Orphanage information

The CWI has been in the same location for about 150 years. The building is six stories high. Storefronts occupy the first level, and the CWI resides on the upper levels. A small, unassuming door at street level opens to reveal stairs leading up to each floor of the orphanage.

Roughly 100 children arrive at the Jinjiang CWI from the surrounding area each year. In August 2001, the CWI housed about 110 children, ages 6 and under. At that time, about 65% of the children were handicapped (healthy children are often adopted - more than 80 children were adopted domestically from the Jinjiang CWI in 2000).

On the first level are several rooms, including the director's office and a conference room (where many of the referral pictures have been taken). Every floor houses children. There are balconies on every floor and lots of windows - often open - looking out on the busy, noisy city street below.

Children under the age of 1 are grouped together and are cared for by nannies in shifts. In one shift, a nanny is responsible for 10-12 babies. The babies sleep on bamboo mats in their cribs because mattresses are too hot, and the orphanage does not have air-conditioning. In the winter, when the temperatures are cool, the babies sleep with pillows and blankets.

The orphanage is clean and well kept. The crib rooms get a lot of sunlight from the windows. The common areas (outside the crib rooms on each floor) have ceiling fans, and in come cases, a TV. There is no outdoor play area, but the children get lots of fresh air and sunlight in the building. Overall, they seem happy, healthy and well cared for.

The Jinjiang CWI is relatively new to international adoption. The first children to be placed internationally by the CWI were adopted by families from the United States in May 2001, followed by a group of families from the Netherlands in August 2001, and several more since then. The children are brought to their new families in Fuzhou, where the adoptions are completed. The journey takes hours, and the children are usually accompanied by the orphanage director, Ms. Wang Xiaoling, and other orphanage staff.

Also, it appears to be customary for the CWI to place the children being adopted in foster care for 3-4 weeks before adoption to help ensure they stay healthy and to get them accustomed to family living before they meet their parents.

While traveling to adopt, several families from the Netherlands, Canada and the United States were able to visit Jinjiang, but - with the exception of one family - were not permitted to go inside the orphanage.

--Information compiled by a Jinjiang adoptive parent

Orphanage address:
    Jinjiang Children's Welfare Institue
    #59 West Chenggong Road
    Anhai, Jinjiang City, Fujian 362261
    China

If you have additional information about this orphanage or the Jinjiang area, or photos that you are willing to share, contact us.

There is an email group of families who have adopted from the Jinjiang orphanage. To join this group, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JinjiangFamilies/.

Orphanage photos
      To obtain more photos of this orphanage and the Jinjiang area, click here.

Information about the Jinjiang area

Jinjiang on the map

Information for families traveling to Fujian Province

To help the children in Fujian orphanages

Some children adopted from Jinjiang

If you would like to post a photo of your child here, send us a jpeg version of the photo.

Xiu Xia b. 11/00, a. 10/01	Jiang Xiu Zhi b. 8/01, a. 4/03		Jiang Xiu Hang b. 5/01, a. 1/03	Jiang Xiu Hang age 3

Jiang Xiu Yue b. 8/01, a. 4/03	Jiang Xiu Yue age 2		Xiu Zhi a. 4/03	Xiuxuan b. 5/02, a. 9/03

Jiang Xiu Ai b. 7/02	Jiang Xiu Ai age 2		Jiang Mei Hui b. 8/02, a. 4/03	Jiang Mei Hui age 3

Jiang Mei Ying b. 7/02, a 6/04	Jiang Xiu Ke b.10/02, a. 10/04		Jing Xiu Gong b. 11/02	Jiang Yu Quing b. 8/04, a. 2/06