Child psychiatrists believe that children lay down emotional patterns, beginning in infancy. A child who does not experience consistent affection may never learn to feel or express affection for others. This syndrome is called “attachment disorder” or “reactive attachment disorder” (RAD).
All adoptions, wherever from and via whatever method, include a home study, the process where a social worker checks that you are eligible to adopt. After that, budget items vary.
There are enough sources of financial support for adoption so that you can, in all likelihood, get your costs down to a manageable figure.
Well, it varies! As a general rule, foster-care adoptions cost less than private or international adoptions. Learn the hidden costs and types of payments that are illegal.
If your adoption drags on and on, or if you keep getting birth mother matches or child referrals that don’t come close to your requirements, you’ll have to think about making a change.
LGBT prospective parents may face extra hurdles because of a state’s adoption law, an agency’s philosophy, or the attitude of an individual social worker.
Judy Sierra's fun and heartwarming book is perfect for bridging the topic of adoption with young children.
“Niceness is not typically a concern when you are looking for an attorney to litigate a case, but in an adoption, when the attorney is going to have direct contact with the birth parents, you need your legal representative to be a likeable person!”
We can’t say this often enough. Look for an agency or attorney that has completed lots of adoptions just like yours: same kind of child, same kind of parents.
She’s collected some of the most memorable stories she’s heard and lived through in Carried in Our Hearts.
When you start out choosing an adoption agency, you'll need the answers to these common questions. Learn how to make the best decision for your family.
Should you choose an agency or attorney? Where should you start? Answers to these common questions, and more.
There are half a million children in U.S. foster care. About 100,000 of them are already free for adoption, and 50,000 are adopted every year.
For many prospective adoptive parents, "the choice" of where and how to adopt is the most difficult part. Answers to three common questions when deciding if transracial adoption is right for your family.
If this is your first adoption, choose a country with a long-standing, stable adoption process, and work with an agency licensed by the U.S. and by the sending country. International adoption can be complicated enough; don’t add extra uncertainty to the process.
When did you know adoption was in your future? AF readers reflect.
Answers to your parenting questions.
Answers to your parenting questions.
Answers to your parenting questions.
Answers to your parenting questions.
