| One of the most important services your adoption | | | | The reclaim rate often depends on when the birth |
| professional should provide is watching for "red flags." | | | | mother changes their mind: before the birth, at the |
| These are warning signs that indicate a birth mother | | | | hospital, or when the child has been in the adoptive |
| is at risk of reclaiming or having a change of heart in | | | | parent's care. As hard as any change of heart is, it's |
| her adoption plan. | | | | much easier to have the birthparents make this |
| Your adoption professional should begin with the initial | | | | decision before you've received the child in your |
| screening of potential birth mothers. Most adoption | | | | arms. |
| professionals with years of experience will know the | | | | A qualified adoption professional that properly |
| important questions to ask. By asking vital questions, | | | | screens, monitors and provides options for counseling |
| they can find out precisely what she's looking for in | | | | or peer counseling for birth mothers should have a |
| her life, if adoption is a good choice for her and her | | | | reclaim rate of around 4% to 6 %. At Lifetime our |
| child, and what she desires in adoptive parents. | | | | reclaim rate is very low, because we offer a great |
| They should be able to spot from the outset the | | | | deal of services and attention to each client. |
| warning signs of a woman not ready or willing to see | | | | Extensive information on reclaims can be found in |
| the adoption through. It is difficult for adoptive | | | | chapter four of my book, (ISBN number |
| parents to do this on their own. | | | | 0-9705734-2-1). |
| The national reclaim rate varies greatly between | | | | "I am amazed at how much good and practical |
| professionals and can be as low as 4%, but some | | | | information Adoption: Your Step-by-Step Guide |
| organizations have much higher rates of adoption | | | | contains, especially the sections on how to avoid bad |
| disruption. I have seen one attorney claiming 25% | | | | adoption situations. It is good advice for anyone |
| reclaim as normal. This is not an acceptable reclaim | | | | looking to adopt, and for anyone thinking about |
| rate. | | | | adopting, it's a MUST-read!"- Eric A. |