Adoption Process in the USA

If you haven’t been through the adoption process in the USA, you likely have a lot of questions – maybe even some apprehensions – about what is involved. Maybe you are worried that you won’t have the support you need. Maybe you have questions about finances. Or perhaps you are nervous about what a relationship with birth parents might look like.

American Adoptions is a fully licensed, not-for-profit domestic adoption agency that is involved with over 300 domestic adoptions every year. We provide step-by-step, practical, and emotional support to waiting families and prospective birth mothers in Kansas – and all across the nation.

In this guide, we will look closely at the unique support American Adoptions provides as you navigate each step of the adoption process. If you are ready to talk to one of our professionals today, contact us now!

Why Should I Choose American Adoptions to Complete the US Adoption Process?

Agency Adoption vs. Independent Adoption

Some families think the best way forward to adopt a child is to go it alone. This pathway to parenthood is called an independent adoption. It involves working with an adoption attorney to complete the legal components of adoption but leaves all other services in your hands. Families who go this route often have already matched with a prospective birth mother and are adopting a relative or friend.

The benefits of partnering with an agency like American Adoptions are clear. You’ll have access to support like:

• Screening services that ensure a birth mother is truly committed to adoption
• Matching services that connect adoptive families to birth mothers
• Adoption specialists who prepare you for your home study and home study professionals who complete this step of the adoption.
• Counseling throughout the American adoption process in Kansas
• Education from experts on the steps of adoption

National vs. Local Agencies

National adoption agencies like American Adoptions have a national reach that makes your adoption profile accessible to countless prospective birth mothers. The outreach and comprehensive support we provide mothers considering adoption increases the likelihood that these prospective birth mothers commit to adoption, find the family that meets their needs, and complete the US adoption process.

Local adoption agencies offer birth mothers a handful of options, while national adoption agencies provide them with dozens and sometimes hundreds. While this may seem like you are only one of many working with a national adoption agency, the choice we provide women considering adoption attracts many more prospective birth mothers to work with us.

Just 12 days after becoming an active American Adoptions family, Jenna and Justin received a conference call about a prospective birth mother who was six months along in her pregnancy and had chosen them as adoptive parents.

“I can remember being done with that conference call, and my husband was still at work,” Jenna says. “When he walked in, right away, I was like, ‘I don’t even want to discuss it. Gut feeling right now: Yes or no?’ And we both said yes at the same time.”

The national exposure that connected Jenna and Justin to their baby – along with supports like advertising, networking, and 24/7 availability – results in a lower-than-average wait time for families who choose American Adoptions.  Additionally, local adoption agencies often have a smaller staff, a truncated range of expertise, and fewer resources to support you on your adoption journey.

How Can I Adopt a Child in the US?

1. Decide that adoption is right for you.

Whether you are a couple who has struggled with infertility, are in a same-sex marriage, or have always preferred adoption as your family-building method, you have one thing in common – you want to provide a safe and loving home where a child can thrive. 

Adoption is a beautiful way to do this.

Birth mother, Janelle, says of her experience, “[Adoption] saved my twins. It saved my relationship. It saved their lives. If it weren’t there, I don’t know what I would have done.” 

Each year, American Adoptions helps hundreds of couples committed to adoption to grow their families. Making the decision to pursue this pathway to parenthood is the first step in this meaningful process.

2. Partner with an adoption professional.

Adoption is beautiful, but it can also be complicated. You deserve the most comprehensive support as you navigate this new territory. Therefore, American Adoptions surrounds you with expert advice, compassionate empathy, and extensive resources. 

American Adoptions guides you through the US adoption process in Kansas, prioritizing the future of you and your baby. We are fully licensed across the nation and facilitate adoptions in all states. 

Local agencies are licensed and regulated by authorities from a single state, provide many fewer adoption opportunities, and often lack resources to support you with comprehensive support.

3. Find the perfect adoption match and get to know the birth mother.

When birth mother Candace saw Jeff and Amanda’s profile, she felt strongly that God was telling her they were “the ones.”

“I cried reading their bio, and I just knew,” she says. “I enjoyed getting to know them on a more personal level. The family would email me all the time and check on me to provide support the entire way.”

This kind of connection can be in your near future. The way the US adoption process in Kansas works, you will fill out a questionnaire that helps you define the types of adoption opportunities you are open to. Then birth mothers whose situation and personal needs align with your parameters will be shown your video profile.

American Adoptions provides a multitude of services that contribute to a successful match:

• Our extensive advertising network reaches prospective birth mothers across the nation.
• Screening services provide birth mothers with education on the American adoption process in Kansas and ensure they are committed to adoption.
• Our media team will provide you with video recording equipment to film your adoptive family video profile, and then they will create a compelling profile that highlights your family dynamics.
• Your adoption specialist will facilitate your first conference call with prospective birth parents and be available as a resource for subsequent contacts.

4. Finalize the adoption.

In Kansas, consent to adoption can be granted 12 hours after birth. You will follow your birth mother’s wishes outlined in her hospital plan during her delivery and hospital stay. The baby will be placed in your home and then you will have several in-home visits by our home study professionals, who will check up on the child and see how the family is adjusting.

The official adoption ends with finalization. For most adoptive parents, a final adoption hearing occurs around six months after placement. You’ll be accompanied in court by your adoption attorney. At this time, a judge will review the adoption and grant you full parental rights.

5. Adjust to post-placement life.

Post-placement life should be focused on nurturing your child’s adopted roots as they grow. You might tell age-appropriate stories about adoption, revisit the story of their own adoption, maintain a connection to their birth mother, and ensure they learn about the culture of their birth family (especially if it is different from your own).

Open adoption, which allows for communication with your child’s birth parents, is widely understood to be best for adoptees. It helps them develop a strong sense of self. This can consist of exchanging photos, letters, calls, emails, or even having regular visits with your child’s birth mother.

What Supports and Services Set American Adoptions Apart?

Essential services that reputable adoption agencies provide to adoptive parents include counseling and education on the adoption process, screening services, adoption marketing and advertising, legal service, and open adoption support. American Adoptions provides all of this but also extends a second tier of support that sets it apart from the rest.

Cathy, an adoptive mother who did extensive research into agency options before starting the US adoption process, explains it in this way:

“We chose American in large part because of the insurance policy and then, secondarily, the number of placements,” Cathy remembers. “We were looking at agencies that were smaller and closer to us… but the fact that we could get a placement potentially between three and nine months — and it ended up being less than that — those were definitely motivating factors.”

Other aspects of American Adoptions’ support that might have been alluring to Cathy are:

• Our numerous adoption opportunities
• Home study services by agency professionals
• Video adoption profile services

When you are ready to initiate the American adoption process, reach out to one of our expert adoption specialists. We’ll get you started down the right path!

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