Adoption is a major life choice for you as well as your potential child. We have taken a few tips from Tiffany Bluhm, mother of two boys via adoption and birth, writer, and speaker. Here are her tips to get started and questions to ask yourself about adoption.
Research where you want to adopt from
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- Do you want to adopt from the within the US or abroad? This is a big question and one that takes research and soul searching. It is a completely different animal adopting internationally rather than domestically. Research places and then utilize the State Department’s website to find out specifics about various countries if you choose outside to pursue adoption outside the United States.
Decide who you are going to adopt from
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- Finding an agency, a reputable agency, is not the easiest job but it will be worth your time to find out as much as you can about the agencies that work in the countries, even the US, you want to adopt from. Learn about the cost, time line, and travel requirements involved with each agency and country.
- If you are looking into foster to adopt or adopting from the State then won’t necessarily be looking at adoption agencies, but foster to adopt programs as well as state procedures to adopt.
Pursue a Home Study
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- Some home studies are provided through a chosen agency and other times they are not. A home study, an in depth study of your home, history, parenting beliefs, and everything else about your entire life, is necessary to adopt either domestically or internationally. Home studies can take a month to five months to complete. The sooner you can get started on your home study the better. Once you’ve chosen who you are going to adopt from they will walk you through the steps that pertain to the country or system you chose.
Stay Connected
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- Adoption forums and facebook groups are a great resource and can really help you get the inside scoop to know more about what you will be going through as an adoptive parent. With that said not all forums and groups are created equally so be mindful of what you share.
We couldn’t have said it better, that is why this is a direct repost from Tiffany’s Blog.