How to Adopt a Child from the U.S.

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As soon as ten to fifteen years ago, almost all adoption agencies had some very strict criteria about who could adopt a baby… and about who could not adopt a baby or child. Typically, you had to fit a “cookie cutter” like mold of the perfect family. You were expected to be a heterosexual married couple, under the age of 40, and meet high financial income requirements in order to prove your ability to adequately care for the adopted baby. If you didn’t fall within this “cookie cutter” family image that the adoption agencies were looking for, you wouldn’t be able to domestically adopt a child.

Currently, the number of progressive adoption agencies that have more liberal adoption standards has been increasing steadily to reflect the needs and changes within our society. In fact, when you work with any adoption professional, whether it be with an adoption attorney, adoption facilitator, or an adoption agency, you will notice that there is a big difference in their approach.

When you are choosing the type of adoption professional to work with, you will want to take the time to interview the different options before making your decision, particularly if you are a single individual looking to adopt, someone over the age of 40, or in a relationship that some might consider to be alternative. Not only are there differences among the various types of adoption professionals, but no two agencies or professionals within the same category will operate in the same manner, either. It’s important that you are comfortable with your adoption professional and that they are willing to help you adopt according to your unique lifestyle.

You may be surprised to learn that some professionals will only work with people who are under a certain age, while others have no age limits at all. You maybe didn’t realize that some adoption professionals will only work with people who are of a certain religions affiliation, either. In some cases, you’ll notice that an adoption professional does not openly announce his or her restrictions, but they seem to take a very judgmental approach.

Adoption is already a confusing and stressful process, there is no reason to work with anyone who is going to make it even more stressful. There is no reason to work with any professional who may make you feel judged or intimidated – simply find someone else who is more open to different adoption scenarios. Not all families need to resemble Leave it to Beaver or the Cosby Show to offer a loving and safe environment for an adopted child.

No matter what your personal circumstances, if you are 45 years old, or unmarried for example - if you can offer an adopted child love and safety, fulfill their basic needs, and provide for their ongoing financial needs, there is an adoption professional out there who will be willing to help you find your child. Interviewing a few different adoption professionals to learn about their criteria for people who are eligible to adopt will ensure that the professional you decide to work with has your best interests in mind and will work with you to fulfill your personal adoption plan.

Cindy Simonson is a respected adoption professional and writes about child adoption at InfantAdoptionCoach.com. For the past thirteen years she has been helping people successfully adopt the child of their dreams.

The most commonly made mistake people make when adopting a child involves choosing the wrong adoption professionals to assist them with their journey. The wrong adoption professionals can lead you in the wrong direction, cause you to spend thousands needlessly, and even lead you to an adoption situation that is outside what you really wanted.

There are many wonderful adoption professionals and agencies who work very hard to help families successfully adopt a baby or child. There also many, however, that don’t quite give you the “full picture” of their services. What would you say if you knew an adoption agency only successfully located 20 birth mothers a year; but had 200 families waiting to adopt a child? Chances are, you would want to look for an agency that limits the number of families on the waiting list to a more reasonable number in comparison to the number of adoptions they handle each year otherwise you can expect to wait years needlessly to adopt.

Many adoption agencies and professionals do not spend much time getting their name out there to mothers who may be looking to put their babies up for adoption. In other words, they hang a sign outside their shop and hope the mothers find them. This is not a problem as long as it is clearly explained to potential clients. With that knowledge hopeful adoptive parents can do a couple of things to react to the situation and expedite their adoption. They can hire an adoption agency that does provide outreach services, they can continue to work with the agency but conduct their own search for a birth mother or they can hire a professional whose sole purpose is to help locate a birth mother.

There are more options available to the family looking to adopt a child than most people think. It’s up to you to do some research in order to find an adoption professional that will work within your personal adoption plan; so that you are not limited by the limitations of a specific adoption agency or adoption attorney.

Your adoption plan should indicate the baby you would like to adopt; what kind of risks you are willing to take, the level of openness you are comfortable with between your family and the birth mother, among other things. Create your adoption plan prior to choosing an adoption professional to work with, so that you can determine whether or not the agency or professional is willing to work within your plan and help you find a suitable match.

You will want to consider the fact that each adoption professional you consider hiring has a lot to gain financially by having you sign up for their adoption program - even if their program is not the best fit for you. That is why it is so important for you to seek knowledge and define your goals before you spend large sums of money.

When a family looking to adopt a child signs up with the wrong adoption professional, there is a strong possibility that the family will spend years on a waiting list without a child. In some cases, families feel they are judged for having limits to the type of adoption situation they feel comfortable with- and are pushed into accepting high risk adoption situations. It’s important that you find an adoption professional that knows your personal adoption goals, and is not only supportive of them; but will help you successfully adopt a child in a reasonable time frame.

Tags: Adoption, adoption mistakes, adoption professional, adoption agencies