second Street Renton, WA 98057 Phone: 206-575-4550 Fax: 206-575-4148 Toll-free: 1-800-732-1887 Driving directions	New York Office: 39 West 37th Street, 15th Floor (btwn. 5th and 6th) New York, NY 10018 Phone: 212-302-6676 Fax: 212-302-6686 Toll-free: 800-977-6852 Driving directions