What Prospective Parents Should Know About the Adoption Process
It’s no secret the adoption process is a daunting one. For many families, even the journey of making the choice to adopt can be long and emotional. Once couples arrive with Adoption Choices of Kansas and begin the process, there are often more surprises and struggles along the way. Here is a little bit about what to expect, and some advice for those who have chosen or are considering adoption. With these tips in mind the process might just be a little easier. Please contact us by clicking here.
Take the time to grieve.
Often families come to us with a history of infertility, and find that the adoption process can be challenging. It’s pivotal to take the time to grieve and process the loss involved with infertility before beginning an adoption. This might look different for each family, but often therapy and support groups can help.
Really prepare for the home study process.
No, we don’t mean cleaning and baby-proofing. The home study process can be especially lengthy, and we find that prospective parents are sometimes surprised by this. Generally, the home study process is a series of meetings between the prospective adoptive parents and their counselor to assess the family’s suitability to be an adoptive parents. In addition to the meetings, prospective parents are required to complete a great deal of paperwork as well as attending educational classes. Our home study process is thorough, reflective, and in-depth due to the importance of ensuring the children entrusted to our care are placed with safe and loving families.
Expect uncertainty.
We never know how long a family will wait. Sometimes luck comes into play and a family waits only a matter of months, but often it is much longer. It’s important for families to prepare for the unpredictability of the wait, to be realistic in their expectations, and to understand that every family’s adoption journey is unique.
Self-care is important.
As most know before they begin, the adoption process includes a lot of waiting. From filing paperwork to completing the home study to being on the waitlist, there is a lot of idle time involved. Don’t stop living your life. The wait period feels faster and easier when families find ways to stay busy.
Finally, birth parents make adoption plans for many different reasons.
Many prospective parents who haven’t learned about adoption understand the situations of birth parents as mostly teenage pregnancies. Though that is sometimes the case, birth parents make adoption decisions for so many reasons. Often, Adoption Choices of Kansas birth parents are in their 20’s, 30’s and already parenting children. The birth parents may choose to make an adoption plan due to limited financial resources or the inability to parent the child in the manner they would want.
If you are ready to learn more about your adoption journey, please contact Adoption Choices of Kansas by clicking here.
