Tag Archives: adoption

Why Do Single Parents Adopt?

Single people can choose to become loving adoptive parents.

Should I give my child up for adoption? When you’re thinking about adoption, you may consider this choice because you’re not financially or emotionally ready to parent alone. What about those parents who choose to become single parents through adoption? Many people want to become parents, but they don’t have the right partner. They may choose single parenthood through adoption, and the adoption process helps them make sure that they are ready.

They Want Children

In many ways, single parents seek out adoption for the same reasons that couples look to adoption. Some single parents may not be able to conceive in other ways, while others choose adoption first because adoption is their preferred way of building a family. A single person without a partner may feel a longing to have children but may not be in a stable, long-term relationship. Nonetheless, single parents may choose to adopt because they don’t want to wait any longer to start to build their family.

They Feel Ready

You may be making an adoption plan because you don’t feel ready to be a parent. There are others who feel completely ready but happen to be single at this time. Single parents may be getting older and want to make sure that they’re able to become parents while they’re still young. They may be in the right job and right neighborhood and feel the desire to bring children into their lives now. Single parents who choose to adopt don’t take this decision lightly: they know that parenting can be hard, but they want to take this path.

They Can Manage the Logistics

Single parents have to think about the logistics of having children even more than couples do, and when a single parent chooses to adopt he or she has thought through these logistics and found that this is the right time. For example, a prospective adoptive mother who’s planning to be a single parent has likely thought through her job situation and her finances, made plans for child care, and considered how much leave she’ll be able to take when the child is born. She’s ready to take on the challenge of parenting solo.

Whether an adoptive parent is part of a couple or parenting solo, the adoption process helps parents make sure that they have the support system to become a parent.

They Have a Strong Support System

Single parents don’t necessarily parent alone. Many have a wonderful support system of grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, and other community members who are able to help with child care or just be a supportive and listening ear. Choosing to become a single parent is a big choice and it’s one that adoptive parents do not take lightly. They’re asked about and need to consider how they’ll develop a system to support not only their child but themselves.

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I am available to talk with you and answer your questions whether you have decided on open adoption or not. I am an attorney and a birth mother and have been in your shoes. Feel free to contact me anytime.

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What is a Home Study?

A home study helps adoptive families think about what kind of adoption they want to pursue.

When you’re considering adoption, you know that there are a number of steps that you need to go through to complete that adoption. You need to find adoptive parents who are a match for your values, think about your child’s needs and the birth, and make an adoption plan to see you into the future. While you’re considering all of this, your child’s prospective adoptive parents are busy too. One step that they need to go through is the home study. What is a home study and why does it matter to you?

What is a Home Study?

When an individual or a couple wishes to become adoptive parents, they need to participate in a home study. They might be working through an adoption agency or an adoption law firm, but they all need to go through the home study process. The process involves education and gathering information about the prospective parents, including background checks and fingerprinting. It often involves orientation meetings, adoption coursework, and meetings in the parents’ home. On average, the process takes between two to three months to complete.

Home studies can help you ensure that there’s a match by clarifying information about the adoptive family.

Why Home Studies Exist

A home study has several purposes. It’s an opportunity for an agency or other organization to provide information and look at each family’s interests and needs. Some families may want to pursue international adoption, some might be interested in adopting foster children, and others might want to adopt an infant. An adoption home study can help clarify what type of adoption and what sorts of needs a family is willing to consider. This is important as it helps ensure that each family makes the choices that is right for them.

The study also helps the agency or law firm understand the parents well so that they can all ensure that they make the best possible match between the birth family and the adoptive family. During the home study, adoptive parents will be asked questions about their reasons for adopting, their expectations, their family and personal histories, their parenting, their income and education, and their physical and home environments. All of these factors help make a good match between the birth family and the adoptive family. For example, a home study can pinpoint a family who’s keen to parent a child with extra needs and has the physical location, income, and family to support this.

Who Needs a Home Study?

In general, prospective adoptive parents need to have a home study. However, if you are considering adoption with a relative, your relative may not need to complete a home study that is as intensive or as long as those required for non-relative adoptions. However, this varies from state to state. Your relative can check with an adoption attorney or agency to determine whether or not their family needs to participate in a full home study process.

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Why Do Adoptive Parents Decide to Adopt A Child?

Families may adopt a child for many reasons, but they all adopt because they want to love a new member of their family.

Why would a family choose to adopt a child? When you’re thinking about how to put a child up for adoption, you might wonder what motivates adoptive parents. Who are the people behind the faces, and why are they considering adoption? Here are some of the reasons why adoptive families choose to adopt a child.

They Love Children But Can’t Have Children

Many adoptive parents love children and always envisioned themselves as parents. They may not be able to have children of their own, due to infertility or disability. In any case, they want to have the family that they’ve dreamed of and they have set up their lives to do this.

Some parents choose to adopt because they have medical conditions that make it hard to have children, but they would love to have a child.

Medical Conditions Make it Hard to Have Children

Some parents may be able to have children, but they know that they have a genetic disorder that runs in their family. For this reason, they may choose to adopt rather than have a child. Other parents may have medical conditions of their own that makes it challenging to carry a child, and this might pose health difficulties for the mother. For this reason, they decide to adopt child instead.

They See Adoption as an Ethical Choice

For some people, adoption is their favorite option for ethical or environmental reasons. They know that children need homes, and they prefer to adopt to add to their family. They may have biological children already or they may choose to adopt a child instead of having biological children.

To Adopt A Child Opens the Door to Parenthood

Sometimes, single parents want to make their long-held desire for a family come true. They have the means to do this, and they choose to adopt since they don’t have a partner. Other families are same-sex families who choose adoption as an alternative to surrogacy. For these families, adoption opens up the possibility of parenthood.

They Want to Give a Child Opportunities

Some families have a particular interest in adopting a child who has special needs. They might have a background in education or have a family member or child who has special needs. They may be a member of the deaf or blind community and want to ensure that a child with these differences has the opportunity to be part of a family. These adoptive parents want to give that child the opportunity to have the support that the child needs to grow up happy and healthy.

Talking With Adoptive Parents

As you look for adoptive parents, you want to ask them many things. You want to talk about how they will parent, where your child will live, and what kind of life your child could have. It might seem awkward to ask adoptive parents why they are pursuing adoption. Sometimes the adoptive parents will let you know in the information that they provide to birth parents. You can also ask adoptive parents questions about adoption. For example, you could ask them what drew them to adoption or what experience they have with adoption in their family. This can help you understand more about your child’s prospective adoptive parents.

More Information

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Cultural Connections In Multiracial Adoption

In a multiracial adoption, how can you choose a family who will help your child learn about her cultural heritage?

If you’re thinking about choosing adoptive parents who are not of the same race and culture as you are, how can you make sure that your child’s adoptive parents will help maintain cultural connections in a multiracial adoption? When you’re thinking about giving a child up for adoption, you consider your child’s future deeply. Who will raise your child, and what will they be like? Will they hold your parenting values and be able to support your child as he or she grows into adulthood? If you’re considering many different adoptive parents, some may be of the same race and culture as you, and some may not.

Think About What’s Important

When you think about your child’s future, what’s most important to you? Of course, you want kind and supportive parents who can give your child opportunities. Think about your child’s cultural connections as well. Is it most important to you that your child live in a community where there are cultural events that he or she can enjoy and where your child can have role models who are from your family background? Is it important that your child grow up in a family that has similar religious or parenting values to your own? Consider what aspects of your culture you would pass onto your child, and be prepared to look for adoptive parents who will provide this environment for your child.

Talk to prospective adoptive parents about your questions as you create your adoption plan.

Bring Up Your Questions In A Multiracial Adoption

It can seem awkward to bring up questions about race and culture in a multiracial adoption. If you’re worried or simply want to make sure that this is part of your child’s life, talk about this when you meet prospective adoptive parents. Make your values clear so that they know that this is something that is very important to you.

Talk About Parenting Values

When you’re looking for adoptive parents for your child, you can look for people who can provide your child with specific experiences. However, one of the most important things to look for is open-mindedness and the ability to support your child in his or her explorations. An adoptive parent of a child who has a different racial background from his or her own will need an open mind, a willingness to build community, an ability to have dialogue with your child and others, and an inclination to support your child through new and different experiences.

Open Adoption Keeps the Connection

Years ago, children who were adopted often had no contact with their birth parents, and they may not have had strong cultural connections with their parents’ culture. If you’re seeking an open adoption, you have the opportunity to expose your child to your culture and your family. You’ll have the ability to answer questions and help your child and your child’s adoptive family find answers. Seeking an open adoption helps maintain family and cultural connections.

We’re open to your questions, and we’ve been there too. We’re birth parents and adoptive parents ourselves. Contact us today to see how we can help you explore the possibilities of adoption.

More Information

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Call the office at (800) 877-1880

Images Courtesy of Family Formation: Client photos printed with permission.

Do I Need an Adoption Agency?

When you choose adoption, how do you know if you need an adoption agency?

Do I need an adoption agency for a successful adoption? When you’re looking for adoption support, where do you turn? You have options when you’re a birth parent who’s considering domestic adoption. You don’t have to work with adoption agency if you’re thinking about adoption for your baby.

Working With An Adoption Law Firm

At least half of adoptions do not occur through an agency. Many of these occur through independent adoption. During an independent adoption, you might find adoptive parents through your networks of friends and family, or you could look for adoptive parents who have a website and meet them if they seem like they’d be a good fit.

You can work with an adoption agency, but a law firm can also be a great choice.

Independent adoptions are legal in most states, and in some states the adoption attorney can also help you find adoptive parents for your child. In any independent adoption, the attorney will be there to move you through the legal process of adoption. This includes contacting the birth father and getting his approval for the adoption, following any rules related to your specific adoption situation, and work through home studies and the termination of parental rights.

If you already have an adoptive family in mind or prefer to find adoptive parents yourself, an independent adoption is your most logical choice. If you don’t have an adoptive family in mind, check to see if adoption attorneys can assist with the search in your state.

When you’re considering adoption, think about the process and about your needs before you choose who to support you through this process. If you already have a friend or family member who’d like to adopt your child, you may not need an adoption agency and all of the services it provides. You may also prefer the freedom of an independent adoption, while knowing that you also have legal assistance when you need it.

Read how we’re different from the Independent Adoption Center

Do You Need an Adoption Agency?

When you’re looking at adoption as an option for your child, you might consider whether you need an adoption agency. An adoption agency can offer you a number of different kinds of support. The adoption agency will provide you with help such as access to counseling, and depending on what state you are in, the adoptive parents may be able to provide you with additional financial support during your pregnancy. The agency can also help you with your adoption plan, and they have a listing of parents who would love to adopt a child. Some agencies may choose birth parents who meet specific criteria. For adoptive parents, going to an adoption agency can involve more fees than other options.

If you’re thinking about adoption, contact Family Formation:

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Call my office at (800) 877-1880

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Is Adoption Right For Me? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself

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Becoming an adoptive parent is a life changing decision. Much work is required before you sign the adoption papers and a lifetime of work waits for you after bringing your adoptive child home. While adopting a child can bring immense rewards and joy, it can also bring many challenges. Here are 10 questions to ask when deciding if you’re truly ready for this important life change.

Prepare yourself for success as an adoptive parent by asking these important initial questions.

Why do I want to adopt?

While this is a fairly basic question, it’s also one of the most important. If you’re unable to conceive a child and are considering adoption as an alternative, you’ll likely need to go through the grieving stages of not having a biological child before beginning the adoption process.

Am I financially ready for a baby?

Raising a child not only requires time, it also requires money. Being financially ready for a baby will help ease the stress that comes with parenthood and will help ensure you’re able to give your child the best life possible.

Am I ready to commit to parenthood?

Your world will shift dramatically after bringing your child home and you must be mentally prepared for those changes. Of course, parenthood brings many rewards, but you must be willing to also accept the challenges.

What age of child do I want?

Many adoptive parents want the full life experience of parenthood and, as such, choose to adopt infants. Others envision adopting a toddler or an older child.

In the future, will I tell my child about the adoption?

Deciding how or if you’ll share the news of adoption with your child in the future is important to consider before you begin the adoptive process. Creating this plan of action from the beginning will help ease your worries regarding the topic.

How will I share the news with friends and family?

If you decide that adoption is right for you, your must then decide how and when you’ll tell friends and family. While becoming an adoptive parent is your decision, it also impacts others in your life and you must be prepared to handle their reactions.

Is your relationship strong enough for parenthood?

Assessing the state for your relationship can be difficult, but it’s essential when deciding if you’re ready for parenthood. A healthy marriage or partnership offers the foundation for a loving and nurturing home for an adoptive child.

In the future, how would I feel if my child wanted to find his or her biological parents?

At some point, your child may approach you with the desire to find his or her biological parents. If this happens, you’ll need to have a plan of action for handling the request and will also need to deal with your emotions surrounding the topic.

How will I handle potential problems during the adoptive process?

Adoptions take time, which can be frustrating. Consider how an attorney can help ease the process and prepare for how you’ll handle any potential setbacks along your journey toward adoption.

What type of adoption am I envisioning?

If you’ll be adopting an infant, you’ll need to consider the type of adoption you want with the biological parents. Closed adoptions, open adoptions and arrangements in between are all options to consider before making your final decision.

Adopting an infant is a life changing decision. Make sure you’re ready for the rewards and challenges.

Becoming an adoptive parent will change your life in many ways. Considering those changes before adoption is necessary not only to make sure that adoption is right for you but also to ensure you create an adoption plan that works best for your family. As always, the experienced attorneys at Family Formation are available to answer your questions and guide you through the adoption process.