Easiest Way to Adopt a Child

With all of the children in need of a family, becoming an adoptive parent is a worthwhile and necessary venture for those looking to provide a loving home. As a potential adoptive parent, it may seem like a daunting process to go through all of the steps needed to adopt a child. The easiest method to adopt a child involves knowing where to begin.

Instructions

    • 1

      Research what it takes to become an adoptive parent. There are quite a number of things to keep in mind about the process, so be sure that you learn all that can be expected. Visit "American Adoption," "My Adoption Agencies" or "Adopt Help" online, or pick up one of the countless books on the subject such as "The Complete Adoption Book" or "Adoption Miracles," to arm you with the adequate resources.

    • 2

      Select your adoption agency. Due to subtle differences in adoption laws from state to state, select an agency located in the state in which you reside. Research the adoption agency via your state's Licensing Agency or the Better Business Bureau (BBB) before contacting one to ensure that they are a reputable organization and are licensed by the state to deal with adoptions.

    • 3

      Prepare for a home study. This is the process where a representative from the agency that you have chosen will come to your residence on at least one occasion and perform interviews. This process is to assess if your household is prepared to be a suitable candidate for adoption. They will be asking for personal references and documents such as a marriage license and birth certificates. This may be one meeting or a series of meetings, with at least one home visit where everyone that resides at the residence will need to be present.

    • 4

      Search the agency listings for a child. This does not have to be strictly relegated to the agency that you are working with, as additional agencies will have child photos available for perusal and will be willing to work with other agencies to find the right placement for their children. Once you've found a child, the agent that you're working with will contact the child's agent and a meeting will occur for all parties to determine if this placement will be a good fit.

    • 5

      Meet your child. Once you learn that you have been selected, you will learn more personal information about the child. The first time you meet the child will be followed by several more meetings where you will hang out with the child and get to know each other. This may occur over a few weeks, during which time you determine if it will be a good fit and all other paperwork is filed.

    • 6

      Invite a new child into your home. The child will now come to live with you as you file your intent to become the legal guardian. During the first few months of placement, your agent will work with you in a "post-placement" supervision. This is to provide helpful transitional techniques as well as to ensure that everything is going well.

    • 7

      Become the parents of the child. The final step is to go before a judge to have the process finalized, with the child's birth certificate amended to include you as the child's parents.

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