Everyone deserves a family. If you are a hopeful parent thinking about growing your family through adoption, or if you are an expectant mother considering adoption in Portland, ME, for your baby, you have a chance to create a family.

Along with this guide, you can always call 1-800-ADOPTION to speak with an adoption specialist and ask more in-depth questions about adopting in Portland with our agency.

Adoption in Portland can be a wonderful opportunity. But the process of adoption can seem mysterious or daunting. How does adoption work in Portland? How can I place my child for adoption in Portland? What are the costs to adoptive parents? Are there costs to prospective birth mothers? Is adoption really for me?

These are common questions. Most people don’t have a good understanding of adoption at the beginning of the process, so it’s always okay to ask. We’re here to help answer the big questions as you decide whether or not to pursue adoption in Portland.

Adoption Agencies in Portland, ME

Your adoption agency should be your most trusted friend in the adoption process. A good agency will do everything possible to make the process work for you. As a full-service national adoption agency, American Adoptions is ready to come alongside you in your Portland adoption. American Adoptions provides services like:

• 24/7 counseling and informational services for any pregnant woman considering adoption in Portland

• Responsibly screening adoptive parents and prospective birth mothers

• Helping prospective birth mothers decide what they are looking for in an adoptive family

• Helping adoptive families find an adoption opportunity through media profiles and videos to share with prospective birth mothers

• Facilitating care and expenses to the extent your state allows for prospective birth mothers

• Connecting adoptive families with home study services, legal representation and more

• Providing post-placement support

• Protecting adoptive families financial investment in the process

• And more

Keep in mind that service from your adoption agency doesn’t end when a child is placed with a family. Post-placement services, like facilitating communications and help with adoption finalization, will also be handled by American Adoptions.

You also have the option of looking into local adoption agencies for your adoption in Portland. You might want to consider:

• The Good Samaritan Agency

• Adoption Partners of Maine

• The Maine Children’s Home For Little Wanderers

Portland, ME, Adoption Attorneys

There are state and federal laws in place over adoption that can be hard to understand. That’s why it’s so important to find an adoption lawyer in Portland who you can trust. Following procedures and completing paperwork correctly are vital parts of a successful adoption. If you work with American Adoptions, your adoption specialist will refer you to an adoption attorney from out trusted network.

If you would like to find an attorney on your own, there are several lawyers and firms in the Portland area who work in adoption.

• Berry Law, P.A.

• VBK, Attorneys at Law

• Govan Law

• LeBlanc & Young

Choosing your own adoption attorney can be difficult, especially if you don’t have a good grasp of what’s involved in the adoption process. Be sure to research and ask a lot of questions before making your decision. A good adoption attorney can make or break your process. You may want to ask questions like:

• How long have you been in practice?

• How many adoption cases do you handle each year?

• What are your fees?

• Have most of your adoption cases been successful?

Become a Foster Parent in Portland, ME

As hopeful parents considering adoption in Portland, you should be aware of all your choices. While American Adoptions works specifically in domestic infant adoption, we want to do everything we can to help fulfill your dream of becoming parents. One way to make that dream a reality is fostering to adopt.

If you choose to become foster parents in Maine with the intent to adopt, your adoption process will look different than a domestic infant adoption. You’ll need to make sure that you meet state requirements to become a foster parent, and you’ll need to pass a foster care home study.

There are nearly 2,000 children in foster care in Maine, with more than 600 in need of adoption. And according to the Bangor Daily News, Maine has a shortage of foster parents that has reached crisis level. Becoming a foster parent with the intent to adopt is a great way to care for children in your area and grow your family. There are pitfalls to this option, like the unpredictable nature of foster care, but it may be the right thing for your family.

Contact Maine Child and Family Services and ask about becoming a foster parent to get started.

International Adoption in Portland

If you decide that domestic infant adoption and foster-to-adopt are not the right paths for you, you could think about international adoption in Portland. International adoption is rare in Maine — the state only completed 21 international adoptions in all of 2017. But that doesn’t mean it’s wrong for you.

If you’d like to look into international adoption in Portland, you need to find a good agency. International adoption can be even more complex than domestic adoption because you are navigating the laws of two separate nations — not to mention the travel, language difference and cultural barriers you may encounter.

Here are a few international adoption agencies near Portland, ME:

• A Full Circle

• The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers

• Nightlight Christian Adoptions

Home Study Services in Portland, ME

Every adoption requires a home study for the hopeful adoptive parents. The adoption home study is a review of your living situation to make sure you are ready to adopt. A social worker will inspect your home as well as interview you.

You’ll likely talk about your motivation to adopt, views on parenting and more. If you work with American Adoptions, an adoption specialist will connect you with a licensed social worker to conduct your home study. However, you can also find a local home study provider on your own. Some options are: 

• Acadia Adoption Center

• Families and Children Together

Maternity Hospitals in Portland, ME

The hospital stay can be a highly emotional time for the expectant mother and adoptive family, so you’ll want to be sure you choose the best hospital near you. As an expectant mother, you can work with your adoption specialist from American Adoptions to create a hospital plan you are comfortable with. Some local Portland hospitals to consider are:

• Maine Medical Center

• Mercy Hospital

Adoption Courts in Portland, ME

You still need to finalize your adoption in court after placement has occurred at the hospital. Maine, like most states, requires several follow-up home study visits in the first few months of a child’s life before a final decree of adoption can be given by a judge. For your Portland adoption, you will most likely go to the Cumberland County Court for your finalization hearing.

Begin Your Adoption in Portland Today

If you have dreams of becoming a parent or are an expectant mother in a difficult situation, adoption could be the right choice for you. You can call 1-800-ADOPTION at any time to speak with an adoption specialist who will talk you through all of your options for working 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.