A lot of couples and families who are currently planning to adopt a child will need proper guidance regarding the adoption process. Those who are planning to adopt but are new to the adoption process are prone to making mistakes as they can easily face challenges and complexities along the way. If you want to adopt a child but you do not want to make mistakes during the adoption process, you came to the right place.
Here at Courage Community Foster Care, we will be sharing a blog post discussing the common mistakes to avoid when adopting a child. If you want to know more information, make sure to read on below to find out.
Adopting a child is not an easy process; however, the good news is almost 98 percent of adoptions have been successful but keep in mind there are still instances that mistakes can happen and issues may occur. If you want to avoid delays and potential issues you should be informed about the common mistakes that a lot of couples and families can make when they try to adopt a child.
Here Is A List Of Common Mistakes To Avoid When Adopting A Child
Not doing research
When adopting a child one of the common mistakes couples and families make is not researching the process itself. There are plenty of options and aspects that must be considered such as costs, length of the adoption process, paperwork and documents required, the child’s and birth mother’s medical condition, etc.
Not researching the different important issues of adoption often leads to heartbreak. For example, not having enough funds to continue and complete the process or were unable to complete it because of a lack of information.
Not knowing the rules
Adoptive parents and families usually make the mistake of trying to adopt a child without knowing the adoption process and rules. It is easy to break a few rules during the process if you do not know what you are getting into. You must work closely with an adoption agency so you will know and understand the guidelines of your state regarding adoption.
Adoption laws are created yearly to make sure the adopted children are secured and protected. You must inquire about the guidelines about adoption so you can prevent making mistakes and you can ensure that you will protect your family and your child without endangering them or facing any legal consequences that can prevent the adoption from being a success.
Not acknowledging the birth family
Another common mistake for adoptive parents is when they fail to acknowledge the biological father and mother of the child. No matter what the birth parents’ background is or why their child was put up for adoption, you must still respect them. What type of adoption are you considering?
Before you consider adopting a child with biological parents, you must understand that the biological family will still be allowed to be involved with their child. This is the case for open adoptions where the birth family is allowed to contact their child whether it is in person via visitations, text messages, or phone calls. If you prefer an open adoption, you must be hospitable and welcoming to the birth family so you can maintain an easy and manageable situation that will be beneficial to your adopted child.
Not being open to adopting a child of either gender
When adoptive parents are gender-specific it can slow down and affect the process of the adoption. More boys are usually available for adoption, so if you request for a girl to adopt you might have to wait a little longer or it could slow down the process and in some instances be shut out of parenting altogether, especially if you don’t want to consider both genders.
Not seeking legal assistance
For first-time adoptive parents, it can be difficult to understand all the terms and documents that must be filled up during the adoption process. You must obtain legal assistance to make sure that you will be guided by a professional who can help you with the adoption process.
They can help you with the documents that you need to sign and discuss your rights to you. An adoption lawyer can also help you with tips on what you can do to make the adoption process faster.
Not willing to consider children older than 2 years of age
Some adoptive parents who are unwilling to consider adopting children who are older than age 2 must reconsider their choices. Adoptive families that are open to adopting kids older than babies usually experience a faster adoption process because they can open the door to parenthood quicker.
Adopting an older child is quicker because there are a large number of older children waiting for adoptive families in foster care and adoption agencies.
Not observing social medial protocol
Excited adoptive parents may be tempted to post the good news on their social media accounts as soon as they learn about the completion of their adoption process. However, there are guidelines for social media posting about adoptive children and it usually varies from one state to another.
You must review the guidelines in your state with your social worker so you will know about them and you can avoid making mistakes along the way. It is strongly recommended to avoid posting on social media until the rights of the parents have been terminated. If you opted for an open adoption you must discuss with the birth parents their preferences of you sharing information about the child as well as their photos on social media.
Not considering adoption as a lifelong process
Adoptive parents must remember that adoption is a lifelong process. The completion of the adoption process is just the beginning of your life with your adoptive child. Even when you no longer have an active home study, you must continue attending training on how to raise a child and create strong ties with the adoption community.
The early years with your adoptive child are considered the easiest part of the adoption, as they grow older they may ask you important questions and issues may also occur. When you are a part of the adoption community you will have the support that you will need while raising your adoptive child.
Adopting because you want to “save the world”
Adopting a child is a great way to grow your family. For couples who are not able to conceive or who want to grow their family through adoption, it is a fulfilling life achievement. You must remember to approach adoption with a correct perspective. If you have a “saving the world” perspective, you can be on a dangerous path.
It might cause you to accept every adoption profile you come across no matter their medical history, drug use, and you may even end up adopting a few more children from the adoption agency because you feel sorry for their situation and you have conceived an idea of wanting to help every single one of them. You must face the fact that you alone cannot possibly adopt every child in the world who needs help. You just have to focus on what is best for yourself and your family.
Falling for adoption scams
A lot of adoptive parents have fallen victims to adoption scams. People with bad intentions may prey on the emotions of adoptive parents just to make a lot of money. A lot of individuals are out there running shady and illegal adoption agencies. You must be wary and never trust an adoption agency without proper verification, especially if they are asking for payment before the adoption process has been completed.
You must avoid red flags when you are searching for the right adoption agency to help you with the process. You must have a qualified professional to assist you with the financial transactions so you can avoid making mistakes especially when you are signing your name on legal documents.
If what they are trying to tell you sounds too good to be true most likely they are just scamming you to get your hard-earned money from your pocket. You must only choose and trust reliable agencies in Colorado such as Courage Community Foster Care. There is nothing wrong with opting for a smaller less popular adoption agency but you must make sure to do your research.
If you are planning to adopt a child in Colorado, Courage Community Foster Care will assist you with the adoption process. You can contact us if you need help with the requirements and process.
If you are planning to adopt a child in Colorado, you must check out Courage Community Foster Care. We are a licensed public adoption agency based in Colorado. We can help you learn about the proper adoption process so you can avoid any mistakes when you decide to adopt a child.
We will help facilitate adoptive placements for children in foster care or those who are legally free for adoption. If you need assistance, we can help you. Contact us today! You can call us at 719-321-4319 or send an inquiry email at kerrih@fostercourage.com. Our PO Box address is P.O. Box 262 Cascade, CO 80809. Make sure to choose Courage Community Foster Care so we can assist you with the step-by-step adoption process.
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