How hard is it to be approved to adopt? Research for the future?

Question

I would like to know how hard is it to be approved and if it is so easy why are ppl adopting out of the country because they were denied, how long is the waiting list and what are the chances of a middle to low income family to be approved

I want to adopt a baby in the future after I'm done having my own I have 1 boy and another one on the way and want two more but i still feel the need to give another child a home I dont like adoption cause I feel like these kids wait and wait and some times never find a home. I want to give a child a home that may never have one

What are the chances

Answer 1

It is acctually pretty hard. My family started in January and still not fully approved yet. First, you need to look into it and find out when training starts. You are required to complete 30 hours of training. Once that is complete, a social worker will schedule a date to come to your household to basically check out the house and interveiw you. He/she will then schedule a date to interveiw individually with you and your spouse or partner. Then once that is approved, you will then be scheduled for a health inspection. This is when the health inspector comes and makes sure the house is suitible for a child to live in. You will get a brochure in the mail about the standards. Then, when that is approved, they may even call you the very next day. Contact the DSS (Department of Social Services) and get info. We are still awaiting the health inspection. We are doing the foster to adoptive care program in which you take in foster children and they may be able to be adopted. You are able to choose which gender, age, and race of the children. You can also choose how many you are willing to take in. If you want sibling pairs. If you only want one at a time. You are able to choose. Adoption is a wonderful thing to do and I am a product of it. I was adopted at birth. Good Luck!!!

Answer 2

Unfortunately you have to jump through a ton of hoops to get a child domestically. You need to prepare a bedroom for the child, have your home inspected a bunch, go through criminal and civil backround checks, prove you have a stable job, stable marriage...

Things like the anti-depressants you went on at age 18 because your best friend died in a car crash can be held against you... you must not be mentally stable if you took them. That kind of nonsense.

Answer 3

I'm not sure I agree that you have to jump through a lot of hoops to get a child domestically.  My wife and I started the process in late Sept 07 and had our daughter in the house with us 4 days after she was born in mid Feb 08.  In that time we had the home study, the reference checks, background police check and were approved by the Board, AND we got a baby even though we did not specify that age group.  

Naturally we had to have our home inspected but unless you live in a $hit pit there is no reason why you shouldn't pass.  They need to know that the child is being placed in a home that is safe, secure, clean and can accommodate another child.  (No need to make another Harry Potter living under the stairs)  It's basic "due diligence" on the part of any agency who is expected to place a child in a safe environment.  

We also had to have a bedroom prepared but doesn't that just make good sense anyway?  We got the call at 11:00 in the morning telling us we were approved and in the system.  At 2:30 pm that same day we got a second call asking us if we were interested in a 4 day old girl who was due to be released from the hospital and needed a home to go to.  3 hours later we were leaving the hospital with her.  Personally, I'm glad we were required to have a room ready.  Why not get it done early rather then scramble at the last minute.  

Perhaps our circumstances were quick but believe me, we are not special.  We have two older children (one adopted from overseas when we lived out of the country), my wife is a stay at home mom and I am in the military.  We have the standard debts and troubles of any family and we are pretty typical if you ask me.

I think many people go overseas though because they want a baby which, contrary to our experience, can be pretty rare domestically.  It could make for a long wait.  The overseas option, at least in our experience, wasn't any easier then domestically and is actually more expensive because of all of the other agencies involved.   There still needs to be a home study, there still needs to be reference checks, there still needs to be background checks, there still needs to be criminal records checks PLUS there needs to be local paperwork done in the adoptive country as well as immigration paperwork in many cases.  

For anyone looking to adopt, I say adopt domestically.  Do the research, take the time and do it right.  It can be done cheaply through CAS and it can be done quickly if you know and understand the process.  The longest time is often the time spent waiting for a proper match.