| For people who are just learning about and | | | | there is an increasing number of semi-open adoptions |
| considering child adoption, there are a number of | | | | which allow photographs and letters to be exchanged |
| concerns that are commonly experienced. Regardless | | | | between the birth mother and the child. Concern: |
| of your reasons for considering adoption, shedding | | | | Only very wealthy families can afford child adoption. |
| light on the realities of the adoption process can help | | | | The adoption laws require that a home study is |
| alleviate the common concerns and provide accurate | | | | conducted to confirm that a prospective family is |
| answers to many of the misconceptions surrounding | | | | able to provide for an adopted child's emotional, |
| adoption. Concern: Adopted children grow up to have | | | | physical and financial needs. The average cost for |
| psychological problems. We can probably thank | | | | domestic adoption is between $18,000 and $25,000, |
| television for this misconception. Most of the | | | | but it can sometimes be done for less. There are a |
| research and studies performed regarding adoption | | | | variety of options available to families of different |
| shows that adopted children are no more at risk than | | | | income levels and lifestyles, including a federal |
| non-adopted children in terms of their mental health | | | | government adoption tax credit for middle-income |
| or adjustment. When comparing the issues faced of | | | | families. The tax credit can offer $10,000 or more to |
| biological children and their parents with the issues | | | | the adoptive parents. If a family adopts a child that is |
| faced by adopted children and their parents - the | | | | in the car of a state foster care program, the cost |
| fact is, both families face similar experiences and it | | | | of adoption may be waived or subsidized. Concern: If |
| doesn't seem to make a difference whether the | | | | I choose to adopt, I will be on a waiting list for years |
| children are biological or adopted, but there are a | | | | before I become an adoptive parent. The length of |
| number of things that parents can do to minimize | | | | time a family waits for adoption can vary depend on |
| risks for mental illness. Concern: An open adoption | | | | a variety of factors- but the average wait time is |
| arrangement means the birth mother can take the | | | | between six and eighteen months. It does take time |
| child back if she wants to. Adoption is the legal | | | | to identify a good match between a child and the |
| transfer of parental rights from a birth family to the | | | | adoptive family, with factors like health, race, age, |
| adoptive family, whether it is an open adoption or | | | | and ethnicity playing a role in the decision. You can |
| not. With open adoption, the adoptive parents and | | | | decrease your wait time by creating an adoption plan |
| birth mother decide how much contact the birth | | | | that defines your adoption goals, understanding the |
| mother and child will have. Open adoption may mean | | | | domestic adoption process and by hiring adoption |
| the birth mother can correspond with the child via | | | | professionals who will help you achieve your goals. |
| letters, email, photographs and telephone; or it may | | | | Not all adoption professionals are the same, and hiring |
| allow for face-to-face visitations at the adoption | | | | the wrong adoption professional can drastically affect |
| agency, a public place, or at times- in the family's | | | | how long it takes to adopt. |
| home. The level of openness will depend on the | | | | Cindy Simonson is a respected adoption professional |
| adoptive families and the birth mother and what | | | | and writes about child adoption at For the past |
| everyone feels comfortable with. Fully open | | | | thirteen years she has been helping people |
| adoptions (those that include visitations with the birth | | | | successfully adopt the child of their dreams. |
| mother) only make up about 1% of adoptions, but | | | | |