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Hope to Adopt

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For the Adoptive Parents

At AdoptionWorks, we understand the selection of an adoption agency is an important step in your family’s journey. We do not take it lightheartedly that you are trusting an agency to lovingly and ethically oversee the growth of your family and help you navigate the journey of open adoption. We encourage you to look for an agency that has the same philosophy as your family. Choosing
AdoptionWorks means you are selecting a Christ-centered agency that will provide you with a “boutique style” experience in your adoption journey.

This is achieved by purposely accepting only a limited number of families at one time in order to be able to meet the unique needs of each of our families. With AdoptionWorks, your family will receive personalized care and support from our Family Development Specialist.

We then continue to advocate for your child and your family for a lifetime; our services do not end when finalization paperwork is signed. We exist as an ongoing resource and support for you as needed– well beyond finalization, and through each developmental stage of your child. Adoption is a lifelong commitment and a lifelong conversation. We are here to keep that conversation alive and growing with you as your family changes.

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Minimum Criteria

AdoptionWorks requires that each prospective family meet the following baseline criteria in or apply to work with our agency:

  • Must be at least 25 years of age.
  • *Must be married for a minimum of three years.
  • Must live within 150 miles of our Dallas office.
  • Must be actively involved in a Christian Church.
  • Must be able to sign the ChristianWorks statement of faith.
  • *As defined by Board policy in the Statement of Faith, ChristianWorks defines marriage as an exclusive marital relationship between one man and one woman.

Our Adoption Process

Preservice

This stage of the adoption process helps you become familiar with AdoptionWorks to determine if we are the right fit for your family..

Preservice

This stage of the adoption process helps you become familiar with AdoptionWorks to determine if we are the right fit for your family. We provide a day-long adoption orientation to ensure you are fully informed about what the commitment to adoption will look like.

Once you have completed orientation and choose to become our clients, you will attend an intensive adoption education training.  This is a vital part of our process; we are dedicated to making sure each family has ongoing support and resources for managing the parenting role and understanding unique challenges to being an adoptive parent.

Following education, you may begin the application and approval process, which includes a home study, background checks, and a variety of other steps to confirm you are ready and willing to receive an adoption placement with our agency.

Approval/Waiting Period

After your home study and supporting documents are complete and you are approved for placement, you will be considered a “waiting family,” which means your profile book, an overview of your family culture and dynamics, is ready to be shown to expectant mothers who are seeking adoption placements for their children.

Approval/Waiting Period

After your home study and supporting documents are complete and you are approved for placement, you will be considered a “waiting family,” which means your profile book, an overview of your family culture and dynamics, is ready to be shown to expectant mothers who are seeking adoption placements for their children.

You will continue to participate in ongoing adoption education trainings during this time.

Note: We always receive permission from you before showing your book to an expectant family.

Matching

If a mother chooses to meet with you after viewing your profile book, our Family Development Specialist will work with you to prepare to meet this expectant mother / expectant parents at a “match meeting.”

Matching

If a mother chooses to meet with you after viewing your profile book, our Family Development Specialist will work with you to prepare to meet this expectant mother / expectant parents at a “match meeting.” These are AdoptionWorks-supervised visits in which you and the expectant parents get to know each other.  This can easily feel like an overwhelming part of the process, but you will not be alone in it; by the time this part of the journey arrives, you will have spoken with your Family Development Specialist in great detail about what to expect.

Once your family has been chosen by expectant parents for placement, you are then considered a “prospective adoptive family,” meaning you have been “matched.” Being matched does not assuredly mean that you will be receiving this baby into your home, but means there is current intention for that to happen.  We respect that a mother’s parenting and adoption decisions are open to changing.

As a prospective adoptive family, you will work with your Family Development Specialist and the expectant parents to determine each family’s level of comfortability with openness in the upcoming adoption relationship.

Placement

Placement is when your child is placed into your home. This special time comes with a variety of emotions and changes, but is first and foremost a vital season for bonding and attachment with your child.

Placement

Placement is when your child is placed into your home. This special time comes with a variety of emotions and changes, but is first and foremost a vital season for bonding and attachment with your child. There are a variety of timelines for when and how placement occurs due to the legal process and the unexpected nature of births and delivery.  You will be made aware of all of these possibilities as placement unfolds, and will be in direct and constant contact with your Family Development Specialist.  We will never leave you in the dark about what is taking place, but will prayerfully and supportively walk alongside your family during this time and beyond.

Post-placement Supervision

Post-placement supervision lasts for 6 months following placement.

Post-placement Supervision

Post-placement supervision lasts for 6 months following placement. This is the time in which your Family Development Specialist will visit your home monthly and keep updated on baby’s progress.  At around the 6-month mark, your adoption is legally finalized in a court of law

Help Us Build Healthy Homes and Families

AdoptionWorks is a ministry of ChristianWorks for Children which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit — EIN: 75-1246028. With your support, we can continue Jesus Christ’s example of service. Partner with us today!

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