WACAP’s Family Finders Team helps to find parents for children who are waiting for adoptive families. These children range in age from infancy to mid-teens, and come from every country where we work. When you adopt a child who is waiting, the adoption process often takes less time, and you may be eligible to adopt a child with a fee reduction and/or no-interest loan. In some cases, you can preview photos and descriptions of children who are waiting, and select the child you’re interested in. Children may be waiting for families because they're older than age 2, are part of a sibling group and/or have special medical needs.

In some circumstances, WACAP is able to make a special commitment to help particular children find a family. Made possible by donations, our “Promise Child” project began in the hearts of individuals who wanted to make a real difference for children. Knowing that finances can be the biggest block to finding adoptive families, generous donors have made it possible to subsidize nearly all the adoption expenses for specific Promise Children. Adoptive parents may also apply for interest-free WACAP loans to cover travel expenses. We hope that more donations will fund additional Promise Children as the success of the program is proven and each child is placed into a loving home.

For more information about waiting children and Promise Children, e-mail or call 206-575-4550.

WACAP believes that financial concerns should not prevent qualified families from adopting. Costs vary between programs, but the Waiting Child Adoption Subsidy Fund has allowed us to significantly reduce fees for some waiting children. Thanks to this fund, the fee for the adoption of these waiting children is $5,000, regardless of program. The subsidy provided by WACAP helps reduce the overall costs of the adoption by paying for some specific child expenses and a large portion of the adoption processing fees, as well as helping orphanages obtain supplies locally. Families may also apply for loans of up to $4,500 through the Waiting Child Revolving Loan Fund. Also, U.S. families may receive a tax credit of up to $11,650 when they adopt a child. Find out about these and other sources of financial assistance.

If you're thinking about adopting a Promise Child or a child who qualifies for an adoption subsidy, we ask that you be flexible about the child’s age and condition. Criteria outlined below are designed to remove barriers for waiting children, and are guidelines for children we anticipate will need a family. Contact a Waiting Child Case Manager in the Family Finders Program for more information.

The China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA) is currently revising its waiting child adoption process. In the old system, specific adoption agencies advocated for specific children. In the new system, waiting children will be released to all agencies via a secure Web site.

Adoption agencies throughout the world, including WACAP, can visit this Web site to view children who need families, and “lock” a child’s file for a given family. This “locking” is intended to confirm the family’s acceptance of the specific child. After locking a child’s file, the agency will have 48 hours to submit detailed information about the family and its ability to care for the child. The first agency that locks a file and submits appropriate family information will likely place that child with the family. Until a child’s file is locked, many families from many agencies can be reviewing the same child’s information.

For some children, the CCAA will allow up to six months for a family to complete and submit its dossier after locking a child’s file. But in order to bring children home to families more quickly, the CCAA is asking agencies to first look for families who already have complete dossiers logged in. You can improve your chance of being matched with a waiting child by applying to WACAP, completing your homestudy and collecting dossier documents.

WACAP staff will regularly visit the CCAA Web site to review waiting children’s files. Once you have an approved homestudy and supporting documents, WACAP can match you with a child from China. Contact WACAP’s Family Finders Program to learn more.

Promise Children and Subsidies
Some adoptions of Chinese waiting children are subsidized or fully funded through grant programs. WACAP has funds available to cover the entire adoption fee for a family who adopts:

• A boy 5 years or older at time of referral, or
• A girl 10 years or older at time of referral, or
• A child who is blind and/or deaf, or
• A child with a significant neurological condition such as hydrocephalus or brain differences, or conditions such as dwarfism, arthrogryposis, spina bifida, significant cerebral palsy or severe facial deformity.

To help find families for children with other types of special needs who are waiting in China, WACAP has reduced the adoption fees to $5,000 for a family who adopts:

• A boy 3–4 years of age at time of referral, or
• A girl 7–9 years of age at time of referral, or
• A child with a condition such as missing/shortened limbs, reproductive condition, albinism or significant congenital heart disease requiring surgery.

WACAP reserves the sole right to determine which children are eligible for fee subsidies.

Families who are currently registered or matched with a Chinese waiting child should not be affected by these changes. If you are currently matched with a specific waiting child who may meet one of the criteria outlined above, subsidies will not be applied retroactively. We will keep you abreast of any other changes as we hear of them. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your waiting child case manager.

For more information, please call WACAP Family Finders at 206-575-4550, or contact us by

WACAP continues to gather information on children with special needs from Ethiopia. The following fee reductions will apply to any waiting children from Ethiopia identified in the future.

Promise Children and Subsidies
To encourage the adoption of children in Ethiopia, WACAP has funds available to cover the entire adoption fee for a family who adopts:

• A boy 5 years or older, or
• A girl 10 years or older, or
• A sibling group of two or more boys 3 years and older, or
• Two siblings (at least one boy) both 5 years and older, or
• Three or more siblings with at least one 7 years of age or older, or
• A child who is blind and/or deaf, or
• A child who is HIV positive, or
• A child with a condition such as Down syndrome, dwarfism, arthrogryposis, spina bifida, significant cerebral palsy, or HIV.

To help find families for children with other types of special needs who are waiting in Ethiopia, WACAP has reduced the adoption fees to $5,000 for a family who adopts:

• A boy 3–4 years of age at time of referral, or 
• A girl 7–9 years of age at time of referral, or
• Sibling groups of two that include a boy 3–4 or a girl 7–9 (a $7,000 sibling fee applies to siblings below these ages)
• A child with missing or shortened limbs, clubfeet, reproductive/urologic condition, significant craniofacial condition, or significant congenital heart disease requiring surgery.

WACAP reserves the sole right to determine which children are eligible for fee subsidies. For more information, please call WACAP Family Finders at 206-575-4550, or contact us by

Thousands of older children, sibling groups, and children with special needs in Russia and Kazakhstan are waiting for adoption—children who need loving families. Due to confidentiality laws in these countries, information about specific waiting children can only be shared with families who have completed all application materials and been approved to adopt; the process works much like an infant adoption.

Promise Children and Subsidies
To encourage the adoption of waiting children in Russia and Kazakhstan, WACAP has funds available to cover the entire adoption fee for a family who adopts:

• A boy 5 years or older, or
• A girl 10 years or older, or
• A sibling group of two or more boys 3 years and older, or
• Two siblings (one boy and one girl) both 5 years and older, or
• Three or more siblings with at least one 7 years of age or older, or
• A child who is blind and/or deaf, or
• A child with Down syndrome, dwarfism, arthrogyrposis, spina bifida or significant cerebral palsy.

To help find families for children with other types of medical conditions who are waiting in Russia and Kazakhstan, WACAP has reduced the adoption fee to $5,000 for a family who adopts:

• A boy 3–4 years of age at time of referral (with special needs), or
• A girl 7–9 years of age at time of referral (with special needs), or
• Sibling groups of two that include a boy 3–4 or a girl 7–9 (a $3,700 sibling fee applies to siblings below these ages)
• A child with missing or shortened limbs, clubfeet, reproductive/urologic condition, significant craniofacial condition, or significant congenital heart disease requiring surgery.

If you're interested in adopting from Kazakhstan, you must be open to children who are Asian, Eurasian or Caucasian. While Russia and Kazakhstan do not identify waiting children until they are matched with an approved family, families usually have information about a child by the time they travel to meet him or her.

Families must submit an Adoption Subsidy Request and a Russia or Kazakhstan Promise Child Agreement, if applicable. Families are considered for the Waiting Child Subsidy only when funds are available. WACAP reserves the sole right to determine which children are eligible for fee subsidies.

With a subsidy of $20,000 and a no-interest loan of $4,500, WACAP offers the most affordable adoptions from Eastern Europe of any agency. For more information about adopting a waiting child or Promise Child from Russia or Kazakhstan, please e-mail or call 206-575-4550.

WACAP will provide you with photos and descriptions of children who are waiting for families from China, India, Korea, Thailand and the United States. This information appears in our Waiting Child Photo Album, published monthly. To request a copy, visit our Publications page, call 206-575-4550 or e-mail

You'll need to have a homestudy performed by a licensed adoption agency. WACAP conducts homestudies in Washington, Oregon, New York, Connecticut and Alaska only; in other states, WACAP can give you the names of licensed agencies.

Other requirements vary from country to country. Family Finders staff can give you specific information.

The waiting time depends on the child you select. In general, because these children have already been referred for adoption, the processing time will be shorter than average.

You can find out about WACAP’s waiting children and Promise Children in four ways:

• Family Finders has gone digital! We are now sending information about waiting kids on CD-ROM. If you prefer to receive information in print, please be sure to let your FFP Advocate know.
  
• WACAP’s new project, A Family for Me, introduces you to kids in U.S. foster care who are waiting for families. You can read about these kids and see their photos and videos here.
  
• Our Waiting Child Photo Album has pictures and descriptions of available children. You can request a copy here.
  
• Our weekly E-mail Bulletin lists new and withdrawn children. E-mail or call 206-575-4550 to start receiving the Photo Album or E-Mail Bulletin.
  
• Learn more about adopting a child with special medical needs.
   
• The Family Finders secure Web site is now available for viewing! See pictures and descriptions of children currently waiting for families.

Read a story by a WACAP adoptive mother on adopting older children.

Monty and Sandy Mahan adopted seven kids through WACAP Family Finders.

To find answers for your specific parenting concerns, try a parent support group. A large adoption agency in your area, or your state’s child services department, should have information on local contacts. If you live in the Puget Sound area of Washington state, please consider bringing your questions to WACAP’s monthly support group for parents of older children. You can also visit the WACAP Adoption Forum for WACAP parents who've adopted children 2 and older.

Thinking about adoption? Hundreds of children need loving adoptive parents. E-mail us for more information. Or download an application form. 

Every adoption is different. During the adoption process, you may be asked to supply more documents, comply with new policies or meet other requirements. Our staff will always do their best to keep you informed.