February 27, 2013

Questions Adoptive Parents Have

When you first begin your adoption process, there are a thousand questions you will have. Although you’re entitled to every one, we thought it might be helpful to break down the most popular questions adoptive parents have so that you have a solid foundation of what to ask when you begin working with your agency or social worker. These are questions all adoptive parents have, and although your adoption agency may not have concrete answers for each one, they have enough experience to guide you through possible scenarios and to answer your questions to the best of their ability.

20 Frequently Asked Questions by Adoptive Parents

1. How long does the adoption process take?

2. What is a home study?

3. How much does adoption cost, and what is the break down of the fees?

4. How is open adoption different than closed? Do I have to do one, or can I pick which one is most comfortable for me?

5. How often do birth parents change their minds?

6. How long after the baby is born do we get to take he/she home?

7. What does my adoption coordinator do?

8. What is our role with the birth mother, and how are we expected to interact with her?

9. What happens after we are matched?

10. What goes into our adoption profile?

11. How often do birth mothers change their mind?

12. What if we fail our home study?

13. What if we can’t find a birth parent we want to match with?

14. How can we ensure our birth mother is getting good prenatal care?

15. What kind of legal counsel will we need?

16. Can we adopt in another state?

17. How long until we have full parental rights?

18. Can we see the baby as soon as its born?

19. Is there anyone to help us communicate with our birth mother after the baby is born?

20. Can more than one child be placed in a home, and are there any restrictions for adoptive parents?