Adoption, in any state, has different criteria that they follow when it comes to families taking babies or children into their homes. Adopting a child has many steps and each step is completed thoroughly before any child is placed in a family. Some of these steps may seem daunting but are necessary to make certain that a child is placed in a correct home.
According to www.adoption.com, the first thing prospective parents need to do is choose an agency. Many people, when adopting, like to use agencies. Some are private and some are public. In Mobile, Alabama, there are a few great agencies to look at.
Gladney Center for Adoption is an adoption agency one might consider using, especially if, living in Mobile, you want to, or end up adopting out of state. Gladney is well known for its adoption rate, caring for the families and children involved. They have several testimonies from families who have adopted from them so therefore, adoptive parents might want to consider it.
Another agency in Mobile is Adoption Rocks. This agency, even during hard times, work that much harder to place children with loving families. They are known to educate not only birth mothers but also prospective families, and the community on the importance of giving children a new home.
Another agency in Mobile that one might consider would be, Alabama Pre/Post Adoption Connection. This particular agency doesn’t only help prospective parents before Mobile adoption but also after in case parents—either birth or adoptive need help or have additional questions.
Now that we have talked a bit about agencies that parents might consider, let’s look at what needs to take place in Mobile, Alabama; there are eleven steps that must be taken when considering Mobile adoption. According to the Mobile County Probate Court, the first step is the pre-placement investigation. You can also petition to have this done through a child placement agency. The pre-placement investigation consists of prospective parents being interviewed by a social worker or someone with the background to do so. This particular step also includes a background check to make certain that the parents are suitable to adopt. They do this to guarantee the safety of the adopted child.
When an expectant mother, and father decide to put their baby or child up for Mobile adoption there are many questions and feelings that run through their minds. Am I doing the right thing for my baby/child? What if I choose the wrong parents to take the baby? Can I do this on my own? Will I have support from family and friends no matter what my decision is? These are some of the questions that an expectant parent may think about. Once they have decided to place the baby for adoption, there is a myriad of feelings that follow such as guilt, love, denial, acceptance, and relief. Some of these feelings go right along with the grieving process.
The second step in this considerably long process is to get consent from those involved. The birth parents, especially if they both want the child(ren) adopted, have a considerable amount of say in the situation. If a child is fourteen years of age or older, they too can decide whether they want to and even where their eventual home may be
Expectant parents, in most agencies, get to choose who they want as their child’s adoptive parents. They go through profile after profile, reading about each set of parents or a single parent hoping they choose the correct person(s) to raise the baby.
The third of the eleven steps is having a guardian ad litem chosen; this is someone who advocates for the child(ren) if they aren’t yet old enough or are incapable of speaking for themselves. Children who might be unable to speak for themselves even if they are of the age of accountability could include those who are disabled or unable to speak. It would be necessary for children in these categories to have someone to speak up for them so that their best interests are heard. A minor who is fourteen years old and wants to give her child a better life can choose for herself to do this without parental consent. Any child younger who might become pregnant would need consent from her parents first before placing her child.
On the website, the fourth phase that is described is the court’s approval of fees. Prospective parents may pay for things that are related to the pregnancy such as medical bills and housing as long as there is an agreement between all parties. There must be approval from the probate court to do this. If a person pays for things without permission, this could result in misdemeanor charges.
Number five on this ongoing list is, as long as the petitioning party passes all pre-adoption steps, the child(ren) are then placed with the petitioner. In some ways, this is a good thing but in others it may not be as such; depending on the child’s background, where they came from, the things that they have seen and or heard, whether they’ve been abused or not, among other things can have an effect on how the child takes to their new home.
There are child(ren) who connect right away with their new parents and hunger for that affection and there are those children who, due to whatever reasons, fight being in a new home all the way. This may be due to some of the issues mentioned above.
Step six of the eleven is that the prospective parents make certain they petition for the adoption thirty days after placement. Doing this makes it easier for them and the child(ren) to begin their new lives together. If this is not done, the prospective parents run the risk of losing the adoption and having a child removed from their care. This could be not only difficult for the child(ren) but the parents as well.
The seventh step is to have the notice of the adoption served to those necessary individuals involved in the process. This step could include the birth parents, the agency—if one is used, as well as the adoptive parents. The birth mother can decide after the child(ren) is placed to take the child(ren) back. If the children are older and have attached themselves to the adoptive parents, this could prove detrimental to not only the child(ren) but the new parents as well.
Step number eight is the post-placement investigation. During this investigation, the agency or social worker who takes care of this part will make certain that both the children and new parents are handling their new lives well and to make sure the placement is a positive one. It is the hope of all involved that these placements are good ones.
Number nine is hearings involved, especially if the birth mother makes the decision to want the child back if it is before the fourteen-day cutoff date. This can be extended if the court deems it necessary. It could devastate the adoptive parents and even the child(ren) if there have been bonds built during this time. This would be sad to have to give up a child you have come to love as your own but this happens sometimes.
Step ten is one that no one wants to happen but it does. This is called an affidavit of non-payment. An affidavit is a “written statement of facts, sworn to and signed by a deponent before a notary public or some other authority having the power to witness an oath.”
These can be drawn up by a judge if payment that was supposed to be given, wasn’t. This allows the judge to demand that the party who is responsible for monetary supplement pay the agreed-on amount.
The last step in the adoption process, as per the Mobile Alabama Probate website is the accounting of disbursements. This step is the best because this means that everything regarding adoption is said and done.
Adoptions must be finalized in the court before parents who might adopt or foster-adopt from another state can leave Mobile, Alabama. This usually means that they must remain in Mobile for a week to week and a half depending on the difficulty of their case. This makes doing an out of state adoption more intense especially if the adoptive parents aren’t made aware of this part. Luckily, there are many things to do in Mobile that will assist them in bonding with their child(ren) while they wait for the paperwork to go through. This is a good thing in a way as it gives the child(ren) more time to get used to the adoptive parents, mainly if they are older children.
As you can see, adopting is an extremely long and drawn-out process. This is not only hard on the expectant parents but also the adoptive parents as well. There are faster ways to accomplish this however. One way is to become a foster parent first because usually, when the birth parents are seen as unfit, if it isn’t next-of- kin found, the child(ren) are placed in foster homes. Most children that are harder to find adoptive parents for are older children. Some of these reasons might be because the older the child, the more disciplinary issues, and the more behavior issues that child has. This could be due to the child’s upbringing and the behaviors they learned from their birth parents, especially if they are not removed at an early enough age. When most people adopt, they want a baby or a toddler; someone who hasn’t been taught behaviors that could cause problems with other children. It takes a special kind of person; or parents to foster a child(ren). Fostering children, furthermore those who have issues that might be hard to handle, it’s difficult, to say the least. But these children, just like ones that aren’t coming from foster care need love, patience, and time, maybe even more so than ones who are not fostered first. According to the website, Considering Adoption, the steps to adopting a foster child in Mobile, Alabama are much the same as a private or open adoption. There are home studies but the majority of what takes place happens before a child is even put in a foster home as no one wants to see a child placed in a home where they aren’t wanted, particularly if they come from a home that’s not ideal already.
There are many, many children that need good parents and great families. The steps involved in this, even foster adoption might seem daunting but, in the end, it is worth it all of the heartache and difficult steps that are involved. Some people are made to be parents and some are not. There are those who might adopt a child or foster a child that is ill-prepared for such a task; but if this is really something you want to do, make certain that you know the steps in the area where you are looking to adopt. That is information that is important to know from the start because if you go into it not understanding what needs to take place it can make the process harder on prospective parents. There are two ways adoptions may be made easier on all parties involved; these are open adoptions and closed adoptions. Open adoptions are those where the birth parents and the adoptive parents decide what the birth parents are allowed to receive along the lines of pictures of the child(ren), letters, and whether, at some point, the birth parents are allowed to visit the child(ren). The exact opposite happens with a closed adoption. Once the papers are signed and the adoption goes through, the birth parents relinquish any and all contact with the child(ren) meaning, until the child(ren) are of age, usually 18, there is no communication between them or their birth parents. If at the age of 18, the child wants to find their birth parents, they have that right, although it’s sometimes hard to do especially when an agency is involved as when said place is part of the process, it is much harder, even for the child to get information as to when adoptions are closed, agencies do not like to give out information. It is vital that even at a young age children who are adopted know that they are adopted. This will give them a sense of belonging even if they don’t know where they come from until they’re older. Even with a closed adoption is up to the adoptive parents to decide when they divulge that information to the child. It is also their right to let the child know where they come from so the children won’t have to wonder who they are. The adoptive parents can do this even with a closed adoption. Whatever they tell the child is really up to them.
Being adopted has its ups and downs as we have discussed in this article. It is both the adoptive parents and the birth parents job to make sure that the children involved understand that no matter what, they are loved. Some adoptive parents may find it difficult to talk with their adopted children about where they came from especially when it has to do with drug addiction or abuse. The child(ren) may internalize that they are the reason their birth parents used and/or abused drugs. That, if they hadn’t been born, their birth parents would never have gone that far. Something that the adoptive parents can do is to let the child know that they were chosen by them. Birth parents do not necessarily get to “pick” the child that is born to them but adoptive parents get to choose the child(ren) they adopt and letting them know this once they are old enough to understand makes it easier for them to come to terms with the fact that they are adopted.
So, the take away from this is to study up on the adoption laws in the city where you want to adopt or where the birth mother lives, what things potential adoptive parents need to have prepared before they begin their journey, and what they are prepared for should they adopt or foster-adopt older children. Let’s not forget the expectant parent. Imagine being the expectant parent and having to make a decision that will not only alter your life but the life of the child you carry. That kind of decision cannot be made lightly. It takes a lot of love for the child and enduring heartache to make the correct one.
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