Some people are confused when they become involved with Chosen Parents Adoptions . Particularly if they have adopted through a licensed adoption agency in the past or have had prior matches or experiences via a state licensed adoption agency . Both are acceptable means of adoption , and  it is important to know the difference so that adopting parents and expectant mothers can choose the service that will best meet their needs and expectations. Chosen Parents Adoptions has a unique  business model, and we want you to understand going in what to expect. Chosen Parents Adoptions is NOT a licensed child placement agency , and in no way acts in the capacity of one. Nor are we an attorney , facilitator, counselor or consultant . Chosen Parents is an  web design and online marketing service that provides advertising  services to attorneys and adoption agencies .

To be sure, licensed adoption agencies can be a  wonderful choice  for some families and for some expectant mothers. Most of them offer full emotional support and hand holding to all parties involved. Some have in- house apartments or maternity homes . They are run by licensed social workers and counselors, and they are there to guide every step of the way .

We will attempt to give you an overview of an adoption involving a typical licensed adoption agency .

When an expectant mother contacts an adoption agency, an appointment is usually set up for an in- person interview with one of the agency’s intake workers. This meeting generally takes place in the expectant mother’s home, or perhaps a nearby restaurant . Licensed Adoption Agencies have an advantage of referrals by hospitals, jails  and other government institutions as well as the advertising that they pay for.  The initial meeting consists of an in depth interview, and filling out volumes of  social related paperwork.  Information regarding the father, her living situation and so forth .  A budget of her expenses will be put together  and an adoption plan made in regards to what she is looking for in a family . Plans for after placement may consist of a commitment of photos for the first year , forwarded to her from the agency .  The expectant mother may be asked to take a home pregnancy test at that time, which the worker would have brought with her as well as a home drug test. She will sign a medical release form , and if she does not have medical insurance the worker may set up an appointment to assist her with that , as well as set up a doctor’s appointment . If she already has a doctor appointment scheduled,  the worker will plan to attend that appointment with her so that she can obtain all of her medical records. This initial meeting can easily last 2 or 3 hours.

The next meeting will be to gather her medical records. In circumstances where the expectant mother needs housing , the agency worker will assist her in finding permanent housing or possibly put her into a weekly or monthly hotel. She will be shown profiles of adoptive families that fit her criteria. Each family will be contacted in advance , and her social history records, complete medical records  and budget  will be gone over to make sure that the family is interested in the case. Once shown profiles, the case manager will set up a three way call with the family that she has interest in. The family will have access to all records in order to make a decision to move forward.

Keep in mind, the agency is also working on the other side. They have spent hours working with the adopting family . They have had to complete a home study on their behalf, and may require that the adopting family attend a certain number of classes through their agency in order to qualify . They have educated them regarding putting parent profiles together  in order to be chosen by an expectant mother, and  then , once everything is ready , they continue to work with the  adopting family until a child is found for them to adopt. This  may  take years.

Once the expectant mother chooses a family , agencies act as a buffer between the adopting family and the expecting mother. They continue conference  calls so that they can step in if the call isn’t going well. The parents may be known by their first names only , and the expectant mother never really gets to know the family one on one. The case worker will plan to meet her in person throughout the pregnancy , to make sure that she is on track and that her needs are being met. These meetings may be weekly or even more often. Every meeting is carefully noted , and impeccable records are kept as required by licensing .

The agency will usually plan to be at the birth , or be at the hospital shortly thereafter . Every state has different laws, and the number of hours or days  after the birth the the relinquishment can be signed can vary. The relinquishment is the paperwork signed by the birth mother that relinquishes her rights to the agency . NOT to the  adoptive parents . In cases where the child is born with a severe medical issue , the agency may not be willing to take the relinquishment , If they do , and the adopting parents walk away from the case, the agency themselves are now responsible for the child and must now locate another acceptable home for this child. Quite a responsibility !

Once placement has occurred, the agency is now responsible for post placement supervision . Remember, this is their child at this point. They need to make sure that the parents are bonding and meeting the needs of the child before the adoption can be finalized. An attorney will most likely be involved as well in order to terminate parental rights of father, and file the interstate compact if the adoptive family is from out of state.

Now the that child is home, any agreed upon  post adoption contact may move forward. Oftentimes, the agency has negotiated a plan that allows for the adopting family to send pictures directly to the agency to then be forwarded to the birth mother for the first year after birth. Because neither the family nor the birth mother knows full identifying or contact  information  of the other party, the agency acts as a liaison between the parties. Where or how the one year termination of contact was introduced is unknown, it seems cruel to allow the birth mother to receive photos for the first 12 months and then to cut them off. Some agencies , in defense, do allow annual photos afterwards, but  quite often the communication is not enforced.

Licensed adoption agencies are great  for expectant mothers and adopting parents that need a strong support system with structure.

 

  •  Structured Throughout.
  • Act as a Filter between the Adopting Parents and their Birth Mother.
  • Lots of Counseling and Emotional Support. Lots of “hands on” for all Parties
  • In Some  States the Period of Revocation is Shorter with an Agency than with a Private Adoption through an Attorney .
  • All Information is Gathered in Advance Before Making a Decision. In Person Meeting and Medical records Available.
  • Expectant Mothers Needs are Cared for by the Agency.
  • Expensive. Licensed adoption agencies provide a lot of services and those services are paid for by the adopting parents. In cases where the agency has supplied housing , medical and living expenses  , costs can run into the $75.000.00 category .
  •  Few Expectant Mothers and Longer Wait Time . Most pregnant women want to develop a relationship with the adopting family . They  may resent the third party interference and prefer a one on one relationship.  They want to know who  the family is that is adopting their child. Some resent the structure. They don’t want a social worker going to their appointments , or having to meet weekly.  Most do not want a few pictures that stop after a year , they prefer ongoing contact.
  • Tend to be somewhat institutional. Some may say overly structured.
  • May or may not allow identifying information between parties.
  • Relinquishment signs the child over to the custody of the agency , not the parents.

 

Chosen Parents Adoptions Summary

Chosen Parents Adoptions  , a Wyoming State Corporation in good standing , utilizes two websites. The one that you are currently on , chosenparents.com , which serves as an educational tool for adopting parents and explains our program , and chosenparentsadoptions,com , which is the site that is used for Google Adwords, Bing , Yahoo and partner search sites.   Chosen Parents Adoptions is a web design and online marketing service.   Chosenparentsadoptions.com  displays profiles of home study approved adopting families in the hopes that an expectant mother that is seeking to make an adoption plan will choose them as the family that adopts her child. There are no upfront fees to be paid by the families in order to have their profile displayed. This allows families to pursue other situations that may arise without having their money tied up. Chosen Parents Adoptions restricts the number of profiles that are featured , so those families that are , have the benefit of up to $100,000 worth of  monthly advertising , and as a result , are usually chosen in a very short time. Their profile can be removed at any time, per their request .

Chosen Parents Adoptions answers incoming calls , and after doing a brief intake that consists of their name, phone number, state that they reside in , due date and which family that they have chosen , her information is immediately referred to an attorney or licensed agency , or adoption facilitator professional .  These adoption professionals are the clients of Chosen Parents Adoptions, and they have contracted to pay an advertising fee. If the family that is chosen is already a client of one of the professionals. the referral will be sent directly to that attorney . If not , the case will be referred to the professional  that is best going to be able to service the case ( for example, it may be referred to a professional that is located in the state that one of the parties to the adoption is located in ). All of the professional that Chosen Parents Adoptions refers to and contracts with are licensed in the state that they practice in.

The adoption professional will now gather basic information from the expectant mother. This will usually include a valid identification , a copy of her proof of pregnancy , and a social questionnaire. They will notify the adopting family and discuss the case and give them a projected cost estimate , which includes the advertising fee that they are required to pay Chosen Parents Adoptions. The average adoption , inclusive of the advertising fee, is $35-$45,000. The professional will usually send a copy of the  expectant mother’s social history to the adopting parents .  If the adopting parents are interested in the case, a conference call can be set up so that they can speak directly to the expectant mother and have all of their questions answered directly from her prior to committing to the case. Notice,  in contrast to a licensed agency  that no one has met her in person and no medical records have been received at this point. The family , after speaking to the expectant mother, will now have to decide whether to move forward or not . If so, they must sign a retainer agreement with the professional  that is handling the case. They should also receive a copy of the advertising agreement that the professional has with Chosen Parents Adoptions that outlines  the refund policy in the event of serious medical conditions or if the expectant mother or adopting parents change their minds about moving forward at a  later date .

Once committed, the professional will release contact information to both parties so that they can develop a personal relationship throughout the pregnancy and after placement . Many adopting families are fearful that , by allowing the expectant mother to have their personal information , that she will come to their home and attempt to “reclaim” her child. This is a normal fear , but as far as we know has never happened. It would likely make the front page of national newspapers if it ever did. Since adopting parents so desperately want this child, it is hard for them to understand that someone is willing to give them a child and not want it back.  She is doing this because she wants to.. she knows that she is not able to meet her child’s needs.   In contrast to an agency , there is no buffer or middleman. This is a private adoption plan , and many states require that the expectant mother be privy to all personal information regarding the family that she has chosen . Some states even require that she be given a copy of their completed home study . If the adopting parents are not accepting of this arrangement , it is suggested that they consider an agency adoption  instead of private placement.

Once the family is matched, it is up to them , along with the professionals that they may need to hire, to gather medical information and  “meet the needs” of the expectant mother. The mother may request counseling , she may have housing needs , etc. Usually the attorney that is retained in the state that the  expectant mother resides in  can handle the case going forward. They may meet the expectant mother at this time, as well as gather the medical records .

As you can see, the process is quite different . The end result is the same , however. Chosen Parents Adoptions works backwards .. they allow the expectant mother to choose the family first , then information is gathered. Most expectant mother prefer this arrangement . Once they have made the decision to make an adoption plan, it can be stressful to not know who the parents of her child are going to be. Once they find the right family , many expectant mothers voice relief and that ” a great weight has been lifted off of their shoulders “.  It is no wonder that so many expectant mothers choose to place privately rather than through an agency .

  • Chosen Parents Adoptions is strictly an advertising service. They do not give legal advice nor do they act in the capacity of a child placement agency. They will post parent profiles and refer any interested parties to licensed adoption professionals.
  • Process Backwards fro an Agency. Expectant Mother is able to see profiles first , then her information is gathered. Agencies first gather her information , and then she is shown profiles.
  • Waiting Period Shorter. Private adoption allows the adopting parent to network on their own. The more active the family is, the better the chance of finding an expectant mother.
  • More Personal Relationship with Expectant Mother . The family can become involved in the pregnancy, attending doctor’s appointments and being present at the birth. This can be a more positive experience for all involved.
  • Less Structure. The professionals that are hired will help create the adoption plan that the adopting parents and the birth mother want .
  • Ongoing Contact. The adopting parents can contact the birth mother directly after placement . No need to worry that the agency went out of business , all parties know who the other involved parties are .
  • Financial. Chosen Parents Adoptions requires no up front fees to be posted , and also offers a refund policy . Adopting parents are not “stuck” with a service that they are not happy with in case of a failure , as most services do not refund but may promise to attempt a future match for a period of time which may or may not happen.

 

Whichever road you take in order to expand your family through adoption , Chosen Parents Adoptions wishes you  a positive adoption journey !