Does doing a private Bi-pass ANY part of the adoption process?

Question

As far as I know the only difference is in the "matching process" and who the child is relinquished to (the APs or agency) and when.

In our adoption process we had to:

Take parenting/adoption classes

Pass a FBI, Local and state background check

Get cleared by the "Child Abuse Reporting Agency"

Take CPR/First Aid clases

Had Home Visits

1 on 1 and couple counceling/interviews

Provided the content of our counceling with our pastor

Gave10 day notification the DCFS prior to finalization

Provided Interviews with references

Home inspection by fire inspector

Health assesment

Financial assesment

Gave our Social History

Psychological evaluation (done by our md)

There are more than this but this is all I can think of right now.

So what are the EXTRA requirements to adopt one of the children an agency may have available?

Are the legal requirements ANY different when presenting a homestudy package to a judge, when petitioning for adoption

Answer 1

I lost my son to adoption, so don't know about the requirements of the adoptive parents (but would love to).

I can say that I got absolutely none of this:

"In addition ot our requirements, the parents of the child need to be councled about their rights, options resouces and have an evaluation to determine of they are even compitent to make such a decision. IT'S the LAW, Private or agency."

Do you know where in adoption law that is stated? I'd love to have a read through to see what I missed.

by the way - good question.

ETA: Oh well, no rush, I missed it by 20 years or more, but I am still interested to see what rights women have these days. Thanks!

Answer 2

There are several types of adoption and the requirements depend on many factors.

It sounds like you did a State or Foster Adoption (which has some of the most extensive steps) The reason we go though such huge hoops is for two reasons:

1) Generally the children being adopted were NOT voluntarily relinquished and the state terminated parental rights.

2)  State and Federal guidelines are in place to assure the greatest level of care is taken when placing a child for adoption after the state terminated the parental rights or the biological parent.

I don't believe the Finalizing Judges actually see the home study but rather all the documentation that the state followed all the steps and rules.

YES--things are easier and steps are different with other kinds of adoptions...

Example: Even with the State Foster adoption when a Family Member or relative decides to become the adoptive placement the home study and adoption requirements are much different... Relative Homestudies are far less demanding than placing a child with a non-related family.

Grandparents, aunts or other relative need to meet a completely different standard than strangers... They need to have a safe home and be able to provide for the family member they may not be required to prove any more than that as they are family.

International adoptions depend on the requirements of the country. They can say you can't be too fat, too old or whatever is important to that country. And they can and do require a variety of steps in their process.

Private Adoption can be just about any process that is appropriate. A potential birth mother may ask someone at her Church if they would like to adopt and then meet with an attorney and make arrangements for the adoption to take place.

When my friend died she left a hand written note asking that friends from church be permitted to adopt her son, and with few hoops at all they were able to do so.

Step-parents adopt all the time, and aside from the notification and legal requirements for the other biological parents protection few steps are needed in the process.

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jessica3...

I believe the states define these laws.

For example in Oregon both the Adoptive Parent and the Birth Parents are provided information about the Open Records laws and adoption registry. The adoption will not finalize unless all parties have been informed about the rights the adopted child has when they become adults. But, Oregon is one of very few states that allow adopted people to obtain a copy of their original birth certificates.

The legal notice is designed to let all parties know that Oregon Birth Records are not sealed.

Answer 3

Ours was a private adoption between family.....

We had to:

Homestudy

Criminal Background

Child Abuse Clearances

Psychological Evaluations

Complete medical evaluations from family physician

FBI finger printing

References from family, friends and neighbor

(3)References for each of us from non family members that have observed us with children

(2) References for each from family members

(1) Reference from a neighbor

(1) Letter from each employer verifying employment

birth certificates

marriage licensee

letter from our priest

Listing of employers from the last 10 years

bank statements

W2s from last three years

debt to income ratio  (ie: credit card statements and the like)

life insurance policies  (copies)

A plan of care for the child in the event of our death

30 hours of counseling on interracial families

3 post placements visit...1 month......6 months.....12 months

*** Both of us had current CPR/ First Aide certifications

Answer 4

We started as a private adoption and ended up going through an agency to do an identified adoption at the suggestion of both our lawyer and the lawyer for the bio family.  

We didn't have to take the parenting/adoption classes you referred to or the CPR/First Aid classes.  We also did not have to have counseling with our pastor or a fire inspection of our home - although we did have a home inspection (walk thru by the agency).  It sounds like we got off pretty easy.  

We did have to sign a contract to abide by an open adoption which meant at least providing letters or pictures once a year to the agency.  Failure to comply would result in the agency providing our last known address to the bio family.  However, since we have an open relationship - visits, etc., - with the bio grandparents, we do not have to provide the letters/pictures on a yearly basis to the agency since we see the bio grandparents usually monthly and talk to them regularly on the phone.  

I wonder if the different requirements vary from state to state or even agency to agency.  Interesting question though.

Answer 5

in Wisconsin, all adoptions have to go thru that whole homestudy process with the counseling, classes, background checks, financial. everything...even if its a family adoption or private one or foster/adopt.