How Adoption Works

November 28, 2016

HOW ADOPTION WORKS

If you are considering adoption, you probably have questions about the process, where to start, and who to turn to. As you begin, it can feel daunting and can easily become overwhelming if you do not have a knowledgeable resource to guide you through the process. We’re here for you.

The following is a list of what you can typically expect during the adoption process:

1. Determine the type of adoption: Ask yourself these questions: Are you wanting to adopt a newborn baby or an older child? Do you want to adopt a child privately or through the state foster care system? Do you want to have communication with the birth parents? Answering these questions will help you determine the type of adoption best suited for you and your family.
2. Research and find the right Adoption Professional for you: All adoption agencies are not the same. There are hundreds of national and local adoption agencies and adoption attorneys that can help you adopt a child. Each will provide different services and benefits and you need to determine which organization is the best one for your needs.
3. Get started with the agency: The first step in the process with most adoption agencies is to complete an application. At Hope’s Promise, once we receive and approve your application, we will meet and work with you to complete all of the other required documents. If you have chosen to pursue a domestic adoption this will include creating a profile book. If you have chosen to purse an international adoption this will include preparing your dossier. You will be assigned a caseworker who will guide you through the process of your family’s adoption.
4. Complete a home study: A home study is the process where a licensed agency screens a prospective adoptive family to assure their readiness and acceptability as adoptive parents. It is also the document produced at the culmination of the assessment period that remains a confidential part of the case file. At Hope’s Promise, members of our team will complete a minimum of 3 interviews with you. These interviews will include both individual meetings and meetings with the couple. After this process is completed, your file is presented to our social work staff for approval of the home study.
5. Wait for an adoption opportunity: This waiting period can be a difficult time because adoption does not happen overnight. Waiting for your adopted child can be hard. We will be there to help and support your family with resources to prepare you for the journey ahead. At Hope’s Promise we recommend that you stay in prayer and rely on God’s sovereignty during this period of time.
6. Participate in post placement supervision: This is an exciting time for your family and the last steps in the adoption process. Most states have a required post placement supervisory period. At Hope’s Promise, we are required to supervise the placement for a minimum of six months. During this time, you will have monthly contact with the agency and participate in three face-to-face visits. After the six-month supervisory period the adoption can be completed.
7. Finalizing the adoption: A finalizationhearing legally completes the adoption It is when the adoptive parents are given permanent legal custody of the adopted child. Hope’s Promise will prepare your legal paperwork and secure a hearing date. We will then appear with you at your finalization hearing and celebrate the completion of your adoption.
8. Post-placement communications in domestic adoption: Nearly all birth parents are interested in receiving picture and letter updates of their child once the adoption is completed. Each adoption is unique and depending upon the birth and adoptive parents, how much, when and for how long you continue communications will greatly vary.

Do you have additional questions about the adoption process or specifically how Hope’s Promise handles an adoption? Contact us at (303) 660-0277. Adoption is a beautiful and sometimes challenging journey. We’d love every adoptive family to enjoy a positive and successful adoption experience. While we can’t guarantee outcomes, we do provide experienced staff, excellent service, adoption training that is second-to-none, resource materials, community referrals, personalized counseling and post-adoption services. Hope’s Promise is here to empower and equip families to successfully parent the children God entrusts to them through adoption. Adoption is just the beginning of a lifelong journey. We want to help you travel it well.