Is Adoption Right For You?
1. Can I financially provide for my child?
2. Will my child have a father figure in his life?
3. Will I have time to properly care for a child?
4. Am I ready to be a parent?
If you answered no to any of these questions adoption may be the best option for you. There are many questions you may have before even considering adoption. Here are some frequently asked questions:
- Will my child know about his or her adoption?
There are adoption professionals that explain to adoptive parents why it is important for adopted children to understand their adoption stories from a young age. This helps answer many adoptees’ questions about adoption and avoids any shock if told as an older child or adolescent. In the end, your child will always understand that you chose adoption because you wanted the best life possible for him or her.
- What do adopted children think about being adopted?
Because most adopted children have so many opportunities that they wouldn't otherwise have had, they view their adoption as a gift given to them by their birth parents
- Will my child hate me for choosing adoption?
Think about it: A child who grows up with loving parents, a comfortable home, a good school and is provided an overall great life is going to be a happy child. Why would this child have any bad feelings toward his or her birth parents for making such a decision?Dictionary of Adoption Terms
The following is a helpful dictionary of useful adoption-related terminology.
Adoptive parent: The adopting parent is the full legal parent of a child. His/her rights and responsibilities are the same as a biological parent’s.
Caseworker: A professional social worker who completes the adopting parents' homestudy. The caseworker analyzes the issues surrounding adoption with the adopting parents. He or she counsels birthparents, both prior to and after the child's birth, and completes the documents that terminate the birthparent's parental rights. After the child's birth, the caseworker visits with the adoptive parents for post-placement supervision.
Closed Adoption: An adoption is closed when the adoptive and birthparents have not met, do not plan to have any contact after the child is placed, and do not share identifying information. The agency handling the legal paperwork is the intermediary that knows both the adoptive and birthparents. Every state has different laws about the release of identifying information. In California, the adoptee must be at least 18 years old and the birthparents must have signed a release of information at the time of placement.
Domestic Adoption: Refers to an adoption when the adoptive family and the child adopted both reside within the United States.
Dossier: A collection of required documents presented in support of a petition to adopt a child overseas. It becomes the foreign country's paper representation of the adopting family, and it is used to "approve" the family adopting a child from its country. The specific paperwork may vary from country to country, but many documents are duplicates from the home study or for the CIS.
Finalization: The court action that legalizes the adoption. This occurs approximately seven to eight months after the child's placement in the adoptive family's home. The post-placement supervision and the birthparent's relinquishment paperwork must be completed before the adoption can be finalized.
Homestudy: A written report required for individuals and couples who wish to adopt. The homestudy serves as an educational tool for adopting parents, and the information gathered assures that the child will be placed in a qualified home.
Open Adoption: Technically speaking, open adoption means the adoption records are open. The birth and adoptive parents have agreed to allow access to identified information directly, or through their agency or adoption professional. "Open" adoption also may refer to the process of birthparents and adoptive parents creating a relationship together that is ongoing, both before and after the baby is placed in the adoptive home.
Post-Adoption Agreement: This is a voluntary and legally binding contact agreement between birth and adoptive parents. Both parties discuss what type of contact they envision after the birth, including letters and pictures, emails, telephone contact, and/or in-person visits.
Post-Placement Supervision: A caseworker will meet with the family four times for post-placement supervision. These visits, designed to ensure that the family is adjusting well to the baby's arrival, usually occur within the six months between the child's placement into the adoptive family’s home and the finalization of the adoption.
Private Adoption Agency: This is an organization licensed by the state to prepare homestudies, complete relinquishment of birthparents' parental rights, conduct post-placement supervision, and finalize adoptions. Services may also include outreach and counseling support to adopting parents and birthparents.
Relinquishment: This refers to the legal termination of birthparents' parental rights. At a relinquishment session, the birthmother signs relinquishment papers. This generally occurs within two weeks after the birthmother has been discharged from the hospital. Once the papers are filed with the Department of Social Services (DSS), relinquishment becomes irrevocable.
Adoptive parent: The adopting parent is the full legal parent of a child. His/her rights and responsibilities are the same as a biological parent’s.
Caseworker: A professional social worker who completes the adopting parents' homestudy. The caseworker analyzes the issues surrounding adoption with the adopting parents. He or she counsels birthparents, both prior to and after the child's birth, and completes the documents that terminate the birthparent's parental rights. After the child's birth, the caseworker visits with the adoptive parents for post-placement supervision.
Closed Adoption: An adoption is closed when the adoptive and birthparents have not met, do not plan to have any contact after the child is placed, and do not share identifying information. The agency handling the legal paperwork is the intermediary that knows both the adoptive and birthparents. Every state has different laws about the release of identifying information. In California, the adoptee must be at least 18 years old and the birthparents must have signed a release of information at the time of placement.
Domestic Adoption: Refers to an adoption when the adoptive family and the child adopted both reside within the United States.
Dossier: A collection of required documents presented in support of a petition to adopt a child overseas. It becomes the foreign country's paper representation of the adopting family, and it is used to "approve" the family adopting a child from its country. The specific paperwork may vary from country to country, but many documents are duplicates from the home study or for the CIS.
Finalization: The court action that legalizes the adoption. This occurs approximately seven to eight months after the child's placement in the adoptive family's home. The post-placement supervision and the birthparent's relinquishment paperwork must be completed before the adoption can be finalized.
Homestudy: A written report required for individuals and couples who wish to adopt. The homestudy serves as an educational tool for adopting parents, and the information gathered assures that the child will be placed in a qualified home.
Open Adoption: Technically speaking, open adoption means the adoption records are open. The birth and adoptive parents have agreed to allow access to identified information directly, or through their agency or adoption professional. "Open" adoption also may refer to the process of birthparents and adoptive parents creating a relationship together that is ongoing, both before and after the baby is placed in the adoptive home.
Post-Adoption Agreement: This is a voluntary and legally binding contact agreement between birth and adoptive parents. Both parties discuss what type of contact they envision after the birth, including letters and pictures, emails, telephone contact, and/or in-person visits.
Post-Placement Supervision: A caseworker will meet with the family four times for post-placement supervision. These visits, designed to ensure that the family is adjusting well to the baby's arrival, usually occur within the six months between the child's placement into the adoptive family’s home and the finalization of the adoption.
Private Adoption Agency: This is an organization licensed by the state to prepare homestudies, complete relinquishment of birthparents' parental rights, conduct post-placement supervision, and finalize adoptions. Services may also include outreach and counseling support to adopting parents and birthparents.
Relinquishment: This refers to the legal termination of birthparents' parental rights. At a relinquishment session, the birthmother signs relinquishment papers. This generally occurs within two weeks after the birthmother has been discharged from the hospital. Once the papers are filed with the Department of Social Services (DSS), relinquishment becomes irrevocable.
I found this topic to be very insightful. This would be very useful information for people looking to adopt or people that want to know more about this controversial topic.
ReplyDeleteI think that this could really change someone's future plans if they were to ever become pregnant and didn't know what to do with the child. Instead of taking the easy way out for yourself, you could consider who else could be hurt in the situation. For instance, the couple who is prepared to have a child but cannot would be losing a potential solution-- your child. All in all, I think that this is a great alternative to abortion and it won't hurt anyone in the end.
ReplyDelete