Adoption 101: Everything to Know When You Decide to Adopt

What do you need to know when you first start thinking about adoption. Where do you begin? Host Dawn Davenport interviewed: Jim Thompson, a South Carolina attorney, with offices in Spartanburg and Charleston. He has worked in the field of adoption and assisted reproductive law for 25 years. Leanne Carnes, Chief Operating Officer at Children’s Connection Inc., an adoption and child welfare agency with offices throughout Texas. Kara Eusebio, Associate Director of Outreach with Spence-Chapin Services to Families & Children in New York City.

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First thing you need to do is decide on the type of adoption that is best for you, and the second thing is to take a set period of time and dive in to all the resources you can find and start to get educated about that option. so you will better be able to make the next decisions. We recommend at least two weeks if you are very industrious, but more likely about a month to get you and your partner up to speed. The third thing to do is select an adoption agency or adoption attorney. Creating a Family has a 3 step process complete with questionnaires. worksheets, and links on our website. This show will be a jump-start on these two steps.
We’ll start with domestic infant adoption. It is possible to adopt an infant in the US from either an adoption agency or adoption attorney. The cost of domestic infant adoption ranges from $25-35.000.
Where do the babies available for domestic infant adoption come from?
Who usually selects the adoptive parents?
What information do the expectant parents have to go on when deciding on adoptive parents?
How much information will adoptive parents have on the lifestyle choices of the expectant mother and family health history?
How long is the usual wait?
Can parents choose gender?
Why do some adoptive parents get chosen fast and some wait a long time to be chosen? What affects waiting times the most?
What is open adoption and do you have a choice?
Will I wait longer if I want a closed adoption?
Is it true that you will have a shorter wait if you adopt a full African American baby. especially if it is a boy?
What affects how much infant adoption will cost? Why is there such a large range of adoption costs?
Foster Care Adoption: You can adopt from either the county child welfare agency, it goes by different names in different states, or a private agency with a contract from the state to place children from foster care. The cost to adopt from foster care is minimal and often covered completely. In addition, the vast majority of children will receive a monthly cash subsidy.
Two basic types of foster care adoption: adopting a child whose parental rights have already been terminated, or foster to adopt?
Is it possible to adopt an infant from foster care?
What age of children are available?
How much information will be available about the early life experiences of the children, and prenatal exposures to alcohol and drugs.
How long do you usually have to wait to get a placement?
30-35 hours adoption education course is required, and can answer many of your questions.
Can you select gender and age when you adopt from foster care?