Adoption Options: For Prospective Adoptive Parents

By Elizabeth Ehlen, MSW LCS, Dewey Crepeau, Esq. and Katharine Taylor

Are you thinking about adoption as a way to expand your family, but are utterly overwhelmed about where to start? Adoption Options: For Prospective Adoptive Parents breaks down the basic types of adoptions in the United States - public, private and international - and lists the pros and cons to each. Additionally, the book describes how you should start the process of deciding whether adoption is right for you and how to pursue the right fit for your family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483536347

Book preview

Adoption Options: For Prospective Adoptive Parents

Dewey Crepeau, Esq. and Elizabeth Ehlen, MSW LCSW

Are you thinking about adoption as a way to expand your family, but are utterly overwhelmed about where to start? Adoption Options: For Prospective Adoptive Parents breaks down the basic types of adoptions in the United States - public, private and international - and lists the pros and cons to each. Additionally, the book describes how you should start the process of deciding whether adoption is right for you and how to pursue the right fit for your family.

Disclaimers

(Legalese) All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or redistributed in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the authors. Reviewers may quote brief passages in reviews. Copyright 2013 Dewey Crepeau and Elizabeth Ehlen

(Plain English) This eBook is licensed for your personal use only. It may not be resold or given away to others without the express written consent of the authors. Please purchase an additional copy for anyone you would like to share this eBook with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. All links were working at time of publication but may have changed since. While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this publication, neither the author nor the publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter. The reader is responsible for his or her own actions. It is the reader’s responsibility to adhere to all local laws, rules and regulations. Neither the authors nor the publishers assume any responsibility or liability whatsoever on the behalf of the purchaser or reader of these materials.

Table of Contents

Types of Adoption

Chapter 1 The Big Picture

Chapter 2 What exactly is Adoption?

Chapter 3 What are the Types of Adoptions?

Chapter 4 A Closer look at private adoption

Chapter 5 Private Adoption: Embryo Adoption

Chapter 6 Domestic Adoption Agency Adoptions

Chapter 7 Domestic Independent Adoption

Chapter 8 A Closer Look at Public Adoption

Chapter 9 A Closer Look at International Adoption

Adoption Considerations

Chapter 10 Consideration: Type of Child

Chapter 11 Consideration: Cost

Chapter 12 Consideration: Contact with Birth Family

Chapter 13 Consideration: Family and Friends Reactions

Chapter 14 Consideration: Birth Parents and History

Chapter 15 Consideration: Telling the Child About Adoption

Basic Process

Chapter 16 Decide to Adopt

Chapter 17 Choosing a Type or Method

Chapter 18 Home Study

Chapter 19 Match

Chapter 20 Match Failure

Chapter 21 Placement

Chapter 22 Post-placement Supervision

Chapter 23 Finalization

Section 4 After Finalization

Chapter 24 Openness in Adoption in More Detail

Chapter 25 Do Adopted Kids Turn Out OK?

Chapter 26 American Orphanages

Chapter 27 Bar Code Babies

Chapter 28 To Sum Up

Types of Adoption

We hope you enjoy this overview of the basic types of adoption in the United States. This ebook was written as a brief overview of adoption in the US - it cannot be a comprehensive guide if for no other reason adoption law varies from state to state. But hopefully you can use this to help you to decide if adoption is the right way for you to complete your family, and if so, what adoption process will work the best for you.

While it is important to determine what will be best for your family, keep in mind that adoption processes are supposed to be focused on the best welfare of the child. That doesn’t mean that you should not adopt if you are very specific about what kind of child you envision for your family. It does mean that you may be best suited for a particular type of adoption and it is important to figure out which type that may be. It may also mean your wait will be longer than average. However, as long as you believe that you can provide a stable home for a child who needs one and meet basic state requirements, adoption is possible for you.

Chapter 1 The Big Picture

Adoption has changed in ways great and small over the years. From the orphan trains and group homes of the last century to embryo adoption in the new millennium, adoption is constantly changing, much like our culture and society. In some ways, it is like evolution theory. There are big changes, and there are small changes, and it is ongoing. In the American legal system, adoption has gone from being unrecognized by statute to being heavily regulated.

But just because adoption is harder now (and probably more expensive) than it was 30 years ago, it doesn’t mean it can’t be done. Every day, in courthouses all over the country, adoptions are finalized, bringing a child to parents and parents to a child.

If you are thinking that you would like to adopt, don’t think that you can’t do it. But realize that what you grew up with, or even what you heard about your friend’s adoption just a few years ago, may not be the same as what you can expect today. Changes are certain, and not just because of the passage of time. Adoption laws and practices vary greatly, not just from country to country, but from state to state and even across different counties. Within the same court, different judges will bring their own perspective on how to handle an adoption. We can honestly say that adoption law is one of the most varied legal practices that we have seen. Many lawyers view adoption as the civil law’s version of the death penalty, as adoption almost always involves terminating parental rights. It is an apt analogy, and we are forever in awe of the biological parents who can sacrifice their rights knowing that it is for their child’s best interests.

Bottom line: adoption is about finding the best family for a child who needs a home.

Chapter 2 What exactly is Adoption?

Adoption is the legal process by which a child, who is not your biological or genetic offspring, becomes your child, and in turn, you become his or her parent. This means that you assume all rights and responsibilities