Thinking about adopting a newborn? If that’s the case, you might want to learn more about the adoption process. It might seem like a lot of information to go over in a short time, but it’s not it is more digestible when it’s broken down into concrete steps. In order to help you do it, we’ve made a brief guide that includes all the major decisions you’ll be asked to make, as well as everything that will be required of you during the steps to adoption!
1. Choosing an adoption type.
Even if you’ve already set your mind on adopting a newborn, you’ll still have to make a couple of decisions regarding the type of adoption. First, you’ll need to think about whether you’d like to adopt internationally or domestically. Each has its own pros and cons, which is why it’s recommended to do some research before making any final decisions. Second, you’ll need to choose between a private adoption and going through the foster care system. And third, there are open and closed adoptions. Here your decision will depend on whether you’d want to keep in touch with the birth parents once the adoption is finalized.
2. Deciding on an adoption professional.
The unfortunate fact is that not all adoption services are equally successful in providing their clients with good connections. In fact, they don’t even offer the same services. That’s why it’s recommended to do some research before sealing the deal with any of the available adoption professionals. This, however, shouldn’t be a problem, especially if you make sure to take into account all the most important factors. These include wait times, hidden fees, disruption rates and amount of provided support. Once you’ve made your pick, you will start the necessary work on…
3. Completing a home study.
This is something that needs to be done regardless of the type of adoption you end up choosing. Your agency will be there to guide you through the process, but it won’t hurt to learn what you’re getting yourself into. A home study is an investigation into the lives of your partner and yourself. It includes gathering financial and medical records, as well as a criminal background check. In order to complete it, you’ll be required to do an interview and go through a home inspection. After that, the only thing left to do will be…
4. Waiting for a connection.
There’s not much to be said about this part of the process. Once they’ve gathered all the relevant information, the people that are in charge of your case will start looking for adoption opportunities.
5. Reaching out to the prospective birth parents.
This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll meet the birth parents. It all depends on your wishes and which type of adoption you’ve chosen. You’ll be able to choose between communicating via email or phone, and actually meeting the biological parents face to face. And once you’ve come to an agreement with them on the way the adoption process will be completed, you can move on to…
6. Finalizing the process.
The rest of the steps to adopting a child involve signing the paperwork, bringing your child home, completing a certain number of post-placement visits and attending the finalization hearing. Once you’ve done all that, you’ll be able to say you’ve successfully completed the adoption process!
