How to Work Most Effectively with Prospective Birthparents When you adopt a child from a foreign country, in addition to the legal issues specifically related to making the child a member of your family, you may also be required to “re-adopt” the child once you return to the United States. Whether or not you must […]

Being a Foster Parent According to most recent data, there are currently more than 500,000 children in the United States who are somewhere in the foster care system. The unfortunate reality is that there simply are not enough families for all of them. While some find success and happiness in foster homes, the majority spend […]

The Challenges of Adopting a Toddler While many adoptive parents want only newborns, statistics show that nearly half of all domestic adoptions (47%) and a majority of international adoptions (59%) involve children between the ages of one and four. Authorities say that, with the large numbers of children between the ages of six and 12 […]

Getting the Information You Need from a Prospective Birthmother When you are considering adopting an infant, and have learned about a potential birthmother, you may have a lot of questions, the answers to which will help you determine whether the relationship is a good fit. Experts advise caution as you gather information from a potential […]

How to Work Most Effectively with Prospective Birthparents When you are seeking to adopt an infant, one of the most harrowing aspects of the process can be the uncertainty involved. Even though you may have met with the prospective birthmother, and feel that you have a relationship of trust, the birthmother can still change her […]

Adopting a Child without Using an Agency—The Benefits and Risks of Independent Adoption Though public perception often seems to indicate that most families seeking to adopt work with an adoption agency, statistics show that private or independent adoptions are far more common. Though five states require the use of an adoption agency, agency adoptions typically […]

The Importance of Counseling in the Adoption Process An adoption is a monumental event in the lives of the child, the birthparents and the adoptive parents. It’s not a decision to be made lightly, and probably not a process to experience without some form of counseling. Counseling for Adoptive Parents Many adoptive parents, unfortunately, fail […]

The Steps to a Successful Adoption If you’re seriously thinking about adopting a child, here are some of the things you’ll want or need to do to improve your chances of a successful adoption: Learn as much as you can about the adoption process: You’ll have lots of options—domestic vs. international adoption, open vs. closed […]