Putting an adoption on hold indicates the suspension, at an adoptive family’s request, of the adoption dossier examination and approval process, with the dossier retained by the CCAA. The CCAA stipulates that a dossier may be put on hold for six months. If this time period elapses and the adoption organization has not made a pronounced opinion, the adoption dossier shall be returned to the adoption organization.

To put an adoption on hold, the adoption organization must submit a letter to the CCAA office applying for the adoption to be put on hold (original and in Chinese) containing the following:

(1) Title: Application Letter to Put Adoption Process on Hold
       (2) Name of the adoption organization submitting the adoption dossier
       (3) Name of the adoptive family (according to the name(s) on the passport(s))
       (4) Date the adoptive family’s adoption dossier was registered at the CCAA
       (5) Reason the adoptive family is putting their adoption on hold
       (6) Adoption organization’s opinion
       (7) Signature of the adoption organization’s director or China program’s director
       (8) Application letter the adoptive family submitted to the adoption organization