The Adoption Process

The adoption process has many steps and can be very lengthy. I will take you through the steps, explain them and tell you were we are in the process. So let's begin......

Ok, Cle and I decided we wanted to adopt so we researched the process on the web, brought books and of course we were very prayerful.

Choosing and Adoption Agency
We went to several meetings with a bunch of different agencies. We ultimately decided to go with an agency in New Jersey. Why New Jersey you ask? Well when you adopt a child who is born in New Jersey 72 hours after the baby is born the birth mother signs what they call surrenders, which terminates her rights as a parent and gives you full custody of the child.... which means that the mother can not change her mind.

In Pennsylvania, you receive custody of the baby, but the parental rights aren't terminated for about a month or so.... Which means in a nutshell the baby can be living with you for a month and then birth mom can change her mind.

The Process
Anyone who ever wants to adopt has to complete what they call a Homestudy. The homestudy is basically a probe into every aspect of your life, your family and your relationship with your spouse.
The first step in the homestudy once you have picked an agency is the background check stage. During the background check stage you have to be fingerprinted, get criminal abuse back round checks and child abuse checks. In our case we had to get them for Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The paperwork does not end there! You have to get reference letters from friends and neighbors, employment and insurance verification. You have to submit financial statements and tax returns proving that you are financially able to take care of a child. You have to have a complete physical by your doctor and you must answer a two page questionnaire.

Once your background check is complete, you have to take education courses on adoption and parenting and you also have to complete an autobiography for both parents to your social worker. The autobiography must answer a long list of questions like:
What was your home life like growing up?
What were you like as a child?
How was disciplined handled in your home?
Who were the biggest influences in your life as a teen?
What attracted you to your spouse?
The list goes on!
The next step in the process are the education course. You have to take 3 with our agency (we have our first one scheduled). The educational courses covers issues with adoption, parenting etc. During the course of the homestudy a home visit is scheduled (some agencies require two home visits). At the home visit the social worker basically checks out your house and makes sure that you are clean and your home is safe.

Once the education courses are complete your are approved to be parents! The social worker prepares a report on you and everything about you. Basically putting all of your business out on the street!

The journey sounds tedious but we are EXCITED NON THE LESS! We are looking foreword to welcoming our new addition. We are in the midst of our homestudy and we should be approved within a month or so. So keep us in your prayers!