Adoption

When we talk about adoption we are talking about private adoption as opposed to state adoption which is addressed under the Foster Care tab. There are two avenues to private adoption: domestic and international.

Domestic Adoption

In domestic adoption you work with a licensed agency or attorney to legally adopt a child. Generally the children available in domestic adoption are under two years of age, and most are newborns. There are children of all races available for adoption, and you can often select the gender of the child. Typically a woman looking to place children for adoption is in her 20s and 30s and already has one or more children. She knows what it takes to raise a child, emotionally and financially, and knows she cannot care for the child the way she would like. She can make an adoption plan for her child at any time, including after birth.

Most adoptions are semi-open to open. It is very rare to find fully closed adoptions. In a semi-open to open adoption you have varying degrees of contact with the biological family, both before and after birth. Often that contact will go through an intermediary after birth, but more and more frequently adoptive families and birth families are maintaining relationships on their own. Many studies have shown that this type of adoption is healthiest for the child, and since the child’s well-being is always the top priority, many parents are opting to have open adoptions, even if it is awkward and painful at times. Semi-open to open adoptions can also help ease the emotional hardships of the birth family, as adoption is a painful sacrifice on their part and it is often said that a mother may relinquish her rights to a child but not her love.

The challenging part in domestic adoption is finding a woman who is interested in placing her child with your family. This is one of the ways Creating Christian Families can help. We have relationships with more than a dozen agencies and attorneys who call us when they are in need of a family to present to a woman seeking to create an adoption plan for her child. The birth family then reviews various profile books to determine which family she would like to raise her child. If chosen, you are then said to be “matched.” The birth mom will work on creating a plan of what she wants to have happen at the hospital, and you will be notified when she is in labor. Every state has different laws regarding when consents to adoption can be signed and how long the revocation period is. In the majority of states, the birth mother’s right to revoke a consent and have a child returned is 72 hours or less.

The average cost to adopt domestically is close to $30,000, with a low of $15,000 and a high of more than $50,000. These fees pay for services that include assessment of the family, case management, counseling, living assistance for the birth mother, creation of the legal documents, termination of birth parent rights, supervision of the case and finalization of adoption, among other things.

Depending on your family’s income, there are programs to help you adopt. The federal government will reimburse you for up to $13,170 of your expenses; many states and corporations have additional programs. At Creating Christian Families we will also provide you with a list of grant and loan organizations to which you can apply to help fund your adoption, and we will help guide you through that process.

International Adoption

In international adoption, you are adopting an orphan that is a resident of another country. International adoption is a complex process that is governed by U.S. laws, the other country’s laws and various treaties. In past years, international adoption was a viable way to build your family, but it has become increasingly fraught with peril in the last few years. As a matter a fact, the number of international adoptions has plummeted 50% since 2005. That is due in large part to the increasing legal complexities involved and the lengthy waits these have caused. In addition, numerous countries have changed their eligibility requirements, and families are frequently finding themselves deemed unsuitable to adopt.

International adoption averages $25,000 to $30,000 and often crosses the $50,000 mark. There are far fewer dollars available to help you adopt internationally. Since countries are changing their requirements and “opening and closing” all of the time, it is best to speak with our office if you wish to pursue international adoption. At Creating Christian Families we stay tuned into the changes within the various countries so that we can assist you in identifying a viable country to adopt from. We will research current rules and requirements for you, as well as identify reputable agencies that are specializing in adoptions from the country you chose.