Most of the situations that come through are from adoption agencies or attorneys. They work with the expectant mom and send me the information to share with members.

As of October 2025, we are now a licensed child placing agency and will be able to offer full adoption services.

You must be over the age of 21. You will need to show that financially you can support a child by showing through financial documents you can afford adoption fees, pay your bills, and care for a child without strain. You will need to pass a criminal background check and have no history of child abuse or violence.

A home study is a thorough report done my a social worker and required by every state prior to an adoption. This is to show the expectant family and courts the child is being placed into a safe and financially secure home.

The social worker assigned to you will conduct in-home meetings, individual and group interviews with you, and run a criminal and financial background check. They need references from you and will be in touch with them to verify the information. You will create autobiographical statements going over life and family details.

This process can take a few months to complete and varies from state. Some require parenting preparation courses and CPR certifications. It s best to plan ahead and start the process before you start trying to match with an expectant mom. Most agencies or attorneys won’t present you to an expectant mom until they know you have passed the requirements. It would be a very unfortunate situation to be matched with an expectant mom only to find out your home study was denied and you cannot take placement of the child.

• Closed: The birth mother and adoptive parents do not have any contact with one another. When the child is 18 they may try to get their adoption records and/or do an ancestry search. If you don’t want the child to look for you let the couple know beforehand the adoption is closed.

• Semi-Open: The birth mother and adoptive family have contact through letters/emails, and photo updates throughout the child’s life. Most parties agree to in-person meetings at some point throughout the child’s life. This can evolve into an open adoption.

• Open: The birth mother and adoptive parents have ongoing contact throughout their lives. In-person visits happen 1-4 times per year. Regular phone calls and video chats can happen in between.

If you see a potential adoption situation you want to be considered for you will need a valid home study and a completed profile book to be sent to the mom. There won’t be any “contact us to learn more”. She will look at the books to decide who resonated with her the most before getting connected.

Sometimes the expectant dad or others in her support circle will look through books to help her decide on a family. This ensures she is making the best decision without being swayed or coerced by eager hopeful adoptive parents.

No. It’s not like back in the day when women went to maternity homes to give birth and leave the baby there. The expectant moms are the ones in the driver’s seat. They determine the type of parents and life they want for their child and look through adoption profile books, websites, and Facebook pages to learn more about the hopeful adoptive parent. When she finds someone she’s like to get to know more they get connected and start to form a bond to see if it’s a fit. An expectant mom may interview multiple couples at a time before she finds the one she likes the most. It is up to her to decide where the baby goes after birth.

Since the expectant mom is the one that makes the choice the time can vary. There are couples that have matched within a day of their profile book being published and others have been waiting years.

The only thing you can do is make sure you are ready to not only be presented but to take custody of a baby. There was an expectant mom in our community that was in labor and looking for a couple. They had to be home study approved, had retained an attorney, and ready to be on a flight to get the baby before she was discharged.

To adopt most states say 21 years old., however, most agencies will require you to be at least 25 and no older than 50 for a domestic infant placement.

If you are open to other age groups there is more flexibility for hopeful parents closer to 50.

It can vary. Most agencies and social workers won’t approve a home study for someone that has had cancer within the last 5 years. Other life-threatening illnesses that cause frequent hospitalization, constant care, or having to be on bed rest constantly. Your primary care physician will have to sign off saying you are both physically and mentally stable enough to parent a child long-term. Check with a local social worker to go over your state laws.

The fees vary based on state and type of adoption. If you’re doing a self-matched adoption the fees are significantly cheaper. You could be looking at close to $15K for total fees and court filings. If you’re working with an adoption agency the fees range between $35k-$70K depending on the agency.

Here are some options can assist you with fees:

• Federal Tax Credits

• Employer Assistance

• Grants (usually Christian-based and only apply to those active in a church)

• Loans

When applying for out-of-state adoption situations you have to make sure your home study allows it. You need to make sure you have the available PTO from work (because you can be there a few days to a few weeks while the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) paperwork is being processed. You won’t be able to leave the state with the baby without it. Be sure you have associated fees with travel available: flights, rental car, hotel, and food.

A domestic adoption home study does not carry over to international adoption.

She can change her mind at any point until the termination papers are signed. Papers are usually signed 48-72 hours after birth. After that there is a wait period for finalization but it would only be overturned under extreme circumstances.

In the same instance, hopeful adoptive parents can also change their minds. If for any reason they don’t feel the match is a good fit before relinquishment they can move on to match with a different expectant mom.