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Adoption
Questions & Answers
- What is a Home Study?
- How much are the adoption fees and who pays them?
- Why are there fewer babies available for adoption?
- What is meant by "open" and "closed" adoption?
- Why Should I Adopt Through Catholic Family Services?
- What is a Home Study?
A home study is both a tool for evaluation and education. This is probably your first time to sit down with a professional and talk intensively about adoption, to address your concerns and raise your questions. So it does have an educational component and this is the aspect we emphasize. However, it is an evaluation process also, one in which the prospective family and the agency will determine if each wishes to work with the other.
A home study is a lengthy, intensive process whereby the agency attempts to determine if the prospective adoptive parents have the spiritual, mental, emotional, and financial resources to parent a child lovingly and effectively. This process is done by a series of interviews with the social worker who specializes in working with adoptive families. At least one of these interviews will take place in your home. The social worker will look at issues such as: Why do you wish to adopt? How strong is your marriage? What are your views on parenting, adoption and discipline? What are your views about the birth mother?
A home study involves a great deal of paper work, including fingerprints, medical statement, credit reports and references. You will be asked to write about yourself, your past, your likes and dislikes. We will ask you to tell us the type of child you are open to and what issues with which you do not feel comfortable. For example, are you willing to accept a child with a family history of substance abuse? Are you willing to accept a child with a different ethnic background? These questions require considerable self-searching and our job is to help you sort through your feelings regarding these issues.
- How much are the adoption fees and who pays them?
Fees are paid by the adoptive family and include services to the adoptive family, the birth family and the child. Birth parents pay no fees. The usual fee is 10% of your annual gross income with a minimum fee of $2,000 and a maximum of $10,000. Fees may be adjusted or waived for special circumstances. Fees are payable as services are rendered.
See your accountant to see if you qualify for the adoption tax credit.
- Why are there fewer babies available for adoption?
While adoption is receiving increasing publicity in the United States, the number of annual adoptions has steadily decreased since the 1970's. It is currently estimated that two percent of unmarried pregnant women at any age place their children for adoption (Child Trends, 1995). The average fee for a domestic infant adoption is in the range of $25,000-$30,000 (Freundlich, 1998) Contrary to popular belief; Caucasian infants have historically been placed for adoption at higher rates than Black or Hispanic children who were more commonly taken in by relatives, however this too seems to be changing.
There are several reasons why fewer babies are available, including:
The vast majority of single parent are raising their children
There are now many private adoptions through attorneys, facilitators and for profit agencies.
Abortion and birth control contribute significantly to the decreased number of children available for adoption.
- What is meant by "open" and "closed" adoption?
Before a placement takes place, the birth parents and the adoptive parents must decide on the level of personal knowledge and contact with which they are comfortable. This contact is measured by the degree of openness. We will work with you during the home study process to determine what level of openness is best for you.
In a "closed" "confidential" or "traditional" adoption, only non-identifying social and medical information is exchanged between the birth parents and the adoptive family, with the agency social worker serving as the liaison. An "open adoption, can include direct and/or indirect contact between the birth parent(s) and the adoptive family with the agency as the mediator. Open adoption can include: (a) the birth parents choosing the adoptive family from portfolios, (b) the adoptive family sending photos and written updates to the birth parent(s) through the agency, (c) one or more face-to-face meetings at the agency between the birthparents and the adoptive family, using first names only. Sometimes the adoptive family and birthparents agree to ongoing direct contact with each other. The adoptive family has full custody of the child. This is not co-parenting.
The agency very much encourages the practice of openness in adoption, and more and more birthmothers are seeking openness in the adoption plan. Therefore, the more comfortable you are with this, and the more flexibility you show, the better it is for your efforts to adopt.
- Why Should I Adopt Through Catholic Family Services?
Adoption is not a one-time event but a lifetime commitment. CFS is here to provide ongoing support and information along the continuum, from services for the birthmother to assistance with reunification, and beyond. CFS has been providing adoption services for over seventy years. While times and the adoption process have changed, the agency's dedication to quality services has not. Each office provides objective and individualized services to each member of the adoption triad.
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