An Overview of the Adoptive Process
This will look different depending on if you are adopting through a public agency (such as DHS) or private agency.
In the case of a public agency, the first steps will be to take the necessary training courses through your local DHS office. Once you have completed these courses, you will be subject to thorough background checks and evaluations of your fitness to have a child placed in your care as their forever home.
Then, unless you are related to or have another connection with the adopted child which moves you to the front of the list for them, you will need to wait for children to appear on the state’s adoption database. You can apply to be considered for these children based on the limited profile information you are provided, but moving forward in the process will be at the discretion of the child’s caseworker, who will examine your profile to see if they believe you are a good fit. If all things work out, adoption can take place once parental rights have been fully terminated or given up. One major advantage to going with a public agency is that the process is mostly free, but your choices and opportunities will be more limited.
Private adoptions will often look very similar to public adoptions, with the significant exception that you will be working with a private adoption agency and paying for fees associated with that service. However, private adoptions are able to avoid some of the hangups and extra difficulties that come with public adoptions, and for many, are therefore worth the cost. Especially if you are looking to adopt a newborn with fewer health considerations, it is probably the way to go.
PRC is not an adoption agency, but we have good relationships with many. If you have additional questions or would like to get connected with a great resources near you, give us a call today.