If you’re thinking about growing your family through adoption in Connecticut, it’s quite possible that there’s a lot going through your mind. Before you make a decision, then, it can be helpful to know how the process works. This guide is here to help! You can also contact American Adoptions by filling out this form. Specialists will be more than happy to walk you through the adoption process and answer any questions you may have.

Adoption looks different for each family, but here’s a general outline of what you can expect to happen in a Connecticut adoption:

Step 1: Decide to adopt a child in Connecticut.

While it may seem obvious, it’s important to move from simply thinking about adopting a baby to committing to the process. Many families struggle for years with infertility before ultimately committing to growing through adoption. Fully grieving that infertility and becoming both committed to and enthusiastic about adopting a child is a very important step before adopting a baby in Connecticut.

Step 2: Choose which kind of Connecticut adoption is ideal for your family.

After you’ve come to the decision that your family wants to adopt a baby in Connecticut, there are a few additional factors to take into account. Do you hope to adopt a newborn, or are you more interested in an older child adoption? Is it important to you that you pursue a Connecticut adoption, or do you care which state your child comes from? Perhaps you’d rather adopt internationally?

Once you’ve committed to adopting domestically, you’re ready to move to the next step.

Step 3: Choose an adoption professional.

Of course, we’re partial to our own services here at American Adoptions. However, there are other adoption agencies in Connecticut as well. As you research your options and speak with different professionals, make sure to ask about certain factors:

• The total estimated cost and whether that includes every service or hidden fees

• Where your money goes in the event that you experience an adoption disruption

• Wait times

• Whether or not the agency offers financial protection

• What support and education is available both to pregnant women and adoptive parents

Step 4: Become active with American Adoptions.

Before you can begin the process to complete an adoption in Connecticut, you’ll be required to meet certain standards. At American Adoptions, these include:

• Completing a home study, which is an assessment of your readiness to adopt and includes three phases: a home inspection, interviews with each family member living in the home, and a documentation stage that includes background checks

• Completing an APQ, or Adoption Planning Questionnaire, which helps an adoption specialist understand what you’re looking for in an adoption opportunity and which potential birth mothers might have similar standards

• Completing an Adoptive Family Profile, which will serve to tell pregnant women about your family and what an adopted child’s life could look like with you

Step 5: Get to know your child’s birth parents before placement.

Once you’ve been connected with a prospective birth mom based on both of your adoption preferences, it’ll be time to begin developing your relationship with her. American Adoptions always recommends some degree of openness in an adoption, whether that’s an adoption in Connecticut or anywhere else in the country. Everyone in the adoption triad — adopted child, birth parents and adoptive parents — benefits from at least some degree of communication, particularly adopted children. You can communicate with your child’s birth parents via email, letter and photo updates, phone calls, or even in-person visits. The important thing is to start this process before the child is born; your adoption specialist will help educate you so you can begin developing a lifelong relationship with your child’s birth parents.

Step 6: Finalize the adoption.

After you bring your baby home, there will be a post-placement process followed by a finalization hearing, in which a judge hears the case and grants you parental rights. Your adoption is not complete when your child comes home with you, but as long as everything was completed legally and ethically, you should get your final decree of adoption in no time.

After the finalization hearing is complete and you have received your child’s new birth certificate, the legal process of adoption is complete. However, it’s important to know that the adoption process itself is never over — not really. It will be your responsibility to talk with your child about adoption for the rest of their life and to help them understand their story as well as be proud of it. For more information about adopting a baby in Connecticut with our agency, call 1-800-ADOPTION at any time. 

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