Before you go through with the adoption process, you must:
- be at least 10 years older than the child you’re adopting;
- complete a home study;
- submit to fingerprinting;
- complete a physical exam;
- attend adoption training classes;
- complete individual interviews with a social worker; and
- complete an in-home visit and investigation with a social worker.
Agency Adoptions
An agency adoption is the process of adopting a child through a licensed child-placement agency. Since agencies are required to adhere to procedural and licensing standards, this type of adoption provides more counseling and training for parents-to-be.
Agencies can provide 10 or more hours of training to prepare prospective parents for the adoption journey.
Common training topics include:
- raising children who are a different race than you;
- attachment;
- openness;
- long-term effects of alcohol & drug abuse during pregnancy; and
- much more.
Children adopted from an agency commonly come from broken homes where they may have been abused or neglected. For this reason, adoption agencies staff social workers to help prospective parents understand the lifestyles these children are accustomed to. The social workers also provide counseling to prospective parents and adopted children.
Private (Independent) Adoption
Private adoption involves direct placement between a birth mother and the prospective parents, without using an agency or the fees that come with it. Prospective parents generally work with an adoption attorney to complete the process rather than an agency. Attorneys may advertise their clients to mothers looking to place their children in an adoptive home.Attorneys may also guide prospective parents to develop and execute their own networking and advertising efforts.
The 2 most important benefits of private adoption are:
- there are fewer requirements placed on parents-to-be; and
- the private adoption process allows for greater multitasking.
Both benefits result in a much faster adoption process than if you chose to work with an agency.
Adoption Attorneys
Fischer & Van Thiel, LLP has extensive experience helping people through the adoption process when they choose to take the attorney route rather than using an agency. We can do the same for you and make the process as easy as possible.
Schedule a complimentary consultation with us, please call (760) 722-7646 or complete our online contact form.
