Adopting a child can be a lengthy and sometimes overwhelming process, particularly if you are unfamiliar with adoption procedures and requirements. Learning about adoption methods and requirements for adopters will help you ensure that you have realistic ideas and expectations before deciding to welcome an infant or child into your home.
Choosing an Adoption Method
Government agencies handle adoption arrangements in public adoptions. Children placed through public adoptions are part of the child welfare system, according to Adoption.com. Private adoptions agencies also conduct adoptions. Some private adoptions are arranged directly by the adoptive and birth parents or a lawyer, doctor or facilitator. Kinship adoptions occur when a family member adopts the child. Parents adopt children from other countries in international adoptions.
Qualifying for Adoption
Prospective adoptive parents are usually in the 25- to 50-year-old age range, according to the National Adoption Center, although age requirements may be flexible, depending on the age of the child. While agencies will examine your finances, your income can come from several sources, such as a job, disability payments or pension funds. Both unmarried and married people can apply to be adoptive parents.
Completing the Home Study
Public and private agencies require a home study as the first step in the adoption process. The National Adoption Center describes a home study as a series of meetings between you and an agency social worker. The social worker will visit your home and family, interview you and review personal references, marriage licenses, birth certificates and child abuse clearances.
Direct Adoption Procedures
You may be able to find a child by placing newspaper ads or placing your information on adoption websites if you plan to use direct adoption to find a child. When arranging a private adoption directly with the birth parents or through an intermediary, you will exchange information with the birth parents but may not be required to complete a home study. Arrangements may be made before a child is born in this type of adoption and involve the birth parents terminating all rights to the child. An attorney can help guide you through the adoption process, handle payment details and prepare the necessary legal paperwork to finalize the adoption in the court. The American Academy of Adoption Attorneys recommends contacting an attorney as soon as possible in the decision-making process and asking how many adoption proceedings the attorney has handled.
Agency Adoption Procedures
If you are adopting a child through a public or private adoption agency, you will find a child by searching through the agency's listings of available children. If you are interested in a specific child, your social worker sends your home study and other information to the child's social worker, according to the National Adoption Center. If the child's social worker feels that you may be a good match, you will meet the child. When you and the social workers are in agreement, preparations are made to complete the paperwork necessary to adopt the child and pay any required fees. After your child is placed in your home, you will attend an adoption hearing to transfer full parental rights to you.
