Attend an information meeting

Application

·        Background checks

·        Letters of reference

·        Medical Report from Family Doctor

·        Letters from Therapists if you have utilized therapy in your life

Adoption Training (designed to prepare families for both the process of adoption and adoptive parenting) 
     

      Topics covered may include:

• Understanding the losses involved in adoption
•  Attachment issues unique to adoption
• Understanding your child’s history prior to joining your family
• Open Adoption relationship
• Program specific information
• Panel discussions (birthparents, adopted persons, adoptive families)
• Paper process
• Homework, Your adoption study agency may or may not ask you to answer questions about yourself in order to assist them in preparing you for adoption and writing the adoption study

Meet with your social worker at the agency and at your home.  The purpose of these visits are for your social worker to:

1.      Get to know your better

2.      Meet children already in the home

3.      Understand your desire to adopt and your family dynamics

4.      Assist you in making a program choice

Adoption Study Report/Home study document:

-         Social worker tries to accurately and fairly represent family to international sources and/or birth parents

-         Social worker tries to write as supportively as possible and with potential readers’ interpretation in mind

-         Adoption Study Report/Home study goes to the Department of Human Services, the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS), country of choice, and orphanage

Remaining steps in adoption process include:

-         Program specific steps may include dossier preparation, BCIS application, workshop on older child adoption, referral, travel orientation/travel.