Our Vision
A World Where Every Child is Cherished
Founded by Joshua Zhong and Lily Nie in 1992, CCAI (Cherish Children Adoption International) is a non-profit 501c3 charity recognized by the U.S. federal government, accredited by the Hague Accreditation, and licensed by the states of Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and Wyoming. CCAI exists to find loving and permanent homes for abandoned/orphaned children, to offer humanitarian assistance to orphans left behind, and to provide cultural, educational and emotional support to adopted individuals and their families.
We believe that every child deserves a loving family. For over 32 years, CCAI has been working with the China, Ukraine, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, Taiwan and Colombia governments and, as of March 2025, has helped realize more than 13,350 family dreams, with forever families in all fifty U.S. states and fifteen countries, making CCAI one of the largest adoption agencies in the world.
We believe that adoption would be meaningless if we do not reach out to the orphans who remain behind. Through such charity programs like food assistance, child care training, foster care development, orphan sponsorship, medical mission and education support, CCAI’s charity efforts have impacted the lives of more than 100,000 orphans over the past 30 years.
We believe that the completion of an adoption is just the beginning of our responsibility to adoptees and their families. Since we opened the Joyous Chinese Cultural School (JCCS) in 1996, our passion for continued post-adoption support has grown richer and stronger, eventually evolving into The Park Adoption Community Center in 2019, which, in addition to JCCS, houses life-changing programs such as Adopteen, AdopTween, Xpress Yourself, Heritage Tours, and Adoptees Giving Back Orphanage Service Trips just to name a few, benefitting thousands of adopted children and their families across the country.
Our Mission
Adoption, Orphan Care, and Post-Adoption Support
This mission has three pillars:
1
To find loving parents and permanent homes for as many orphans as possible
The History of CCAI
CCAI began with a simple but powerful belief: every child deserves a family. What started as a small dream in a living room basement has grown into a lifelong mission—connecting children with loving parents and walking with families through every step of their adoption journey.
Along the way, there have been big milestones and quiet moments, tearful goodbyes and joyful homecomings. Each chapter in our story is really a chapter in someone else’s—a child, a parent, a family.
Here’s a look back at some of the meaningful moments that have shaped who we are today.
CCAI is Born
Lily and Josh followed a calling they couldn’t ignore and began CCAI from their basement, driven by a deep desire to help orphaned children in China find the love of a family.
CCAI Brings Home Group 1 Babies
After a long journey of navigating approvals in China, Josh and Lily are overjoyed to finally help CCAI’s first six families unite with their children and begin their forever stories!
CCAI Celebrates 100 Adopted Children
CCAI Launched Charity Fund
After witnessing urgent needs in orphanages, Lily and Josh launched the “Formula Fund” to provide food for orphans across Hebei. Renamed the Chinese Children Charity Fund in 1996, the effort expanded nationwide and has raised on average $500,000 per year, supporting over 3,000 orphans annually.
CCAI Opens Joyous Chinese Cultural School
Now known as the Joyous Cultural Club, it initially opened to offer Chinese adoptees the opportunity to learn their native language and culture. JCC’s hope is to help many adoptees from different backgrounds connect with their culture and heritage.
CCAI Sends First Medical Team to China
Josh and his colleagues return to China with advanced medical supplies to improve care in China’s orphanages. Donations from CCAI supported this mission and helped orphans across the country.
CCAI Became the Largest China Only Agency in the US
Lily's Orphan Care Center Opens in Hangzhou, China
Inspired by Mother’s Love, an orphanage in Nanning, China, Lily established her care center to provide children with high-quality care. Ensuring clean clothing, personalized attention, and adequate nutrition were her main priorities.
CCAI Launched Waiting Child Program
While CCAI was not the first agency to have a Waiting Child Program, they were the first to have an orphanage partnership for this program.
China's First National Caretakers are Made Possible by CCAI
Lily’s Orphan Care Center became the first hub for specially trained nannies in Chinese orphanages. Its first session taught caretakers individualized care, proper nutrition, interaction, and development. Orphanages were transformed into enriching environments.
CCAI Launched Foster Care Program
After China announced a new policy emphasizing foster care, CCAI shifted its focus from Lily’s Orphan Care Centers to recruiting local foster families in 10 provinces. By 2005, around 2000 children were living in foster care homes.
Josh and Lily Received U.S. Congressional Angel in Adoption Award
CCAI Opens Offices in Florida and Georiga
CCAI Sends the Largest Medical Mission Team to China
After witnessing the lack of proper medical care for orphans in Northern China, Josh and his team traveled back. They set off on the largest medical mission in Xining, where they delivered vital support and check-ups for children.
CCAI Became the First US Agency to be Recognized by China as a Charity
Xpress Yourself for Preteens Launched
CCAI recognized the importance of post-adoption care for pre-teens. This inspired them to start their first program for pre-teenage adoptees. Since then, the program turned into Adoptween in 2013.
Adopteen Camp/Conference Launched
Hosted every summer, this week-long camp provides a place for teenagers to explore their identity and connect with their peers and mentors.
CCAI Pioneered the Orphan Higher Education Program
CCAI Launched Online Parent Training
First Adoption Agency to Receive Hague Accreditation
Haiti Program Launched
Haiti Earthquake Orphan Rescue and Relief Effort
Donations helped provide rice, beans, water, and safety for orphans after the earthquake. Children in the process of adoption were also evacuated.
CCAI Ranked #1 Adoption Agency in the World
CCAI Organized Largest Heritage Tour
In partnership with Bridge of Love Adoption Services, 407 travelers took a trip back to China, a heartfelt homecoming that became the largest heritage tour in CCAI history. Adoptees and their families reconnected with culture and shared a powerful celebration of identity.
Adoptween Program Launched
Adoptween began as a way to give pre-teens, ages 8 to 12, a place to learn from adoptee mentors. Through programs like PenPals and Adoptween hangouts, tweens explore adoption confidence, making good friends, standing up to bullying, and more.
First Adoptees Giving Back Orphanage Service Trip
Adoptees have the unique opportunity to return to their birth country, reconnecting with their roots. Along the way, they visit orphanages, stepping into the spaces where their story began and gaining a deeper understanding of their history.
Latvia Program Launched
Ukraine Program Launched
CCAI’s second-largest adoption program successfully placed hundreds of children with families until adoptions were paused in 2022 due to the Russian military invasion.
Beyond Adopteen Launched
Adoptee connection extends past childhood into adulthood with Beyond Adopteen, a program offering annual retreats, community events, and tour trips. It provides opportunities for ongoing adoptee connections and resources to support adoptees in this phase of life.
https://theparkcommunity.org/adopteeconnections/beyondadopteen2025/
Bulgaria Program Launched
Moved by the overwhelming number of children waiting for families in Bulgaria, CCAI launches its Bulgaria program.
Learn more: https://ccaifamily.org/adoption-bulgaria/
Taiwan Program Launched
CCAI’s Taiwan program began through a partnership with Cathwel to find families for Taiwan’s most vulnerable children.
Learn more: https://ccaifamily.org/adoption-taiwan/
The Park Community Center Opens
The Park opened as a culmination of CCAI’s extensive post-adoption programs. The Park’s support work is designed to empower youth, foster community, and build cultural competency, providing adoptees a lifetime of support.
Colombia Program Launched
Colombia has quickly become CCAI’s fastest-growing adoption program, welcoming families through both traditional and host-to-adopt options. More families are finding their way to begin their adoption journey through Colombia.
Learn more: https://ccaifamily.org/adoption-colombia/
CCAI Celebrates 13,000 Children
CCAI Launches Ukraine Relief Funds
CCAI raises vital funds to support orphans in Ukraine by providing orphanage supplies, transportation from war-torn areas, and sponsorship for summer and winter respite camps.
China Closes its Borders for International Adoption
On Wednesday, September 4th, the U.S. Department of State issued a notice confirming that China has officially closed its foreign adoption program. Relative Adoption remains open to US citizens.
The Future of CCAI
CCAI continues its mission to find loving families for as many children as possible in its 6 active adoption programs, support children left behind through our Children’s Charity fund and support adoptees and their families through The Park Adoption Community Center.
Our Values
- Children first
- Family-oriented
- Non-profit and charitable services
- Professional service with personal and caring attitude
- Teamwork
- Open communication
- Supervision with respect, care, and equality
- Leadership by example
- Honesty and Integrity
