Why should we choose a private agency?
A private agency like the Adoption Alliance can provide a full range of adoption services to adoptive couples. We can locate and screen birth parents and can provide adoption counseling for all parties. The Adoption Alliance can also oversee the prenatal care arrangements for the birth mother. We can also manage all legal proceedings and make arrangements for relinquishment of the child.
Why types of adoption do you do?
The Adoption Alliance specializes in domestic adoption. A majority of our adoptions are semi-open, but we strive to tailor all of our adoptions to the specific needs of all parties involved. For example, we can manage a fully open adoption if all parties agree to it.
How long is the average wait to adopt a child?
The average wait from the time the adoptive parents are approved is approximately 12 months, but the wait can be shorter, as it is the birth mother who selects the adoptive family for her child. However the Adoption Alliance can offer no guaranteed placement date. An adoptive couple can also decrease their waiting period by being flexible and open to different situations; such as race of child, prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs, etc. Please discuss the situations you may be comfortable with the staff at the Adoption Alliance.
What if I don’t need all-inclusive adoption services?
For adoptive couples who do not require a full range of services, The Adoption Alliance is available to provide specific services necessary to complete a successful adoption.
We don’t live in Texas ? Why would we choose an out-of-state agency?
There are numerous advantages to working with a Texas agency. Texas does not have residency requirements for either birth parents or adoptive parents. Agency relinquish documents are irrevocable. Living expenses, which can help a birth mother in need through her pregnancy, are allowable through the agency. Please call for a more detailed explanation.
What about the birth mother’s expenses?
A financial needs assessment for eligible birth mothers requiring assistance will be prepared by the Adoption Alliance. In Texas, certain expenses may be paid for the benefit of or on behalf of a birth parent, by an adoptive family through an agency. These expenses may include housing, food, medical care, and transportation.
Do the adoptive parents have to talk to and meet the birth parents?
In most cases, the birth parents do want to talk to the APs during the pregnancy and many want to meet with them. The agency primarily does “semi-open” adoptions, which means that identifying information is not shared with the birth parents. (The BPs will know the APs’ first names and the state in which they reside, but NOT their last names nor the city in which they reside.) Semi-open adoptions do not include visits between the birth parents and child once the child has been placed in the adoptive parents’ home. Once the child is placed with the adoptive parents, the APs send pictures and letters for the birth parents through the agency. This is done once per month for the first six months and annually on the child’s birth date.
What do the adoptive parents need to do to get started?
APs must have a home study completed by a licensed social worker. We can recommend a social worker in their area if they do not yet have a home study.
What are the birth parent relinquishment laws?
The birth mother cannot sign a relinquishment document until 48 hours after the birth in Texas but this will differ from state to state.
What is the adoption law related to absent birth fathers in your state?
We must address a birth father’s parental rights and specific methods will be addressed on a case by case basis. There are specific procedures established to ensure a legal adoption is possible in situations where a birthfather is unknown or unavailable. You may wish to consult an adoption attorney with specific questions.
What if the birth parents decide to parent before the relinquishment is signed?
The adoptive parents are responsible for the funds which have already been expended, but they do not lose the entire agency fee. The agency cannot legally make the BPs repay any of the support they had been given. The AP’s profile will be shown to new birth parents and another match will be made in the future.
Will the birth parents receive counseling?
The BPs will receive counseling during the adoption process. It remains available to them during their post-partum period as well.
Do most of the birth mothers have Medicaid?
Most of the birth mothers are eligible for Medicaid, but must follow-through with a lengthy application process. The agency will assist them with this as much as possible. If the birth mother is denied for Medicaid, the adoptive parents are responsible for the medical expenses associated with that case.
Will the adoptive parents receive prenatal records during the pregnancy?
The agency will request prenatal records and forward them to the adoptive parents.
How long is the Home Study good in Texas?
In Texas the home study needs to be updated every six months but this will differ from state to state.
What happens if we turn down a situation? Are we put at the bottom of the list?
We will continue showing your profile just as before. Remember the birth parents select the APs, we don’t use a list system. All the APs are shown when appropriate.