Newborn Adoption
The newborn adoption process may seem fraught with legalities and possible heartbreak, but keep in mind that families successfully adopt newborns every day, and the rewards are well worth the problems and issues involved.
Adoption Facts
According to the Adoption Guide Web site, the majority of privately adopted children in the United States are newborns. While each state has specific guidelines for adoption, basic facts about the process include the following:
Costs: The estimated cost of a private adoption is typically more than $20,000.
Parental qualifications: Most states do not specify age requirements for adoptive parents. However, it is important to keep in mind that birth parents often prefer adoptive parents who are between the ages of 25 and 45. They may also prefer adoptive couples over adoptive single parents.
State requirements: Before adoptive parents can cross state lines with their newborns, they must abide by the adopting state's timeline. This may mean that the adoptive parents must remain in the child's state of birth for two weeks or more before returning home.
Adoption numbers: Approximately 25,000 to 30,000 newborns are adopted each year in the United States.
Newborn Adoption Success
The success of adopting a newborn depends upon several factors. It is essential that potential adoptive parents educate themselves on the ins and outs of the lengthy and sometimes confusing adoption process. The first step is to find a reputable adoption agency that can walk parents through the entire procedure. The majority of infant adoptions involve the birth parents, who often select the adoptive parents for their child through either a review of a portfolio, a face-to-face meeting between the two parties, or both. In many cases, this "match" between newborn and adoptive parents occurs while the birth mother is still pregnant.
It is important to remember that while an agreement may have been set between the adoptive parents and the birth parents, a baby cannot be legally adopted before his or her actual birth. Because of this, adoption agencies typically advise potential parents to refrain from becoming too emotionally vested in the adoption until it has been finalized. Visit the Adoption Guide for more information on individual state laws.
Important Adoption Information
Once you've decided that a newborn adoption is right for you, what should you know? Most parents prefer a newborn adoption that matches them with a baby who has a similar background, but this preference may mean a longer wait time. The completion of a newborn adoption process can take two to three years or even longer. Many agencies do not "move" parents up the list in a first-come, first-serve manner. Instead, agencies encourage birth parents to select the families with which they want their child to be placed. In essence, this means that one family may wait only a few months, while another may wait several years. The following newborn adoption points are helpful to keep in mind:
- Choose a licensed adoption agency or an attorney who specializes in adoptions.
- Avoid unlicensed agencies and adoption facilitators because they may not follow state guidelines, which can create more risks for the adoptive family.
- When choosing an adoptive agency, understand that some handle religious-based companies, others facilitate only open adoptions, and still others may have different requirements.
- Another option that some families pursue is an independent adoption, which is typically facilitated by an adoption attorney. In that case, adoptive parents may already know the birth parents and may have reached a preliminary agreement in regards to the adoption.
Finally, the most important point to remember is that adoptive parents must cover themselves legally, and the best way to do that is with the aid of a licensed agency or attorney. Potential parents should educate themselves thoroughly on the adoption process and be realistic. While it may take some time, it's very possible to make the dream of adopting a child come true.
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