Levels of Contact

There are three main levels of contact that must be kept in mind when adopting a child.  Knowing the amount of contact the adoptive child and adoptive family will have with the birth parents is essential.  This leaves no room for surprises and makes everyones role in the child's life clear early on.

There are three main levels of contact that take place in an adoption situation. They are:

Adoption Home Study

I know what you are probably thinking. What is an adoption home study and do I need it??

The short answer- YES. The adoption home study is a very detailed written report about your family that is compiled and prepared by a social worker.  It can take three to six months to finish and requires the prospective adoptive family to gather different documents, answer several questions, and explore their many reasons for adopting.

Through a series of

Interviewing Adoption Professionals

Adoption is a lengthy process.  And as time goes on you will be interacting with many people in many different realms of the adoption world.  It is important that each of these people be working towards the same goal as you and have the same ethics and morals when achieving these goals.

There are several questions that you should ask to any adoption professional you meet before you commit to working with them. After all, you only want someone that you trust is knowledgeable and true when dealing with such an important issue.

Some of the questions you should keep in mind are:

Adoption Agency? HELP!

When considering putting your child up for adoption or adopting a child yourself, one of the first things that runs through any person's head is how to find the right adoption agency.  There are several good and bad signs that you should look for when choosing the right adoption agency.

Some warning signs to look out for are:

Openness in Adoption- A Firsthand Account

Perhaps one of the most difficult moments for any adoptive family is the moment when the adopted child must be told that he or she is adopted. However there are some strategies that can be employed to make the conversation go as smoothly as possible.

-I spoke to my cousin, Sam, who was adopted at just a few months old from an orphanage in India about her adoption and finding out that she is adopted. She said that she has always known that she is adopted. It is something that was told to her at a young age and has always been discussed in a very casual tone. She went on to say that it is this sense of normalness that has never made her feel that she is adopted. Her adoption is mentioned as being just another event in their lives, but nothing

Foster Care Adoption

Foster Care Adoption

When adopting domestically (adopting a child from the same country in which you reside), there are three different routes that one can take: closed adoption, open adoption, and foster care adoption. 

While all three are great options and have various advantages and disadvantages, foster care adoption is an amazing way to give children in the foster care system a forever home. 

Domestic vs. International Adoption

When you are looking into adoption, one of the biggest decisions you will make will be whether to adopt domestically or internationally.  

A domestic adoption means that you are adopting from the same country in which you reside, while an international adoption involves adopting from a country other than the one in which you currently reside. 

There are pros and cons to both domestic and international adoption, and ultimately the decision is yours.  You must do what is best for your family- however there are some things to keep in mind: