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Homestudies
• What is a homestudy?
• What information is needed for a homestudy?
• What's involved in a homestudy?
• Must you own your own house or have a large income to adopt?
• Is there anything to do to prepare for the home visit?
Getting to Know a Birthmother
• When a potential birthmother calls Adoption
Connection, what questions do you ask her?
• If a birthmother chooses to speak to
me after Adoption Connection shows her my "Dear Birthmother"
letter, how much will I know about her before we talk for
the first time?
• What questions should I ask a birthmother
once I'm in touch with her?
• What will a birthmother be likely to
ask me?
Hospital Planning
• Who notifies the hospital that a birthmother has made an
adoption plan?
• When can adoptive parents take the baby home from the hospital?
• Can the adopting parents be in the delivery room with the
birthmother?
• What can adoptive parents do to relieve some of the pressure
and anxiety of the hospital visit?
• Does Adoption Connection do immediate hospital placements?
Finalization
• When is an adoption final?
• Does the birthmother have six months
to change her mind and take back the baby?
• When can a birthmother sign the relinquishment?
• How does the relinquishment work if
a birthmother is out-of-state?
• What about the birthfather and his rights?
• What happens during the six months before
an adoption is final?
• Is Adoption Connection available for
counseling and support after an adoption is final?
Want more FAQ's?? Go
to our Newsletter Archive.
What services can Adoption Connection provide for my
family?
We can:
• Conduct your homestudy.
• Help you find a birthmother.
• Screen prospective birthmothers.
• Guide you and the birthmother through the adoption process.
• Handle arrangements for in-state or out-of-state adoptions.
• Terminate birthparents' rights shortly after the birth.
• Provide the required post-placement supervision.
• Assist you with the legal finalization of your adoption.
• Provide both pre- and post-adoption support groups and workshops.
You can look forward to:
• Taking your baby directly home from the hospital.
• Obtaining medical history and background on the birthparents.
• Completing your homestudy prior to placement, rather than waiting until
your baby is in your home.
• Receiving a termination of parental rights after the birthmother has
left the hospital and is ready to sign a
relinquishment.
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Where are you licensed to work with adoptive parents?
We are licensed in 19 counties in Northern California. We can work with birthfamilies
throughout the United States. Check out our Service
Area.
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How do I find out more?
We provide FREE domestic orientations twice per month and international orientations
once per month to give prospective adoptive parents the opportunity to learn
more about our services. It is not mandatory but a great way to learn more
about Adoption Connection. We strongly encourage your attendance. If you are
unable to attend an orientation an individual appointment can be arranged.
Click here to view our upcoming orientation schedule.
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Does Adoption Connection do out-of-state adoptions?
Yes, we do quite a few. Many of the adoptions we complete
are with birth mothers living and giving birth throughout
the country. The adopting parents are all Northern California
residents who completed homestudies with our agency.
If an adoptive family residing outside our licensed area
is working with a birthmother in our region, Adoption Connection
can be hired as a cooperative agency to work with the birth
family to complete the adoption.
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How long do clients wait to bring a baby home from
the hospital?
It usually takes clients a few months to complete their homestudy
and put together their "Dear Birthmother" Letter.
Once they are enrolled in our Outreach Program clients average
wait to take home a newborn is 12-14 months. That means some
families will connect in a shorter time (7 months) while others
will wait a little longer (18 months).
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What is a "Dear Birthmother" Letter and how
do I write one?
What adoption professionals call a "Dear Birthmother" Letter is a
document that uses words and photographs to create a picture of you and your
family's life, hobbies, and dreams of parenting. A staff member at Adoption
Connection will help you write your letter and give you ideas on how to use
it to make contact with birthparents. Adoption Connection has an Outreach Program
that makes our prospective adoptive parents "Dear Birthmother" letters
available to birthparents who call on our 800 number or email us from our website.
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Can I list my "Dear Birthmother" letter on
your web site?
Yes, you may if you are a client of Adoption Connection. That means everyone
listed in our Parent Profile section has completed a homestudy with Adoption
Connection and has joined our Outreach Program.
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How do birthparents find out about Adoption Connection?
Many of our birthparent referrals result from our extensive outreach efforts
to pregnancy counseling clinics, teen pregnancy programs, and other healthcare
programs and social service organizations.
Birthparents also learn about us: through our ads in the yellow
pages, world of mouth, on our website, and through referrals
from other agencies and adoption professionals throughout the
country. Some adoptive parents find their own birthparent(s)
through their own outreach efforts.
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What is included in Adoption Connection's Outreach
Program?
Adoption Connection offers Birthmother Outreach Services as a means of matching
our clients with potential birthmothers. If you choose to participate in this
service, Adoption Connection will present your "Dear Birthmother" letters
to birthmothers who contact us, and whose preferences match yours. Adoption Connection only works with families who have completed an agency domestic homestudy with our agency in Northern California.
Our Outreach Services includes: direction and help writing your letter, screening of potential birthmothers and presentation of letter, agency advertising efforts (print, yellow pages, online), educational workshops and community building with health care clinics, hospitals, etc. and the assistance of our staff throughout your match process.
Families who have chosen to participate in our program are open to adopting a healthy infant of either gender.
Currently Adoption Connection
connects over 50% of our Outreach Families with their
birthfamilies.
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How many adoptions do you complete each year?
We average about 100 domestic placements per year. This includes placements
where we worked as a cooperative agency liaison with other adoption agencies
in out-of-area placements.
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Do you ever place toddlers or older children in adoptive
homes?
Yes, occasionally. Since our domestic program specializes in infant adoption
we usually work with women who are pregnant or have just recently given birth.
Occasionally we work with a woman who wants to placer a toddler or sibling
voluntarily.
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Does Adoption Connection ever complete “closed”
adoptions?
Yes, if we are working with a birthmother who desires a closed
adoption we will honor her request: the adoption will be completed
without any identifying information exchanged between the
birth and adoptive families. (Written biological and health
information about mother and baby are obtained in all adoptions.)
On average we complete one to four closed adoptions per year.
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Can we do an international and domestic adoption simultaneously?
No. The domestic and international pathways to adoption are very different.
From the homestudy requirements and educational issues that our social workers
need to discuss, to the process of searching for an appropriate placement.
Although we can transfer our clients from one program to the other, require
they choose only one.
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Do I need an attorney if I work with Adoption Connection?
Adoption Connection does not require our clients to obtain an attorney. Every
adoption is different. Some may require the work of an attorney and some will
not. If you need an attorney during your adoption process we will advise you
of this. We can give you names of reputable adoption attorneys that you may
hire on an hourly basis for specific work. Such as: termination of parental
rights of a birthfather.
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What is my first step in becoming a client of Adoption
Connection?
Completion of the Homestudy application is the first step in becoming a client
of Adoption Connection. Information and homestudy applications can be requested
at any time. Just contact us.
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What is a homestudy?
A homestudy is a written report required by California state
law for individuals and couples who wish to adopt both domestically
and internationally. Adoption Connection is licensed by the
state of California to do the homestudy, which is a way to
gather information to ensure that a child is placed in a qualified
home. At Adoption Connection, we do not wish the homestudy
to be intrusive or exclusive, but rather to serve as an educational
and consulting tool. It provides Adoption Connection the opportunity
to become familiar with clients' readiness to adopt and helps
clients think through the adoption-related issues and the
responsibilities of parenting.
We perform both domestic and international homestudies as part
of our services. Although we are not licensed to contract with
foreign governments, we can complete the homestudy and work with
the international adoption agency or foreign government of your
choice to compete the adoption. Click here to learn more about
our International Program.
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What information is needed for a homestudy?
Medical, employment and financial information is required as part of the homestudy,
plus personal references and autobiographical statements. The homestudy also
consists of a series of prearranged visits, culminating in a report that gets
completed prior to a child being placed in a home.
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What's involved in a homestudy?
After the application for adoption is complete a social worker
interviews the prospective adoptive parent(s) individually
and together, with at least one visit taking place in the
home. The meetings can be held over a couple of weeks, and
the entire homestudy process usually takes from one to three
months to complete. If an adoptive family is expecting their
birthmother to give birth very soon an "expedited"
homestudy can be arranged on a case-by-case basis. The expedited
service is for domestic homestudies only. Please call our
International Program Coordinator for questions related to
rushing an international homestudy.
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Must you own your own house or have a large income
to adopt?
No. Obviously, there needs to be some source of income and adequate living
space to accommodate a child. But factors such as a true desire to parent and
an understanding of adoption issues are far more important than the size of
one's home or income.
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Is there anything to do to prepare for the home visit?
No, there's nothing to do except try to relax. The purpose of the home visit
is not to scrutinize, but to informally visit with you in surroundings in which
you are most comfortable.
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When a potential birthmother calls Adoption Connection,
what questions do you ask her?
First, we try to learn a little about her situation. We ask why she's considering
adoption, where she lives, how far along she is in her pregnancy, and whether
she's getting any prenatal care. Other things we like to know are her age,
her marital status, and whether she has other children. We ask about the birthfather:
what kind of relationship she has with him, whether he knows about the pregnancy
and adoption plan, how he feels about it. Often, we ask directly if she has
used any drugs or consumed alcohol during her pregnancy. We also ask whether
there is anything important in her medical history that we should know about.
After the initial phone conversation, we send a package of forms, including
a release so that we can talk to her doctor. The forms also include questions
about her background and family, many of which are similar to the questions
you as adopting parents answered in your homestudy.
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If a birthmother chooses to speak to me after Adoption
Connection shows her my "Dear Birthmother" letter,
how much will I know about her before we talk for the first
time?
Your adoption worker will give you all of the information we already have except
for anything the birthmother has chosen to keep confidential.
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What questions should I ask a birthmother once I'm
in touch with her?
Beyond expressing your concern for her and listening to what she wants to say,
you don't need to ask anything specific that doesn't naturally come up in the
conversation. Your initial contact with a birthmom should be to set a friendly,
warm, and accepting tone. It is important for you to avoid making a birthmom
feel interrogated, especially during your early conversations with her. You
will not usually get all of the answers you want about a birthmother right
away. Remember that Adoption Connection staff can ask the difficult questions,
while you work to establish a trusting relationship so that she will feel comfortable
sharing more information about herself as time passes.
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What will a birthmother be likely to ask me?
Some birthmothers don't ask many questions about the adopting family, so you
might like to ask her what she wants to know about you. Tell her about yourself
and the region where you live, what your neighborhood is like, how you decided
to adopt, and what you do for a living. A birthmom will also appreciate hearing
about your family's life, hobbies, and personality. It is okay to acknowledge
any nervousness that you feel in talking to her; she probably feels the same
way. Since it's likely that neither of you have had this sort of experience
before you'll all be playing it by ear until you are more comfortable. Again,
your main goal is to establish a tone of friendship and trust, and for both
you and the birthmother to get to know each other over time.
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Who notifies the hospital that a birthmother has made
an adoption plan?
Before the baby is due, the adoption caseworker meets with the birthmother
to discuss her labor and delivery plan. This plan is reviewed with the adopting
parents so they can be clear about their participation. The caseworker then
notifies the hospital social workers about the adoption and provides them with
the details of the labor and delivery plan.
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When can adoptive parents take the baby home from the
hospital?
This is based on the health of the baby, hospital policy and the birthmother's
wishes, but usually takes place within 24 hours. When the baby is ready to
be discharged from the hospital the birthmother will sign a Hospital Facilities
Release Form. This form allows someone other than the legal parent to leave
with the baby. It contains the agency's name and the adopting parents' names.
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Can the adopting parents be in the delivery room with
the birthmother?
Yes, if both the birthmother and the adopting parents agree upon it. This information
is included in the letter about the adoption plan that is sent to the hospital
social worker.
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What can adoptive parents do to relieve some of the
pressure and anxiety of the hospital visit?
- Use Adoption Connection staff and hospital staff who are
familiar with adoption to assist you with any difficulties.
- Have a support system in place of family and friends that
you can call.
- Go with the flow. Try to be flexible and supportive, but
not overly sensitive, to the birthmother's fluctuating emotions
during this stressful time.
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Does Adoption Connection do immediate hospital placements?
Yes. When Adoption Connection gets a call from a hospital staff member or birthmother
very soon, or after, the birth of a baby we call it an immediate hospital placement.
Adoptive parents who are interested in this type of "instant" placement
are required to work fast in order to be prepared to take home a baby with
very little notice. Sometimes Adoption Connection will receive prenatal and
medical history before a placement is made, while other times we have very
limited information before the adoptive family takes home the baby.
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When is an adoption final?
An agency adoption is final approximately six months after the birthparents
terminate their rights. Finalization occurs in court when a judge issues
the final adoption decree. At that point, the adoptive parents become the
legal parentsof the child.
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Does the birthmother have six months to change her
mind and take back the baby?
No. In an agency adoption, after a birthmother signs a relinquishment terminating
her parental rights, she has 24 hours in which to reverse her decision. However,
once the papers are sent to the Department of Social Services, the birthmother
may not revoke her decision unless she can prove that she was either lied to
or forced into signing a relinquishment.
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When can a birthmother sign the relinquishment?
In an agency adoption, a birthmother can sign a relinquishment anytime after
she is discharged from the hospital and feels physically and emotionally ready.
Counseling during pregnancy can help a birthmother make a clear decision about
placing her baby, and the majority of birthmothers terminate their rights within
the first week after their babies are born.
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How does the relinquishment work if a birthmother is
out-of-state?
Once we make a contact with a birthmother, perform the preliminary screening
and begin a match, we locate an agency in her area and contract with them to
provide counseling, relinquishment and Interstate Compact (ICPC) services.
We facilitate the adoption process by staying in touch with all parties and
making sure that the adoption is progressing appropriately. Every state has
different laws, so it is important that we follow the laws of the state in
which the birthmother lives.
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What about the birthfather and his rights?
The birthfather's rights must also be terminated, and the process for this
depends on his relationship to the birthmother. Factors include whether or
not he is married to the birthmother and whether he admits paternity and is
willing to cooperate.
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What happens during the six months before an adoption
is final?
The state of California mandates that there be four post-placement visits by
a social worker to ensure that new families are adjusting to their life together.
The six-month supervisory period also allows time for discussion of adoption
and parenting issues and for legal papers to be filed.
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Is Adoption Connection available for counseling and
support after an adoption is final?
Of course! Adoption Connection provides a series of one-night workshops throughout
the year. These workshops address specific issues, such as how to initiate
talking about adoption with your child and how to manage your lifelong relationship
with birthparent(s). We are also available for individual and group counseling
on an as needed basis.
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