Heaven Sent

About Adoption
Home
About us
2005 Schedule
Testimonials
Links & Resources
Recommended Reading
Definitions
About Adoption
About Foster Care

Who, what, why, when, where and how

So you've decided to adopt - or you think maybe you want to... And you're wondering just where to begin. The best "first step" is to talk to people who have done it - or are already in the process of adoption!  Getting together with people who have (recent) experience is the best way to get your questions answered and see adoption at work firsthand. All people at any stage of the adoption process (the "curious," the "considering" the "waiting" and the "completed") are welcome at Heaven Sent. Please feel free to contact us at any time about our get togethers or just to chat: andie@springoflife.org.
 
We will be adding to this page over the next few weeks. Check back in for the "How to Adopt Process" and more! If you have anything you'd like to see here, we welcome suggestions - please email andie@springoflife.org with your ideas...
 
Thank you!
 

You're looking for an agency... Here are some questions you might want to ask:

General Questions

  • Do I need to provide medical evidence of infertility to work with your agency?
  • Do any special requirements apply to the programs I am most interested in, such as marital status, age, weight restrictions?
  • What is the typical timeline from home study to referral in the program I am most interested in?

Fees

  • What are your fees?
  • Do you have a sliding-scale fee based on income?
  • Are there any fee reductions for adopting a special needs or older child?

Location

  • Are you licensed to place children in my home state?
  • Have you worked with other families in my area? If so, is it possible for me to connect with them?
  • How much of an adoption community can I form by working with this agency?

Experience

  • How long have you placed children through the program I am interested in?
  • How many children from that country/program have you successfully placed with families?
  • Have there been any disrupted adoptions? If so, why?
  • What kind of post-adoption services does the agency provide?
  • Does this agency view adoption as a life-long journey?
  • Does your agency offer programs and services to adult adoptees?

Ideaology

  • Was this agency founded on religious principles? If so, what are they?
  • What is this agency's policies and attitudes with regard to search? And open adoption?
  • Will this agency recognize that my child has a right to search or not search for his/her birth parents, based on individual temperament?
  • If my child conducts such a search, will the agency respect this right and assist in locating the birth parents and reuniting them with my child?
  • If the agency does provide assistance, how old does my child have to be to initiate his/her own birth parent search?
  • What is the agency's policy on parent-initiated searches?
  • How will the agency protect my family's right to privacy if my child does not wish to be contacted by her birth parents?
  • What kind of parenting classes or instruction does the agency offer?
  • How will the agency adequately prepare us for the unique challenges of raising a child of (in many cases) another race?
 

Some helpful websites about getting started in the adoption process and what to expect after adoption: