If you’re interesting in learning more about how to adopt a child in Nebraska, the following guide can help. The process of adoption in NE isn’t going to be the right family-building option for everyone, but learning more will help you to decide if it’s the right option for you.

If you have any questions about how to adopt a baby in Nebraska with American Adoptions, call us at 1-800-ADOPTION. In the meantime, here’s a general overview of the NE adoption process:

Should You Choose a NE Adoption?

There are many ways to grow your family, and although the Nebraska newborn adoption process is a wonderful way to bring children into your life, it’s not the right path for every family.

You’ll first need to be united with your spouse in your adoption goals and expectations before you can begin the Nebraska child adoption process. You’ll also need to process any lingering grief you may have experienced if you struggled with infertility prior to adopting a child in Nebraska.

Adoption isn’t right for everyone, but it may be the right option for you. Consider carefully every factor before undertaking the NE adoption process, and reach out to an adoption specialist or infertility counselor if you need help deciding whether it’s the right path for your family.

Which Nebraska Adoption Professional is Right for You?

If you’ve decided that you’re ready to choose adoption, you’ll next choose your adoption professional. This is who will complete your adoption in Nebraska. The type of Nebraska adoption you want to pursue will likely influence the adoption agency you choose. Those types of adoption in NE include:

Domestic infant adoption

If you want to adopt an infant in Nebraska, a domestic adoption agency like American Adoptions is best able to help you through the process. National adoption agencies are recommended over smaller local agencies in Nebraska, because they offer all the services needed to adopt a baby in Nebraska and, instead of being restricted to only working with prospective birth and adoptive families within a small area, can work with people throughout the U.S. This results in shorter average adoption wait times and additional benefits that many other types of adoption professionals can’t offer.

Foster care adoption

If you’re flexible about the age and needs of the child you want to adopt in NE, a foster care adoption may be an ideal option for your family. There are an estimated 6,231 children in Nebraska foster care, and hundreds of those children are eligible for adoption. Many of those waiting children are older, part of a sibling group that must be adopted together, or have additional needs.

To learn more about foster care adoption in Nebraska, visit AdoptUSKids.org or begin your process here.

International adoption

For families who wish to adopt a child from another country and are comfortable not knowing much about a child’s background, an international adoption in NE might be a good option. The individual requirements, restrictions and costs of adopting a child internationally will vary depending on which country you adopt a child from, as well as the agency that you work with.

Learn more about international adoption in Nebraska here. Or, to begin an intercountry adoption in Nebraska, contact one of these NE international adoption agencies.

Beginning the Process of Adoption in NE

After deciding which kind of Nebraska adoption professional you want to complete your adoption in NE, as well as the specific agency you want to work with, the next step is to begin the adoption process.

At this point, American Adoptions’ adoptive families will fill out their Adoption Planning Questionnaire (APQ), create an adoption profile, complete the Nebraska adoption home study process and more.

These steps approve you to adopt in Nebraska by ensuring you meet all of the requirements. After gaining this clearance, your adoption profile will begin being shown to expectant mothers looking for adoptive parents in Nebraska and throughout the U.S.

Finding a NE Adoption Opportunity with Expectant Parents

There is no guarantee of exactly how long a prospective adoptive family will wait before receiving an adoption opportunity. On average, 75 percent of families who adopt a child through American Adoptions do so within anaverage of 12 months.

Adoption wait times vary due to factors like your openness to wide ranges of prospective birth mothers listed in your APQ and your openness to having post-adoption contact with your child’s birth family, as well as the individual preferences of expectant mothers searching for adoptive families.

Once a prospective birth mother selects you as a potential adoptive parent for her child, you will usually have an opportunity to get to know her through pre-placement contact mediated by your adoption specialist. Your adoption specialist will notify you when your baby is being born so you can travel to the hospital to meet him or her and the birth parents in person! 

Finalizing the Adoption in Nebraska

The final step of adoption in NE is the adoption finalization hearing.

Before this can occur, a child’s biological parents must first give their consent to the adoption. This must not take place any sooner than 48 hours after the birth of their child, and must be issued in accordance with Nebraska adoption consent laws.

American Adoptions provides legal representation for both birth and adoptive parents so that everyone is protected, well-informed and fully prepared for the legal processes of adoption in NE before proceeding.

When you work with national adoption agencies like American Adoptions, you may adopt a child outside of the state of Nebraska. In this case, you’ll need to adhere to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) before you can return home to Nebraska with your baby. Any time children are adopted across a state border, ICPC will need to take place to make sure that these children are being placed into safe homes. ICPC is also required for adoptive families who live outside of NE and adopt a child from Nebraska. But if you reside in and adopt a child in Nebraska, you won’t need the additional step of ICPC.

Once you’re back in Nebraska with your child, you’ll need to complete your post-placement study. Your adoption finalization hearing will be scheduled several months after you have completed those requirements.

At the adoption finalization hearing, you’ll be granted legal parental rights and a final decree of adoption, which signifies that the Nebraska adoption process is complete.

A Lifelong Journey

Although the final legal step in your adoption is finalization, adoption in Nebraska is an ongoing process for adoptees as well as birth and adoptive families.

American Adoptions encourages open adoptions whenever situations allow, as studies have shown that increased openness has been beneficial for everyone involved, but especially for adoptees.

Open adoptions in Nebraska allow birth and adoptive families to remain in touch. There is no one way to have an open adoption, so families create the type of post-adoption relationship that works for everyone and makes everyone feel happiest.

For birth parents who prefer indirect contact with the adoptive family, American Adoptions can mediate contact for up to 18 years through a semi-open Nebraska adoption.

To learn more about how to adopt a baby in Nebraska with our agency, please call 1-800-ADOPTION or request free Nebraska adoption information online now.

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.