How are adoptive families matched with birth parents?
Love Basket’s Domestic program is “birth parent-driven,” meaning that expectant parents choose the adoptive family for their child. Once the application and home study process are completed, each family will receive guidance in preparing an Adoptive Parent Profile. It is from this collection of photos and biographical information that expectant parents make selection of adoptive parents for their child. At that time, the birth and adoptive parents usually meet in person, with a Love Basket staff member present to guide the initial conversation.
How long is the wait for placement of a child?
The length of the wait from the completion of a profile to the time of selection by birth parents can vary depending on many factors. Among these variables are the couple’s openness to various levels of contact with the birth family, to different ethnic backgrounds, and to the possibility of special needs. Statistically, the average wait time is one year.
Can we be on both the international and domestic waiting lists?
No.
What issues might an adopted child face in the future?
Love Basket makes every effort to gather information on the child and their birth parents through paperwork completed by the birth parents and available medical records and distributes this information to the prospective adoptive parents. Some children who are placed for adoption – whether placed as newborns or when older and regardless of birth country – may develop medical, mental health, adjustment, and/or behavioral problems as they mature that affect their functioning. It is not possible to predict which children will or will not experience these challenges in the future. Prospective parents need to be aware of these factors as they consider adoption.
What is the difference between a fully open adoption and a semi-open adoption?
Love Basket completes adoptions that are fully open (birth and adoptive parents meet, exchange identifying information, and communicate directly with each other), as well as those that are semi-open (birth and adoptive parents meet, exchange first names only, and communicate through the agency). Both birth and adoptive parents are encouraged to verbalize their preferences regarding contact prior to being matched. We do our best to match birth and adoptive parents by the degree of openness desired by both parties.
What can we specify about our prospective child?
In the domestic adoption program, a family can specify a child’s racial background, as well as special needs (if any). The vast majority of the children placed for adoption are newborns. A gender preference cannot be specified.
