8 Steps To Private Adoption

8 Steps to Private Adoption

If you're just starting your adoption journey you're likely struggling with where to start, what to do first, what to do next, and with what is the most efficient way to spend both your time and money in order to get through the adoption process and ultimately achieve your dream of bringing home your baby through private adoption. If you're like me, you just want someone to break it down for you to tell you exactly what to do step by step. That's exactly what I'm going to do in this blog. I’ll walk you through the 8 steps to private adoption in the United States.

This is definitely an blog where you're going to want to have a pen and paper ready, or bookmark the blog to refer back to, so that you can see the exact steps for yourself, because sometimes seeing them laid out visually will just help you kind of navigate along with us. 

Determine what method of matching you're going to use

The very first step that you're going to do is determine what method of matching you're going to use. Now that could come to life by determining what path is really right for you. I have a tool that I use with my clients, which is finding your perfect adoption pathway. Inside the tool, we go through a much deeper dive into each different type of adoption. Then I walk them through an exercise that helps them really pick the type of adoption that's right for them. But the general gist of what you need to do without all the fancy tools is go watch some of the YouTube videos that I have here on my channel, or listen to some of the podcasts on previous episodes where I break down at a much higher level. I don't go nearly as deep in those episodes as I do inside the course, but it’s a good place to start. But at the high level, I tell you the differences between the different types of adoption. So you can determine which type of adoption you need to go spend a little bit more time researching, and then you need to sit down and really think through what's the right one for you. 

Determining what path is right for you

Step number two within that, again, is really determining what path is right for you, which we talked a little bit about in step one. 

Determine how you're going to pay for your adoption

The third step, and probably the step that gets a lot of folks tripped up is determining how you're going to pay for your adoption. Now I have a handy dandy resource, the adoption financial planner, where I walk you through all of the different types of ways that you can actually fund your adoption, and I help you put together your action plan on each one of those. But a high level is you want to understand first, what type of adoption you feel is right for you. What are the budget parameters that typically exist for that type of adoption? And then next, we literally put together a plan together on how to get there. So let's just make it up for conversation sake. So if you think your adoption is going to cost you around $30,000, then you want to take a look at all of the resources at your disposal that you could readily use. Do you have any benefits from your company or from your spouse's company to help support you in the adoption journey? Are there tax credits that will help you kind of replenish maybe some savings that you might have and that you might use? Are you open to fundraisers? And if so, what type of fundraising activities are you open for? Again, I have a resource that gives you kind of the typical fundraising activities. On average, how my clients make those work financially for them to contribute what they actually need to out of the fundraiser and not actually lose money. But you see, my point is that you want to start at the onset with what do I actually need to achieve? And then really break it down into bite sized pieces, and then work yourself into a project plan to say okay, from self funding of the 30,000 I can come up with maybe $10,000 of that, and now I've got about a $20,000 gap that I've got to close. So then you sit down and figure out am I open to garage sales to fundraisers to bake sales to t shirt sales, or am I more into doing things like loans or grants and different areas of that perspective, then you estimate by each one and then determining based upon that, then we go and work on a project plan for each one, so you can actually achieve your goals. This can feel scary as you start, but when you begin to break it down, it becomes much more attainable much more quickly. 

Pick your adoption partners

Step number four is you need to pick your adoption partners. Now, depending upon which method of matching or which pathway you've chosen for your adoption, you're going to need different partners. If you're working with an adoption agency, you may not need any of their partners. Or you may need an adoption profile expert to help you guide you through the process of creating your profile. If you're working with an attorney, you might actually need an adoption profile expert. You might need expectant mother resources for mental health. You might need resources for understanding medical records. So again, it depends upon which type of path you're choosing, but the basics of what you want to make sure that you're covering as someone to help you match. You want to have someone to help you finalize the legal processes, you want to make sure you have support services for your expectant parent, and you want to make sure you have support services for you. The support services for you could look like mental health professionals could look like medical resources or could look like adoption profile experts, or coaches to help guide you through the process. 

Becoming home study approved

Step number five in the private adoption process is becoming home study approved. Again, I know this is one of those areas that can make you think, what I actually have to get approved in order to have a home study? Yes, and in order to become an adoptive parent, you do have to become home study approved. There are several steps within that home study approval that you're going to go through, you're going to go through background checks, you're gonna go through interviews, you're going to go through physical and mental evaluations, you're going to go through home inspections. So all of those pieces really kind of nest up under this idea of home study approval. And again, it doesn't have to be as scary as it sounds. I have a couple of different interviews on the channel that both the YouTube channel and in the podcast, with Stephanie from Adoption and Beyond, where she really walks you through the process and breaks it down and makes it much less scary. But inside the private adoption school, I also have resources to help you prepare for each one of those sections of the home study, just make it a little bit less stressful for you and your partner as you go through this. 

Learn what profile types you need for your adoption

There are different types of profiles needed based on the method of matching you are using for your adoption.  You also need to share the right type of information in each of the different types of adoption profiles as well.  So that is why step seven is so important

Creating and sharing your profile

Step number seven in the adoption process is creating and sharing your profile. You want to make sure that this is ready once you are home study approved so that the instant you get that approval, you're ready to push that profile out and start sharing it. You want to maximize the amount of time that you have on your home study before you have to renew it before you have to pay more fees to have it renewed. So when it comes to creating and sharing your profile, I have tons of free resources as it relates to the different types of adoption profiles you need to make what works best, what will help you match faster. But if you need help on that I have two main ways that I can help you either you can do it yourself through the adoption profile masterclass, or I can create it for you one on one and really take all the burden and heavy lifting off of your shoulders there to make it super simple. 

Matching and finalizing your adoption

The very last step, step number eight in the adoption process, is matching and finalizing your adoption. Now, you may think every step is critical and this really is the most critical. This is when you're forming a relationship with expectant families to determine whether or not you're the right fit. Then you're walking with them to birth and then after you are raising this beautiful child that kind of welcomes in to your extended family, their birth family. So this step of the process really is all about community. It's about learning from those that have been there before you and having safe spaces to ask questions whenever you need it. And remember a safe space always exists for you for free in the my Adoption Coach Facebook community. 

So there you have it friend a very quick overview on the total process of a private adoption. I have several resources for you to help you all the way throughout. But if you're just starting, I would highly suggest that you check out the my Decide Your Method of Matching resource to help you determine what method of matching is right for you to help you find your perfect adoption pathway so that you can achieve your dreams of becoming an adoptive parent. And if you're a little bit further along in the process, and maybe just need a little bit of help to determine really what's next right step for you can check out the private adoption school. I walk you through the entire process, step by step, give you all the resources and make sure and customize it based upon the type of adoption that you have chosen for your family. Remember, anything's possible with the right plan and support and I am just an email away.

Hi, I Am Amanda

I am an adoption profile expert on a mission to teach you how to adopt and help you create and share your family's story more affordably!