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ADOPTION TODAY: OPTIONS & OUTCOMES
Taking the First Steps in Investigating Adoption Options
Share your own adoption experience and be part of a new book that will help families as they begin their adoption journey.
When you first began thinking about adoption as a way to build your family, in addition to your actual eligibility for certain programs, you probably wanted to know some basic things: How long would it take? How much would it cost? What are the ages of the children available and are they healthy? Questions that seemed simple often yielded cautious, complicated answers.
If you have completed an adoption in the past 5 years, we invite you to share your insights and the outcome of your own adoption experience with others who are just beginning their journey. Hopefully, responses will represent the incredible range of opportunities available in domestic and international adoption in the 90s, thus providing an informal "road map" for newcomers. If you have adopted more than once in this time period, please duplicate this form for each adoption on which you report.
Finally, we would like to include a clear photo of your child or of your entire family (formal or candid, B&W or color) with each submission that is chosen. Sorry, but these cannot be returned, so be sure you have saved a duplicate!
Anticipated date of publication: October 1, 1997. All participants whose responses are used will receive a copy of the book.
Print out the form which follows and
Mail your response by August 15th (the sooner, the better!) to:
Name: ____________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________
City: _________________________ State: ____ Zip Code: _________
e-mail (optional) _________________________
Phone: (optional) _________________________
Y / N I/we are willing to be contacted as a resource to prospective adopting parents.
Y / N I/we are willing to share information but wish to remain anonymous, except by state.
ADOPTIVE FAMILY PROFILE:
/ / married couple
/ / single mother
/ / single father
/ / unmarried couple
/ / foster parents
Age of father: ______
Age of mother: ______
Children already in the home:
Boys:______ Girls: ______ Age range:________
TYPE OF ADOPTION:
Adoption took place in 19_____
Domestic:
/ / Open
/ / Semi-open
/ / Closed
Agency: __________________________________________________
public/private / / supervising / / placing
Private/Independent facilitator? Who?______________________
Age of infant/child when matched: ______ on arrival: _____
Ethnicity: ___________________________ boy / girl
Placed as a:
/ / healthy child;
/ / part of a sibling group of ______
/ / special needs child, specifically, __________________
Any unidentified problems after placement? (specify) _________________________________________________
Child came:
/ / directly from hospital
/ / from foster care
/ / from birthfamily
Time from homestudy to arrival in your home: ___________________
International: Adoption took place in 19______
Agency: _____________________________________ public/private
/ / supervising / / placing
Agency: ______________________________ public/private
/ / supervising / / placing
Child's country of Origin: ____________________________________
Ethnicity: __________________________ boy / girl
Age when matched: _________ on arrival: ______
Placed as a:
/ / healthy child;
/ / part of a sibling group of ______
/ / special needs child, specifically, __________________
Any unidentified problems after placement?
(specify)__________________________________________________
Child was:
/ / escorted home
/ / picked up in birth country
/ / in an orphanage
Time from homestudy to arrival in your home: ___________________
Estimated TOTAL Costs: $___________________________
Pre-Adoption Costs: (check all that are included in this estimate:)
/ / homestudy / / document fees
/ / agency fees / / program fees
/ / legal / / advertising
/ / lawyer / /donation(s)
/ / translations / / escorting
/ / medical coverage / / counseling
/ / hotels; food / / interpreter
/ / facilitator's fee / / telephone
/ / foster care / / travel
/ / parenting classes
/ / OTHER (specify)_______________________________________
Post-Adoption Costs:
/ / readoption / / counseling
/ / legal / / casework/supervision
/ / other (specify) ______________________________________
You can help prospective adoptive parents by your honest sharing on the following questions. Please use an additional sheet and attach it to this form. Please combine your thoughts into a single paragraph or two of approximately 250-300 words.
What factors figured in your final plan that directed your adoption?
How close to your original expectations was the actual outcome of your adoption?
What sources of support were available and valuable to you throughout the process?
How helpful was your agency/facilitator throughout the process?
How supportive was your family of your original plans? Once your child came home?
What was the most stressful throughout the process? What did you do to relieve this stress?
What advice/insights can you offer prospective adopters?
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