5 Important Things to Know About Adoption
What Adoptive Parents Need To Know
Adoption is a life-changing choice that helps you build your family. Whether you’re beginning your journey or well into the process, it’s important to know what to expect.
As you begin to explore the beautiful world of adoption, you want to be as prepared and educated as possible.
That’s why we’ve compiled five of the top things to know about adoption so that you’re ready for the journey ahead.
What to Know about Adoption
If you’re considering adoption, one of the first steps you’ll take is learning about what the adoption process consists of.
As one of the most reputable adoption agencies in the U.S., we’ve seen thousands of families go through the process. We know what it takes to make your adoption experience the best it can be.
Below, we’ve listed what adoptive parents need to know before beginning the adoption process.
1. There Are Many Types of Adoption
When you’re wondering about the things to know about adoption, one of the first major decisions you’ll make in the process is deciding which type of adoption to pursue.
One of the most common types of adoption is semi-open (or mediated) adoption.
Semi-open adoption is a more restrictive type of open adoption where most, if not all, communication between adoptive families and birth mothers is facilitated by an adoption professional to preserve identifying information.
An estimated 95% of all domestic adoptions share at least some degree of openness.
Open adoption is another type of adoption where identifying information is exchanged with little to no help from an adoption professional.
This is the second-most common adoption relationship and is great for adoptive families that want to get to know the birth parents.
The last and least common type of adoption is closed adoption, which means that there is no communication between adoptive families and birth parents.
Many adoptions today involve some degree of openness, as there are many benefits for everyone involved.
2. Some Adoption Agencies Offer Financial Protection
As you’re thinking about what to know about adoption, it can be a financial investment. When you’re going through the adoption process, there could be a chance that you might experience an adoption disruption.
That’s why you should work with an adoption agency that protects your finances.
At American Adoptions, we offer a Risk-Sharing Program to make sure you have another opportunity to pursue adoption if a disruption occurs.
Since the program started, we’ve been able to refund 100% of lost fees in 98% of adoptive families’ fees, saving them a total of $4.6 million in the long run. These fees include:
Unlike other adoption professionals that “roll over” your investment into another adoption with that agency, we refund your money directly back to you so you can choose to adopt again or take a break from pursuing adoption.
Although we can’t eliminate the emotional loss of a disruption, we will eliminate any financial loss.
3. The Adoption Process Takes Time
One of the most important things to know about adoption is the amount of time it takes to find an adoption opportunity. Adoption doesn’t happen overnight, so be prepared to invest a lot of time into the process.
Some of the best adoption agencies, like American Adoptions, quote accurate wait time estimates. We give you the best shot at finding an adoption opportunity in the shortest amount of time.
When you work with our agency, you’ll find comfort in knowing that the time to find an adoption opportunity is an average of 12 months.
Our nationwide advertising helps us reach prospective birth parents across the U.S., and, if you search for common adoption questions online, we’re at the top of those search results.
To get the same exposure elsewhere, you would need to join the waiting list at 25 agencies simultaneously.
We believe that family is forever, but your wait time doesn’t have to be.
4. It’s Best To Work With a Licensed Adoption Agency
When you’re choosing an adoption professional, you want to make sure the adoption agency is licensed. National adoption agencies are some of the best agencies because they’re state-licensed organizations.
A state license ensures the government regulates, reviews and monitors the agency’s compliance with state laws and regulations.
This guarantees the adoption organization is following proper procedures and providing ethical services to clients.
When you work with American Adoptions, we’re licensed in multiple states creating an added layer of protection for your family. As one of the largest private domestic adoption agencies, we provide all the essential services and support for a successful adoption.
With a 96% success rate and over 13,000 families built, American Adoptions is proud to be one of the leading national adoption agencies in the country.
If you have any further questions about working with a licensed adoption agency, call us today at 1-800-ADOPTION.
5. Your Agency Will Help You Create a Family Profile
One of the things to know about adoption is that the adoption agency you work with should help you build an adoptive family profile. An adoptive family profile is a detailed look into your life and helps prospective birth parents get to know you.
At American Adoptions, we go one step further by creating a video profile to give prospective birth parents a deeper look into your lives and personalities.
These adoption videos go beyond letters and pictures to present a real, personal glimpse into why you want to adopt.
We help all our hopeful adoptive families create a profile that highlights their personalities, interests, other family members and more.
These 2-4 minute videos are one of the main reasons birth mothers choose to work with our agency.
Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.