Adopting a Child? Have the Best Experience with These 6 Tips

If you are considering adopting children, you have a lot of work and waiting ahead of your. Most parents who go through the process later say that it was all worth it. At least 87% of these parents report that they would “definitely” do it all again, knowing what they do after the adoption about the process and after having gotten to know the child or children they adopted. For children over the age of five and older, more than 90% report having positive feelings about being adopted. If you are talking to adoption agencies, there are some things you can do to make the process easier for everyone involved.

1. Research everything in the process. Do research online. Look up the adoption agencies’ websites. Look for reviews of the agencies. Read books about adoption and the process. Talk to parents who have adopted their children. Talk to the children who were adopted. Look into support groups for parent who adopt children. When you want to adopt a child, one of the best things that you can do is tell everyone you know and everyone you meet that you want to adopt a child. You may be surprised where you may find help in this endeavor.
2. Get the right professionals to help you. You need to work with the right adoption agencies, the best lawyers who handle adoptions, social workers and other experts in adoption and adoption agencies. If you are looking into one adoption agency or a few, get as much information on them as you can. This can come from current and former clients, websites and the bevy of experts you are working with to adopt your child.
3. Decide what you want. You may be asked this and you need to be honest with the adoption agencies, yourself and your partner. Is your heart set on an infant? Are you looking to adopt an older child? What about a child who was born in another country? Sometimes, people feel guilty when they admit that they really only want an infant. Will you allow the birth parents to play any role in the child’s life? You even have to decide if you want to work with a private agency or one of the public adoption agencies in your area. You need to talk this over with your partner. The time to learn they want an infant and you would rather adopt an older child is not when you are at the agency.
4. Develop a plan for your finances. Different kinds of adoptions have different price tags. You need to draw up your budget for this the same way you do with any other large expense. Loans may be available to help you finance the adoption. Talk to your family, look into possibilities for grants and even talk to local religious organizations about your options.
5. Get your supporting documents together. You will need three letters of recommendation, all of your legal documents (birth certificates, marriage licenses, etc.), you may need copies of your medical records and tax returns. Take pictures of your home and write autobiographies of yourself and your partner. Work with one of your experts to get ready for the interview and the process.
6. Prepare for when the adoption process is done. You should learn as much as you can about the child you are adopting as you can. If they are an infant, there will not be as much about them but you can learn about where they are from and how healthy they are. For older children, you should be able to learn a lot about them. This can make a difference when you meet them. Talk to the agencies about “after care” services to help you and your child adjust.

The bond between adoptive children and their parents can be very strong. Nearly three quarters of all kids (again who are five years old or older) who were adopted report that they are read or sang to every day. Fewer than half of kids who are being raised by their biological parents say the same thing.

If you are patient with the process and do your homework, you can have a good experience adoptign a child.