Expectant parents making an adoption plan have the option of selecting the adoptive parents for their child. This is done through the review of profiles completed by waiting adoptive parents. Each Adoptive Parent profile includes various aspects of their lives such as: photos of the couple and their home, income, reasons for adopting, hobbies, interests, etc. Sometimes, expectant parents have particular thoughts on the educational background, income, religious background, location (urban or rural), or other factors regarding the adoptive family that may be important to them. Sharing these preferences with the birth parent counselor will assist us in helping each client select the right family to parent their child.
If an expectant parent chooses to meet the adoptive parents, the counselor will be present to initiate the conversation and help the expectant parents and adoptive parents get to know each other. An expectant parent’s comfort level in placing their baby with the right family is our highest concern.
There are various levels of openness available in adoption situations:
Closed adoption involves no contact between the birth and adoptive parents and preserves everyone’s privacy and confidentiality. Semi-open adoption allows adoptive and birth parents to share first names and have contact through the agency or email. Some semi-open adoptions also include visits. Open adoption allows birth and adoptive families to share their full names and have direct contact, including visits if they like.
At Love Basket our adoptive parents are thoroughly screened. We make sure they are ready to adopt, have a stable marriage and home life, good employment and the ability to love, educate, and care for a child. They also go through evaluations which include:
- Complete and thorough medical exams
- References completed by 5 different people, answering numerous questions about the couple’s marriage, personal character, and ability to be good parents
- Criminal and child abuse/neglect screenings
- Employer references verifying income and employment
If they successfully complete this review, they are then interviewed by a trained social worker, discussing their reasons for adopting, their commitment to their marriage, how they handle money, how they plan to parent, how they handle disagreements, etc. A visit is made to their home to ensure it is an appropriate place for a child. After the parents successfully complete all of these steps and are approved as prospective adoptive parents, they complete a profile for expectant parents to review.