Adoptive Parents

Considering Adoption?

Are you considering adopting a baby in the United States? Chances are you’re pursuing a Domestic Adoption. What exactly is Domestic Adoption?

Married Couples Choosing Adoption

While it is important to be very excited about this new stage of your life, it is also important to...

Requirements To Adopt A Child

So you’ve decided to adopt a child, but you know you’re only at the beginning of what is sure to...

Why You Need an Adoption Lawyer: Protect Your Rights and Ensure a Safe Adoption Process

Why You Need an Adoption Lawyer Adopting a baby is a beautiful and life-changing event that involves adding a new...

Am I Ready to Adopt a Child?

Should I work with an attorney or agency? Depending on where you live, state regulations will determine with whom you...

Why Adopt?

Long ago, this process of finding a family with whom to place a child was mysterious. But now thanks to...

5 Things to Know (And Do) Before You Adopt

Start researching: State and federal regulations Rights and responsibilities of birth and adoptive parents Services that attorneys and agencies provide...

Adoption Benefits

Adoption can be viewed from many different angles. The Birth Parents, the Adoptive Parents, and the child themselves all have...

Adoption Risks

What are the Risks, and How Can I Protect Myself? Don’t try to do it yourself. Find a reputable adoption professional to...

Requirements / Can I Adopt?

Can I Adopt? A Guide to Adoption Eligibility in the U.S. Adoption can be one of the most meaningful decisions...

Adoption After Infertility

About 10 percent of women (6.1 million) in the United States have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to...

Adoption Experience

Adoptive parents get to experience parenting in a unique way, and are equally unique as individuals. People who choose to...

Looking To Adopt A Baby Girl Or Boy?

Oftentimes, knowing whether a child is going to be a boy or a girl is a small miracle before the...

Employer Provided Benefits

Types of Adoption Benefits Employer­ provided adoption benefits can usually be sorted into three main categories: information, financial assistance, and...

Federal Family and Medical Leave Act

What is it? According to an article for U.S. News and World Report, the FMLA can entitle an eligible employee...

Domestic Adoption Loans and Grants

Don’t Let Lack of Finances, Information, or Help Stop You When it comes to adoption, the most important component is...

Additional Finance Options

Adopting With A Budget Adoption can be incredibly expensive, making it a very large, and very serious investment. Many couples...

How to Financially Protect Yourself

Why You Need Financial Protection The cost of adoption can be very high, so when an adoption disruption occurs, you...

Adoption Tax Credit

The Federal Adoption Tax Credit allows certain adoption expenses to be credited within your Federal Tax Returns. The Federal Adoption...

How Much Does it Cost?

Sessions with an Adoption Attorney Adoption Network Law Center’s former Chief Counsel, Kristin A.F. Yellin makes a guest appearance on...

How to Afford Your Adoption

Whatever your situation, you may wish to consider: 1. Loans You may not like the idea of borrowing money for...

What are Birth Mother Expenses?

Since the Adoptive Families are responsible for these payments, many are curious about what exactly this cost entails and what...

Why Does Adoption Cost So Much?

Private US Newborn Adoption Costs Private US newborn adoption costs often range from $35,000 to $50,000 and Adopting Parents must...

Adoption Process

When adopting a child, there are various steps in the adoption process. Be educated. View our step by step guide on how to adopt a baby.

A Complete List of Adoption Home Study Questions

How do I prepare for a home study? Preparing for an adoption process is no small task. There will be...

The Home Study Process in Adoption: How Adoption Agencies Guide Families

The home study is an important part of the adoption process. It is an evaluation of home life, relationships, parenting...

How Adoption Agencies Provide Important Pre-Adoption Education & Training

The Importance of Pre-Adoption Education & Training for Prospective Parents Pre-adoption education and training are important parts of the adoption...

How Agencies Support Families Through The Adoption Process

How Adoption Agencies Support Families Through the Adoption Process Adoption can be tough and puzzling for adoptive parents, birth parents,...

Adoption Process Overview

Step 1: Learn How to Adopt a Baby / Select the Type of Adoption That is Right For You As...

Applying to Adopt

Applying to Adopt: How to Fill Out Your Adoption Application Form After careful consideration of your family building options, you’ve...

Adoption Home Study Guide

As part of the process, a home study requires you to undergo a number of visits and interviews as well...

Adoption Wait Time

How Long Should You Be Prepared to Wait? The process of adoption can vary in time. Families have waited from a couple...

What Happens at the Hospital?

Before The Birth Once she has selected a hospital, it is important that your adoption professional contacts the social worker...

About Birth Parents

When it comes to birth fathers, there are a number of scenarios that Birth Mothers may be dealing with when it comes to the birth father.

Benefits Of Contact With The Birth Parents

In cases of private domestic adoption, where adoptive parents are adopting a domestic newborn baby, the birth mother (the baby’s...

Do Birth Mothers change their mind?

One of the biggest fears hopeful adoptive parents may face is if an expectant mother will change her mind about...

What is a Birth Mother scam?

5 Tips To Protect Yourself From An Adoption Scam There are different variations of adoption fraud. In a private, US...

Will I know the health of the Birth Mother and Baby?

You will be asked to accept the fact that a healthy child may develop a medical, developmental or emotional illness...

How we screen our Birth Parents

The Screening Process: An Overview Our screening process is composed of a few key factors. Each is put in place...

Relationships with Birth Parents

Adoptive Parent(s) Looking For A Relationship These prospective parents are eager to get to know the biological parent of their...

Financial Support for a Birth Mother

In the majority of states, Adoptive Parents can pay for “customary and reasonable” adoption-related expenses. All expenses are reviewed by...

What is a Contested Adoption?

What is a contested adoption? Contested adoptions typically occur in instances of infant adoption, when one biological parent, typically the...

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you interested in adoption, but have questions you need answered?

Newborns

Here is a collective area of information on newborns.

Survival Guide for Parents of Newborns

Sleep No kidding, if at all possible sleep when the baby sleeps. For sure you, mom, as your body needs...

Newborn Baby Care

Basic baby care goes something like this: Babies have three primary functions at this point—they eat, sleep and poop. Usually...

Newborn Safety

Car safety Obviously the way to get the baby home from the hospital is in a car. If you have...

Helping Children Welcome a New Sibling

Here are some ideas for helping children welcome a new sibling: Ahead of delivery, talk about what the new brother...

School

Adoption and handling school situations.

Starting School & Disclosing Adoption

Adoption & Classroom Activities: Preschool to Kindergarten

What most parents don’t consider is that even in these early grades, there will be classroom activities that will touch...

What does adoption mean to people?

Resources for each age group that are being adopted.

Infant – 3 years old

Just because they don’t understand adoption, does not mean that they should not hear the word or their story. The...

4 – 6 years old

Continue answering honestly: “She has a baby in there.” If they ask if they came from your belly, answer “No....

7- 9 years old

They compare themselves to others. Their behavior, language and fashion style are being shaped by what they see and by...

Preteens

Preteens are more influenced by peers and are exposed to new ideas and lifestyles. In their desire to belong, they...

14 – 16 years old

Teens often accept the opinion or direction of a peer or adult mentor (such as a teacher or sports coach)....

17 – 18 years old

Adoption should have been discussed throughout their lifetime, the process explained and questions answered. There may still be unknown information...

Siblings

If adopted themselves, this is a great opportunity to discuss adoption in general with your child and to add details...

Grandparents

You have a lot of fears. What you know about adoption is from the media. All of those situations end...

Holidays

Resources to handle the holidays with you and your family.

Including Child’s Heritage in Holiday Celebrations

FOODS Add a dish from your child’s place or birth to your menu. Search World Cuisine here. Make an equivalent...

What If We Don’t Celebrate Christmas

Your family may have its own rules, expectations and observances. Just because the majority of American families celebrate Christmas doesn’t...

Handling Your Child’s Holiday “Gimmies”

Everywhere you look, there are catalogs, print ads, commercials and jingles encouraging you to “choose me” for the holidays. In...

Holiday HELP

(H) HOLIDAY TRADITIONS Think through your family traditions, past celebrations and events. What do you wish to celebrate this year?...

Celebrating Birth Mother’s Day

History of Birth Mother’s Day Unlike Mother’s Day, Birth Mother’s Day is not a holiday that is marked on the...

Talking About Adoption

As you’ve probably heard over and over again, it is important to talk to your adopted child talk to your adopted child about how they joined your family.

Newborn – 18 months

Infants – 18 months Infants prefer the sound of familiar voices, which are reassuring and soothing. The volume and tone...

18 months – 3 years

They also like looking at pictures of themselves, family members, friends and places they know. They can look and listen...

3 – 4 years old

They like repetition, which enables them to dissect, understand and give back information, such as directions or likes and dislikes....

4 – 5 years old

Continue to share your child’s adoption story with them, adding a few more details each time. Then, ask your child...

6 – 7 years old

Comparing oneself to peers and insecurities is common for all children at this age. This is also the age, when...

8 – 9 years old

They are more independent and trying to fit in. They are socially active and want to be one of the...

10 – 13 years old

You want to be part of that conversation. They can become moody and try to push you away in an...

14 – 16 years old

Teens are developing an identity and are influenced by who they are, who their friends are and who they want...

17 – 18 years old

They have hopes and dreams for their future, fall in love easily and frequently and turn to peers as role...

Adult “Children” of Adoption

Being an adult is all about experimenting with the things you learned and the values you were taught and believe...

Knowing When You’re Ready to Talk

You have even read articles about it, looked at children’s books to read with them and spoken with other adoptive...

Parental Guidance

Here is some guidance for some of our new parents.

Teens with Special Needs

Add in any kind of special need and parenting becomes that much more complicated. It’s true that not all children...

Common Conditions in Toddlers

So what’s a parent to do? The best first call is most often to your pediatrician’s office. By now you...

Disciplining Young Children

Webster’s dictionary defines discipline as training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character. So disciplining children...

Parenting Siblings

Of course not all siblings are equal. The first one gets all the firsts, the baby book, the “oohs” and...