The Domestic Adoption Process
While the domestic adoption process traditionally follows certain steps, every family’s adoption journey is different. At AAA Partners in Adoption, our executive director consults with every family about their adoption plan to determine the ideal path-which is why it’s important to remain flexible in your domestic adoption journey from the start.
However, we know you have a seemingly endless list of questions. That’s why we’ve created a step by step overview of the domestic adoption process-to give you an idea of what to expect of your journey.
Step 1: Home Study and Agency Application
Once you have decided to make your domestic adoption journey with AAA Partners in Adoption, you must complete and submit all the initial forms and agency fees.
Step 2: Submit Paperwork
Once you have been accepted as an AAA Partners in Adoption family, there are many forms and papers to complete and sign. We will guide you through this process.
Step 3: Home Study
A home study is a basic history and overview of your family and home that is used by our agency and the courts to determine if a stable family environment exists for an adoption placement. Once you have submitted your home study application, we will assign a social worker to meet with your family and guide you through the process of collecting all the necessary supporting documents, including a background check and social history. The home study is often the lengthiest part of the adoption process, which is why we recommend you begin the process soon after application and work quickly to procure all documents.
Step 4: Approval and Placement on Waiting List
Once you have successfully completed all the paperwork and the home study process, one of our domestic adoption specialists will review your file. If everything is in order, your home study to adopt will be approved and you will be placed on our waiting families list to be matched with a birth mother.
Step 5: Birth Mother Match and Placement
Our domestic adoption specialists work to find the ideal mother match for your criteria. Once a match has been made we will guide you through the process based on the birth mother’s plan. After the baby’s birth, all paperwork will be completed and you will return home with your new bundle of joy.
Step 7: Post Adoption Visits and Legal Steps
Once you return home, the required post-placement home study visits will occur. Additionally, a final court hearing will be set to award the final adoption decree.
While these steps are in no way inclusive of the domestic adoption process, they will at least give you an outline of what will occur. We encourage you to call us with any and all questions.