How to find an infant to adopt
How do you go about finding the right infant to adopt? Many families want to adopt infants, so it can be a challenge to find an infant that’s both available for adoption and right for your family. Here are five ways to find an infant to adopt:
1. Tell people that you’re looking to adopt
Word of mouth can be a powerful way to find an infant to adopt. When your friends and family know that you’re pursuing adoption, they might mention you if they hear about someone considering adoption. Of course, how to go about telling friends and family that you’re interested in adopting an infant is important, too. You might want to tell friends and family in person or write a carefully-crafted social media post.
When you’re putting out the word, there are other places that you can go in order to tell others that you’re looking for the right fit for your family. If you attend a church or if you participate in a social organization, telling group leaders can be a good way to get the word out to others who might know biological parents who are considering their options. The more people who know that you’re looking to adopt, the more likely you are to connect with a biological parent.
2. Look where biological parents are looking for adoptive parents
Finding the right infant to adopt can be a lot easier if you go to where biological parents are looking for possible adoptive families. For example, there are websites that help adoptive parents and biological parents connect. You can go to these websites and create a profile. Remember that biological parents have a big decision to make, and they’re still considering their options. They want to learn a little bit about your family to see if you might be a good fit before they reach out to get more information.
Put some thought into your online profile
As you create your online profile, remember that biological parents look through lots of profiles. Also, keep in mind that they’re still making the decision about whether to place their child for adoption. When you write your profile, don’t assume that the biological parent has already made a decision about what to do. Your profile should be friendly and open, but it shouldn’t be too detailed. As you write, consider how the biological parent feels and what they might like to know as they consider their options and what’s best for their child.
Consider working with an adoption agency
Many biological parents work with adoption agencies in order to find the right family fit for their child. You might also go to an adoption agency in order to find an infant to adopt. The adoptive agency may be working directly with biological parents in your area, and they may have information about biological parents in other places.
Working with an adoptive agency can help you begin the paperwork and the other logistical work that goes along with adoption. There’s a great deal of work to do both practically and emotionally when you make the decision to adopt. An adoption agency can help you begin so that you’re ready when you find the right fit for your family.
Remember that it’s a two-way street with your child’s birth parents. They’re still considering their options. If a biological parent reaches out to you, be empathetic and encouraging. Answer their questions. Remember that you don’t have to be wealthy or perfect in order to be the right adoptive fit. Open and honest communication can reassure biological parents that you’re the right choice to adopt an infant.
3. Consider international adoption
If your goal is to adopt an infant, you may consider pursuing an international adoption. You may find an infant to adopt much faster if you’re willing to pursue your adoption from another country. Remember that there are additional steps and costs involved in an international adoption.
Although there are extra costs involved with international adoption, if your goal is to find the right infant to adopt as soon as possible, looking internationally can make the process much faster. Keep in mind that each country has their own requirements for pursuing an international adoption. It’s also important to ensure that a child is truly available for adoption and that the agency that you work with is reputable.
4. Consider what’s an absolute and where you can be flexible
When you’re looking to find an infant to adopt, it’s important to spend some time thinking about things that are must-haves and places where you can be flexible. For example, you should consider whether you want to adopt a child in your state or whether you’re willing to travel to another state in order to complete the adoption. There may be additional steps involved in adopting a child from another state including spending a few days or up to a few weeks in the child’s home state while you wait for paperwork approval.
There are other things that you should consider when you decide what’s most important to you. Is it important to you that the child be an infant or are you open to adopting a child that may be a bit older? Is the child’s race important to you? What about special needs? The more open you are, the more likely you are to find the right fit quickly.
5. Be wary of adoption scams
As you look for the right infant to adopt, be careful. Unfortunately, there are people out there who try to take advantage of people who are trying to find infants to adopt. Be sure to work with only reputable agencies and be especially careful of anyone asking for money online.
Finding a baby to adopt
Once you make the decision to adopt an infant, you must work on finding the right infant to adopt. There are things that you can do that can help you find an available infant to adopt. Telling friends and family that you’re looking to adopt and creating thoughtful online profiles can help you make the right connection as you add to your family through adoption.