How Prospective Parents Can Begin the Process of Adoption

Making the choice to take in a child and raise them as your own is a huge step in parenting. Once the decision is made to adopt, the prospective parents must know how to begin the process of adoption. Here are a few steps to get you started.

Choose the Age and Location of the Child

When considering your options for adoption, you must decide if you want a baby or an older child. Would you prefer to raise a child from birth, or pick up where another parent or guardian left off? You’ll need to consider adopting a child domestically or internationally, and if you want a child through private or foster care adoption.

Choose an Open or Closed Adoption

Regardless of age and location of the child, you’ll have to determine how you would feel about communicating with the birth parents. The birth parents choose to between open and closed adoptions when they decide to give up their child. Open adoptions usually require you to meet with the birth parents before and/or after adoption. Some companies, such as A Child’s Dream, know that it is up to both sets of parents to agree upon how often contact will be made between them and with the child. Closed adoptions require little to no information about the birth parents other than medical records.

Choose Your Adoption Professional

The professionals that can help you adopt a child include adoption attorneys, national and local adoption agencies, adoption law centers, and adoption facilitators. You must research the professional’s disruption rates, fees, wait times, and be sure that your finances are protected. Choose an adoption professional that will provide you with the proper amount of guidance and support throughout the adoption process.

Acquire Approval to Adopt

In order to adopt a child, you must go through a training process as well as home studies. The training process can be different in each state or county but it generally teaches you how to integrate your child into their new home and understand what they’ve been through thus far. Home studies just ensure that you’re a fit parent for adoption.

After all of these steps are completed, you’ll just need to fill out and provide all of the necessary paperwork. Once that’s all said and done, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a parent. This process can take some time and may be a bit frustrating, but you’ll be rewarded with a new addition to the family.