At Great Wall we believe in keeping fees low while offering practical choices and providing exceptional service. Our philosophy is based in the belief that if we keep our fees low and allow families to choose their amenities, more families will be able to adopt and more children will be placed with parents. Great Wall's standard services include the following:
We know that every family is different, with their own specific needs and particular circumstances. With that in mind, Great Wall is proud to offer a variety of service amenities. With Great Wall, you can choose the service amenities that are right for your family and your budget. And you needn’t be a Great Wall family to make the most of your adoption experience! Adoption Moments Online and Stork Goodies are available to all families adopting from China, while services like the adoption counseling and medical prescriptions for baby are exclusively available to Great Wall families.
While adoption is a very happy time for families, the addition of a child may also create unanticipated stress on the family. For this reason, Great Wall offers in-depth counseling performed by our licensed, Master’s level social workers to all Texas families. Great Wall social workers provide counseling for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to:
Great Wall recognizes that even the best of families experience unexpected difficulties and we remain committed to helping families through these stressful life events.
Our social workers have extensive adoption experience and specialized training in:
Although most families do not require in-depth counseling services, families experiencing post-placement difficulties can request individual or family counseling. Fees are only necessary when a family requires counseling beyond what is already provided during the post-placement visits. Counseling sessions are individualized to address the family's needs and concerns.
If a Great Wall social worker is not available in your geographic area, and counseling cannot be accomplished by telephone, Great Wall will assist your family in locating a counselor or psychologist in your area who specializes in adoption. This service is for Texas families using Great Wall social workers.
Great Wall’s social workers can now provide Home Study services to all Texas and Florida families who are adopting internationally or domestically; not just Great Wall families who are adopting from China! Great Wall offers the customized Home Study Services below based on state requirements and/or the country from which you are adopting:
To find out more contact Kaylea Robertson at (512)323-9595 ext. 3031 or email her at kaylea@gwca.org
According to the Hague convention, every adoptive parent is required to complete at least 10 hours of training, covering mandated topics. For your convenience, we offer online courses to help you meet your Hague requirements. You will have no need to spend a time and energy searching for courses or worrying if they meet the strict standards established by U.S. State Department. Great Wall’s online courses will alleviate you of all your troubles, so you can enjoy learning about the adoption process at your convenience in the comfort of your own home or office.
Our online courses are open to all adoptive parents. Many adoptive parents and our staff have already participated in these training courses and have found them interesting and educational - we hope you will find them valuable as well! We welcome you to visit our training website to explore an overview of the program and frequently asked questions here.
This amenity is included in Premier and Executive Plans
The China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA) has created a very unique book specifically for parents who have adopted from China. Beautifully illustrated with artistic Chinese flair, this treasured book contains more than 40 stories told in the Chinese tradition. This book is a wonderful way to share China’s culture and history with your entire family. It is sure to become a valued keepsake for generations of adoptive families. Great Wall is honored be the only agency to currently have access to this precious, limited edition book for adoptive parents.
Document every special moment with Great Wall’s online journaling called Adoption Moments Online. This service is sponsored by Great Wall, but is available to all families adopting from China. Adoption Moments Online allows you to share your adoption experience with your friends and family 24/7. You can let them know how your adoption journey is progressing; from the beginning, throughout the paper chase, during the wait for a referral, amid the travel preparation, to the joy of Gotcha Day and beyond! This service last from the beginning of the adoption process up to one year after your family returns from China. Adoption Moments Online Journal is sponsored by Great Wall, but it is available to all families adopting from China
Great Wall provides this unique service to all families who want to send a care package to their child in China. Since US delivery services don’t guarantee the delivery of packages once inside China, Stork Goodies™ is a popular service among families adopting from China. Great Wall purchases and delivers the following items directly to your child’s orphanage:
When you arrive in China to receive your child, the orphanage director will return the camera to you with photos of your child at the orphanage. However, Great Wall cannot guarantee the delivery of camera by orphanage director. These priceless photos may be your child’s only tangible connection to the past as they sometimes contain the images of their caretakers and crib mates. This fun and powerful service is available to all families adopting from China. We cannot guarantee every welfare home will take photos and return the camera.
Working in a collaborative effort with Dr. Jane Aronson, Great Wall can offer our families pre-selected medical prescriptions at a reduced rate:
This popular Great Wall service gives you one less thing to worry about before you leave for China. The Baby Backpack allows you to focus on more immediate concerns, saves room in your suitcase, and provides a rare convenience during a hectic time. This comprehensive package provides for your baby’s needs with age-appropriate supplies:
All of these items are delivered to your Beijing hotel room in a stylish red backpack bearing the Great Wall emblem. It allows parents to relax and focus on Gotcha Day, without worrying about finding the right baby or child supplies. Many families have told us how much they enjoyed the convenience of the Baby or Kid Backpack.
When a child is found abandoned in China, the government puts an ad in the local Chinese newspaper announcing it. This is the Chinese Orphan Announcement, sometimes called the "Finding Ad". Over the years, many adoptive parents have unsuccessfully attempted to obtain their child’s orphan announcement in China. Great Wall is proud to offer our Chinese Orphan Announcement Service, which locates and obtains your child’s orphan announcement when it is available. The orphan announcement is a tangible part of your child’s personal history, which makes it a meaningful addition to a life-book. This service may not be available with all provinces.
Great Wall now offers the exclusive service of obtaining the travel visa for you! Many traveling to China for the first time are unaware that you need to obtain a travel visa to be able to enter China. A passport alone is not sufficient. When you enter the travel phase of your adoption the Great Wall Travel Team will instruct you on how and when to obtain the time sensitive travel visa on your own or now more conveniently, through us!
For more details, contact a Great Wall Travel Advisor, Nancy Tassin at (512)323-9595 ext. 3051, email at nancy@gwca.org.
Great Wall offers travel insurance because it gives you peace of mind at a time when anxiety is likely to be at its highest. Most medical insurance plans do not extend coverage when traveling overseas, when it may be needed the most. Although the chance of an injury or medical emergency is relatively small, we offer the opportunity to purchase low cost travel insurance, as a safety net in an emergency. This option allows your family to travel internationally with one less thing to worry about.
This service allows families to receive their child’s passport with both the Chinese and English names. The Passport Service Bilingual makes it much easier to obtain all of the paperwork that follows:
Our inexpensive and easy to use China cell phones let you stay in touch with friends and family at home, give you peace of mind when away from your hotel, and are always available when you need them
(Note: Stork Goodies™ is not available at every orphanage, is not transferable, and cannot be redeemed for cash of the same value. You must have adopted with Great Wall previously to qualify for this offer.)
