By Charlie Daily
Photo: Depositphotos.com
Being pregnant and having children is an amazing experience. From the pregnancy to giving birth, bringing a child into the world can be life changing. Unfortunately there are women who struggle to conceive, carry a baby to full term, or bring their baby home after delivering them. However, choosing to adopt a child can be just as life changing and fulfilling.
It is baffling when people who do not want their children are able to have them and people that long to be parents can not. Nevertheless, adoption is an amazing alternative if you have exhausted all other option while trying to conceive. Whether you want to have your first child, expand your family, or help a child find their forever home, adoption is a great way to make sure each child receives the love they deserve.
This post is about adopt.
Things to Consider Before Adopting a Child
1. Are you financially stable?
It doesn’t matter if you are having a baby naturally or adopting, children are very expensive. It is important that your finances are in check before building a family. Your little one will solely depend on you for literally everything and being financially stable can take some of the stress off that responsibility.
2. Can you withstand the adoption process?
The adoption process can be mentally and financially draining. The average adoption costs anywhere from five thousand to forty thousand dollars. With an attorney needed for every adoption, the amount can be higher. Hence the importance of being financially competent before starting the adoption process.
3. What type of adoption are you seeking?
There are a three types of adoption. There is open, semi- open, and closed. These terms describe how much interaction the biological parents will have with the child. If you choose an open adoption, the biological parents will have almost the same amount interaction as you will. With a semi- open adoption, the biological parents interaction with the child is limited. A closed adoption means that the biological parents will have no interaction with the child. It is best to do further research to determine what adoption will be best for you and your family.
4. What age range are you seeking to adopt?
One of the perks of adopting a child is that you can choose what age range you want to adopt in. Some people prefer a newborn because they can raise a child from birth. Others prefer a child that is older to bypass the changing of diapers. What ever age you pick, it’s important to know the pros and cons of each age group. Taking care of a newborn is more demanding compared to a toddler, adolescent, or teenager. However, with a newborn, you will be their biggest influence in their upbringing compared to the other age groups.
5. Can you bond with a child that is not biologically yours?
Some might find it hard to bond with a baby that is not biologically theirs. Others take to a new adopted baby with ease. Knowing how to bond with your new adopted child is imperative to ensure that the transition into your family goes smoothly. Make sure that you are treating your adoptive child the same as your other children. Unless it’s important to disclose that the child is adopted, you should not establish a difference between an adopted child and biological child.
6. Do you have a strong support system?
Support is a must when going through the adoption process. it is mentally and emotionally draining. The adoption process is tedious but it is necessary to make sure that a child is being placed in a loving and healthy environment and family. Having family and friends to give you support will make it easier to get through the adoption process.
Adoption Process
1. Meet the requirements in your state to adopt
Each state has their own requirements for adoption. To ensure that you meet all requirements, check with your local agency to see what criteria needs to be met before you can start the adoption process.
2. Find an adoption professional
You will need need an attorney to represent you during the adoption process. The attorney will be your representation to ensure that you are treated fairly. This is most important when doing an open or semi open adoption. You want to make sure that all of your wants and needs are met and that you and the biological parents are doing what’s best in the interest of the child.
3.Prepare for the home study
A home study is an interview to see if adoption is right for you. A home study worker will come to your home to see if the environment id favorable for a child. They then will ask you a series of questions about your health, finances, family, and lifestyle. The most important thing is to be yourself. Lying or create a facade can lead to you been disqualified for adoption.
4. Find an adoption opportunity
Once the home study is complete, and you are approve to be adoptive parents, you can start looking for adoption opportunities. Working close with an adoption access can help you with this part of the process.
5.Take Your baby home
The last part of the adoption process is taking your child home. Although this process can be daunting, the award at the finish line is so worth it. Adopting a child not only fulfill your needs, it will also fulfill the needs of a child that needs a loving family and healthy environment to flourish in.
