Whether you are a hopeful adoptive parent or an expectant mother thinking about adoption in Lewiston, ME, you probably have a lot of questions. How do I adopt in Lewiston? What agency can I work with? What aid is available to me during the adoption? Does Lewiston have any good adoption lawyers?

You can call 1-800-ADOPTION at any time to speak with an adoption professional who will guide you through our agency options in your specific situation.

Adoption can be confusing. Questions like this and many more are common for anyone considering it. And we’re here to help. This guide to adoption in Lewiston will cover some of the big areas, like adoption agencies, adoption lawyers, maternity hospitals, how to become foster parents and more.

Lewiston Adoption Agencies

As a full-service national adoption agency, American Adoptions can work with you through every step of the adoption process. From the home study to finalization for adoptive parents, and from adoption plan to consent for the birth mother, American Adoptions assists with logistical, legal and all other elements of adoption in Lewiston.

Even after placement, an adoption specialist from American Adoptions is available for continued support and facilitation of follow-up communication between adoptive family and birth mother. Services from American Adoptions include things like:

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

• 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

Working with a national adoption agency has a lot of different advantages — like lower average wait times, financial protection for your adoption costs and a larger staff. However, if you would like to work with a local adoption agency in Lewiston, you could consider:

• The Good Samaritan Agency

• Adoption Partners of Maine

• The Maine Children’s Home For Little Wanderers

Lewiston Adoption Attorneys

You can’t navigate the legal procedures and paperwork of adoption on your own – unless you are reading this and you are an adoption attorney in Lewiston (in which case we take it back, you can navigate the legal procedures and paperwork). But for everyone else, you’ll need help.

This is a long process with a lot of steps. A good adoption attorney is vital to a successful adoption in Lewiston. If you work with American Adoptions, you don’t have to find an attorney on your own. An adoption specialist will recommend a lawyer from out trusted network who you can be sure will do the job well. If you would like to find your own legal representation for the adoption process, there are several local adoption attorneys in Lewiston:

• Berry Law, P.A.

• VBK, Attorneys at Law

• Govan Law

• LeBlanc & Young

When you are researching adoption attorneys, be sure to ask about other adoption cases they have worked. How long have they been practicing? How many adoption cases do they see each year? What are their fees?

You’ll want to gather as much information as possible when choosing a Lewiston adoption attorney.

Become a Foster Parent in Lewiston

American Adoptions works in domestic infant adoption, but that’s not the only way to adopt. If you are thinking about adoption in Lewiston, you could choose to become a foster parent with the intent to adopt. There are almost 2,000 children currently in foster care in Maine, and more than 600 of them are waiting for adoption.

To become a foster parent, you need to make sure you meet the state’s requirements, and you’ll need to complete a foster care home study. This route is a great way to provide love and care to a child who desperately needs it, but it can also be more unpredictable than a domestic infant adoption. Consider whether or not you are prepared for this before choosing foster to adopt.

If fostering to adopt in Lewiston is right for you, the first step is contacting the Maine Child and Family Services department.

Lewiston International Adoption Agencies

International adoption has been on the decline in the United States since 2004, and Maine only completed 21 international adoptions in 2017. However, international adoption may be the right choice for your family. If you’re thinking about international adoption in Lewiston, you’ll need to find a reputable agency to work with. You may want to consider:

• A Full Circle

• The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers

• Nightlight Christian Adoptions

The international adoption process can be incredibly complex as you navigate the laws of two countries at the same time. Make sure to ask a lot of questions up front and be sure that you’re working with an agency you trust.

Home Study Services in Lewiston

All adoptions — domestic infant adoption, foster to adopt and international adoption — require a home study. This is essentially a review of your life and living situation, conducted by a licensed social worker, to ensure that you are ready to adopt. If you are working with American Adoptions, your adoption specialist will refer you to an adoption social worker in Lewiston for your home study.

If you would like to find a social worker in Lewiston to conduct your home study, you could look at:

• Acadia Adoption Center

• Families and Children Together

Lewiston Maternity Hospitals

If you are an expectant mother considering adoption in Lewiston, one of the most important parts of your adoption plan is your hospital stay. In Lewiston, you have several places to choose from:

• Central Maine Medical Center

• Mary’s Family Birthing Center

You can visit each place and decide which option is best for you. An adoption specialist from American Adoptions will help you choose a location and create a hospital plan.

Finalizing Your Lewiston Adoption

After placement has occurred at the hospital, you will still need to finalize your adoption in court. This usually occurs around six months after placement. In Lewiston, you will need to go to the Androscoggin County court.

Start Your Adoption in Lewiston Today

Hopefully this overview has given you a decent grasp of how to adopt in Lewiston. To ask more questions about our agency programs or start your Lewiston adoption today, call 1-800-ADOPTION to speak with an adoption specialist.

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.