| If you are a couple who is starting out for the first | | | | there are certain questions that a would-be adoptive |
| time in adopting a baby, then congratulations are in | | | | parent should be asking themselves. By asking these, |
| order! However, it is important that you learn as | | | | they will then find out if they are willing, and are |
| much as possible about what adoption is. You also | | | | prepared to face the challenges and the joys of |
| need to understand the commitment that you will be | | | | becoming a parent to another person's baby or child. |
| making, and that it is going to be for the rest of | | | | The questions any would-be adoptive parent(s) |
| your life. Plus, it is important that you learn everything | | | | should be asking themselves are as follows: |
| there is to know about the legal processes all | | | | 1. Just how do they feel about not being related |
| would-be adoptive parents have to go through in | | | | genetically to the child? |
| order to adopt a baby. | | | | 2. When the subject comes up, how do they feel |
| Today, there are newborns, as well as teenagers | | | | they will be able to discuss the matter of the child's |
| who are looking to be adopted, often because their | | | | adoption at a later date? |
| birthparents (biological parents) are unable to raise | | | | 3. How can they help the child to understand why |
| them on their own. Or it may be that these children | | | | they were placed up for adoption, especially if there |
| need to be in homes where there will be loved and | | | | is little information available about them, or they were |
| needed, and that time can be committed to providing | | | | abandoned, or their life before being adopted was |
| them with a stable and permanent family | | | | very difficult? |
| environment. | | | | 4. As an adoptive parent, will you be willing to allow |
| Each year, hundreds of thousands of people across | | | | the child to maintain their own identity in relation to |
| the globe have chosen to adopt a child for a number | | | | where they come from, and what kind of cultural |
| of different reasons. | | | | background they have? |
| 1. It may be because they have wanted to adopt a | | | | 5. As an adoptive parent, will you be willing to deal |
| child for longer than they could remember. | | | | with all issues relating to the baby's birthparents? |
| 2. They have decided to adopt a child, as they are | | | | As well as the questions you should be asking |
| unable to have a child of their own. | | | | yourself above, there are other questions that need |
| 3. It may be because they have family connections, | | | | to be asked in relation to trans-racial adoption, |
| which provides them with the opportunity to adopt a | | | | international adoption and if you are going to be a |
| child. Often, this happens in the cases where a couple | | | | lone parent adopting a baby. |
| has remarried, and has children from a previous | | | | Once you have been able to answer these questions, |
| marriage, and they wish them to take on the identity | | | | you can now move on to the next stage, which is |
| of the new family. | | | | preparing a plan that will help you to manage the |
| However, when you are considering adopting a baby, | | | | various stages of the adoption process. |