Adopting a child is not an easy decision, but it is a rewarding and truly
fulfilling experience for those wanting to be parents. You are making
a lifelong commitment to loving a child and providing them with a warm
and safe home. However, the road to adoption is not a short and a simple
one; it’s a process that is composed of a lot of time-consuming
and stressful steps. Here are 5 things you need to know about adoption
agencies and adoption attorneys in The Woodlands.
1. Matching services.
An adoption agency is a licensed and state regulated business that connects
children with adoptive parents through professional screening and matching
services. Adoption agencies can also coordinate attorney and counselling
services for you. If you choose to pursue an
adoption attorney in The Woodlands
rather than work with an agency, then you are choosing an independent
adoption. In most independent adoption cases, the adoptive parents and
birth parents find each other without the aid of an adoption agency’s
screening and matching services. The ability for an adoption attorney
to aid an adoptive family in the process of screening their own matches
differs by firm and state.
2. Specialization.
Adoption agencies are equipped to handle infant domestic adoption, international
adoptions, and foster care adoptions. Many agencies provide all three
services. Adoption attorneys in The Woodlands, however, usually only handle
independent domestic infant adoptions. The specialization of an adoption
attorney can get even more specific, with some having experience in focused
areas, such as a person giving up a child, a family wanting to adopt, or both.
3. Counselling.
As briefly mentioned above, adoption agencies can easily coordinate adoptive
parents with counselling services because licensed clinical and counselling
social workers are on staff. The counselling fee is included with the
adoption. While not all adoption agencies have post adoption support,
many do, and adoptive parents can select an agency based on whether or
not this service is offered. An adoption attorney in The Woodlands can
also coordinate an independent adoption with these services, but at an
extra cost. Most adoption attorneys do not continue to provide support
for adoptive parents after their adoption has been finalized; this is
because they are more focused on the legal process.
4. Restrictions.
Federal legislation sets the framework for adoption in the United States;
therefore, the adoption laws vary from state to state. Adoption agency
restrictions against adoptive parents will vary, and these restrictions
include your age, your marital status, your sexual identity, your religion, and even
divorce. In some states, under very specific circumstances, infants that are adopted
through an agency must first go to a foster home before they can join
their adoptive parents. Generally, adoption attorneys in The Woodlands
have fewer restrictions for adoptive parents, and no foster homes are
involved in the process.
5. Comfort.
Whether you decide to choose an adoption agency or an adoption attorney,
you need to feel comfortable with the people who are helping you through
this process. You need to ensure that your best interests are being looked
after and that all the information you need is provided—you want
the full picture and all the facts about the birth family or parent.
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