1. Who are the children?
2. Where are the children?
3. What are special needs?
4. Who can adopt?
5. What characteristics do agencies look for in prospective parents?
6. How do families become eligible to adopt?
7. We are now eligible to adopt; will we get any child we seek?
8. We are eligible to adopt; what can we do to make our search productive?
9. Why do people choose adoption?
10.Can I be involved in choosing the family for my baby?.
11.How will I know my baby is with a good family?
12. What rights does the father of the baby have?
13.If I choose adoption, when is my decision final?
14.What will my child be told about me and the adoption?
15.If I do make an adoption plan, will the sad feelings ever go away?
16.What are the eligibility conditions to adopt?
17.Must I be married to be able to adopt ?
18.Is there an age limit for a prospective adoptive parent ?
19.What Law is applicable to Adoptions ?
20.What is an illegal adoption ?
21.Is the age of the prospective parent a criterion in determining the selection of a child ?
22.Can I give specifications for the child I would like to adopt ?
23.Can I adopt if I already have a biological child?
24.What are the steps in the Adoption process ?
25.What are the Adoption Costs ?
26.Is there an order of preference in inter-country adoption ?
27.How long does the Adoption process take ?
28.What kind of information can I expect to get from the Indian Agency about the adoptive child ?
29.What is open adoption?
30.How do you terminate parental rights of the birth parents?
31.What is a stepparent adoption?
32.What is the ICPC and does it apply to me?

1.Who are the children?

They are children right here in the United States who are without permanent families due to neglect and abuse, and parental alcohol and drug abuse.

Back To Top

2.Where are the children?

Most of the children are in the custody of state social services; a few are in the custody of private adoption agencies.

While waiting for permanent families, they live in foster or group homes and, sometimes, residential treatment centers.

Some of the children have been in alternative care for a long time and will have had many different placements while waiting to be adopted. For some the wait will never end. All but a few of the children are legally free for adoption. For the others who are legal risk, there is a court ordered consent to search for a permanent family.

Back To Top

3.What are special needs?

In the field of adoption, "special needs" generally refer first to the age of the children waiting for adoption, the majority whom are between the ages of six and 18; then to psychological, behavioral, emotional, developmental, and medical problems associated with past environmental and biological causes.

The most prevalent environmental causes of special needs are neglect and abuse. Neglect alone is recognized to be the primary cause of a host of special needs in children. For older children waiting for adoption -- whose needs for nurturing and basic care (as well as emotional, spiritual, and intellectual growth) were often unmet in their birth families -- this is especially true.

Abuse, too, is a primary cause of special needs. Again, for older children waiting for adoption indications are that over 90% were physically and/or sexually abused prior to coming into foster care.
Biological special needs, which are those that originate with organic and/or genetic causes, are often further aggravated by neglect and abuse.

Examples of biological special needs include attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, autism, and fetal alcohol and drug syndromes.

Back To Top

4.Who can adopt?

The primary criteria are the ability to provide a safe, caring, permanent home; sufficient income to support a child; and good physical and mental health.

Back To Top

5.What characteristics do agencies look for in prospective parents?

It might seem as if extraordinary folks would be needed, and although adopting older kids is often challenging, those who do it are just everyday kinds of folks.

There are lots of differences among adoptive parents, such as age, race, religion, economic status, and educational backgrounds, yet there are many things they share in common.

The common denominators are:
* Belief that permanency and families make a difference and that no child is a "throwaway."
* Willingness to ask for help.
* Willingness to learn new parenting tools (sometimes by trial and error!), even when you've got lots of previous parenting or other child care experience.
* Willingness to hang in there when the going gets tough!
* Ability to talk openly about sexual abuse and other things that are scary (scary not only to kids but to adults, too!).
* Ability to define family roles and provide safe boundaries for all family members.
* Ability to be realistic and flexible about themselves and their kids.
* Ability to laugh and maintain a sense of humor!
* Sufficient self-esteem to care enough about themselves and their kids to develop good support among family, friends, professionals, and community resources.

6.How do families become eligible to adopt?

Families become eligible by having a special needs adoption homestudy done by a licensed adoption agency in the state in which they reside.

Each state designates which agencies to license for adoption services. In some, only the state human services department is licensed. In others, both public and private adoption agencies are licensed. Families may call their state agency or check the Yellow Pages of their local telephone directory under "Adoption ..." for listings of agencies in their community.

Although the format for homestudies varies among states and even among agencies in the same state, criminal background checks and current medical exams are required by law for all prospective adoptive parents.

The length of time the homestudy process takes varies among adoption agencies and among states. The time frame generally is somewhere between two to nine months.

A written document is made of the homestudy, which includes the personal history, health and financial statements, and criminal background checks for each adult living in the family home, as well as an assessment made by a social worker assigned to get to know and to evaluate the family. This document is the primary way that children's caseworkers get to know you. It is a recommendation by the adoption agency representing you that you are qualified to adopt children with special needs.

7.We are now eligible to adopt; will we get any child we seek?

Not necessarily. The custodial agency may be evaluating a number of families for that child. The family chosen will be the one the agency feels can best meet the child's needs. That may mean a family skilled in dealing with post trauma stress, fetal alcohol syndrome, or ADHD. Or it may be a family who has access to special resources.

When an agency and you decide that you are the most appropriate family, the child's worker will set up a series of visits between you and the child. If the visits are successful, the child will come home to you.

When this supervisory stage has been successfully completed, you will go to court to legalize your child's adoption.

8.We are eligible to adopt; what can we do to make our search more productive?

* Read the waiting child feature in your local newspaper.
* Read adoption books; listen to adoption tapes. * Attend Adoption Fairs and Adoption Parties.
* Attend conferences on adoption and parenting techniques.
* Educate your extended family and your friends.
* Participate in an adoptive parent support group and get wonderful support before, during, and after you adopt.
*If there is no adoptive parent support group in your community, start one!
* Acquaint yourself with counseling services that specialize in adoption issues, as well as educational and social services in your community.
* Begin to plan for the changes that a new child will bring to you and your family!

Back To Top

Yes! You choose your adoptive couple if you want to. You can spend time with them to get to know them. Many Birthparents meet for dinner, go to doctor visits together, talk on the telephone and/or write to each other. You can be the one to hand the baby to them at the hospital. Or, you can make your choice without meeting them. Open adoption allows you to decide how open or private you want your relationship to be with the family you choose.

You will know that your baby is with a good adopting family because you choose them, meet them and get to know them. Even if you prefer not to have much contact, your couple will be thoroughly evaluated in an adoption homestudy process done by the state they live in. This includes assessments of their marital stability, financial situation, lifestyle, and medical history. Then fingerprints will be taken to verify there is no record of criminal activity or child abuse. Their home will also be inspected by a social worker to ensure it is a safe environment for a child. We also provide education on adoption and parenting for them. After all of these requirements are met, the family may go before the adoption judge and finally be declared a permanent family.

If we know who he is, and we can locate him, he does have a right to know about the adoption. At times, a Birthfather may be hesitant about adoption at first, but then realizes that he may not have the time or resources to parent the child. Usually he just needs reassurance that he will not be shut out of the adoption process and can be involved if he chooses. We will speak to him for you if you would prefer and guide him through the adoption process. Our attorney is also available to advise him of his rights and responsibilities and execute the necessary paperwork. If he is not available, our attorney has a legal process to handle that situation as well.

13.If I choose adoption, when is my decision final?

Under California law, your adoption placement agreement is signed once you have given birth and are medically discharged from the hospital. It is a good idea to think about your plans as early in your pregnancy as possible. Especially if you would like to get to know a family and want the baby to go home with them from the hospital. Once you have signed the Adoption Placement Agreement, you have thirty calendar days until it becomes irrevocable. On the 31st day, your adoption is irrevocable (permanent). You may sign a WAIVER, which eliminates the ninety-day grace period. Your counselor will discuss this with you if you choose adoption.

14.What will my child be told about me and the adoption?

The couple who adopts your child will be given information about your background, family and medical history, interests and hobbies - what you are like as a person. They will learn how and when to share this information and how to answer your child's questions with love and sensitivity. They will explain the very difficult and unselfish decision you made when you decided adoption would be best for your child.

15.If I do make an adoption plan, will the sad feelings ever go away?

YES! There may always be a bit of sadness in your heart that circumstances for you were not different. Amy an eighteen year old Birthmother once said,"Any remorse or sadness that I once felt, was replaced with the joy, warmth, love, security, and financial stability that my adoptive couple will provide for my child. I can now plan to reorganize my life and create a future for myself. I could not have accomplished this without the support and concern of the people at Adoption Network.

16.What are the eligibility conditions to adopt?

Marital status

Married couples or single adults who have a steady income, sufficient to bear the family expenses and provide financial security for the child.

Age

a) Infants preferably up to 12 months can be placed with adoptive parents whose composite age is 85 years and where neither parent has crossed 45 years.

b) In the case of older adoptive parents, the age of the child has to commensurate as far as possible with the age difference of the parent e.g. a child is 1 year + may be placed with a 46 year old, 2 years with a 47 years old.

c) A child may be placed in adoption before it reaches the age of 12 as far as possible.

d) In case of Special Needs children with medical problems, the age limit of adoptive parents may be relaxed by CARA on case to case basis.

e) However, in no case the age of an adoptive parents should be above 55 years.

Family conditions

Those who live in a home environment comfortable for themselves and their child.

17.Must I be married to be able to adopt ?

Not necessarily; married couples and a single female are both allowed to adopt

18.Is there an age limit for a prospective adoptive parent ?

Yes, the minimum age is 21 years. A maximum age has not been specified; however, as a matter of practice, agencies do not encourage adoptions by persons who are more than 45 years of age.

19.What Law is applicable to Adoptions ?

In-country adoptions can be made by Hindus under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act (19..)Non- Hindus are not permitted by their religions to adopt and may take a child as a Ward under the Guardians…. Act (19..). NRIs may also, adopt under these Provisions.
A foreigner adopting from India, is given the child under the Guardian and Wards Act and is expected, within a period of 2 years, to legally formalise the adoption as per the Laws of the country of his/ her residence.

Yes, generally infants are not placed for adoption with older couples (beyond 40 years); an older couple has to adopt an older child one who has crossed infancy.

Back To Top

23.Can I adopt if I already have a biological child?

Yes, except that, you cannot adopt a second child of the same sex if you already have a biological or an adopted one.

24.What are the steps in the Adoption process ?

The adoption process is determined by the following classification :
1. Domestic adoptions (Indian nationals including NRIs)
2. Inter- country adoptions

In-country Adoptions (Indian nationals including NRIs)

• The formal process begins with registration ; the prospective parents must register with an agency of their choice. Registration involves documentation to declare intent to adopt, substantiated by documents establishing marital, financial , character and health status vis-à-vis suitability to adopt. A part of the documentation also, calls upon the prospective parents to indicate their choices if any, in selecting a child; the prospective parents may give specifications such as age, sex, religion, physical features, medical fitness, etc. about the child that they wish to adopt. The details of the documents required are given below:

An inter-country adoption (Non- Resident Indians and foreign nationals) may take longer- upto about 6 months after the child is identified.

29.Which are the pre- registration documents ?

Open adoption is when the adoptive parents maintain some communication or contact with the birth parents. Often, this means that the adoptive parents send a picture of the child and letter to the birth parents once a year. Some adoptive parents and birth parents develop a closer relationship and visit; some birth parents don't have any contact with the adoptive parents or child after the adoption.

In New Hampshire, there are some parents that have an open adoption arrangement. However, there is nothing in the adoption laws about open adoption, so any agreement about staying in contact with the child probably cannot be enforced in Court.

31.How do you terminate parental rights of the birth parents?

he adoption cannot happen until the birth parents have agreed to the adoption or until the birth parents no longer have any rights to the child.

1. Consent to Adoption -- Often, the birth mother, and sometimes the birth father, have thought for a long time about the decision to place a child for adoption. In that case, the birth parents can go to Court and sign a document in front of the judge consenting to place the child for adoption. When the child is being placed by an adoption agency this is called Relinquishment of Parental Rights. The birth parents cannot sign these forms until at least 72 hours after the baby was born.

2. Termination of Parental Rights - the rights of the birth parents can be terminated without their agreement or even without their knowing about it in certain circumstances. If a birth parent has abandoned a child, or not supported the child, or done certain other things, that parent's rights can be terminated after the Court has had a hearing on this

32.What is a stepparent adoption?

A stepparent adoption is when a child is adopted by his or her stepmother or stepfather. The natural parent and the stepparent both have to sign the petition to adopt. The rights of the other natural parent have to be terminated - by consenting to the adoption or by involuntarily termination of parental rights. Usually, the Court will not require a homestudy in a stepparent adoption, although the stepparent must still have a criminal background check and abuse/neglect registry check.

The ICPC is the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. This is a law that deals with bringing children across state lines for adoption. If you are adopting a child from a different state, you need permission of the ICPC Administrator in that state before the child can leave. The ICPC Administrator in the child's home state will review papers to determine whether the child is free for adoption, health status, and the appropriateness of the adoptive home. Then, the ICPC in your home state will review the information and determine whether the child has permission to enter your home state. You need permission of both ICPC in the child's state and ICPC in your state to bring the child home.

If you are adopting a child from the same state, then you do not need to follow the ICPC requirements.

Back To Top