2. A homestudy is required for all adoptions in all US states. This will be done by a social worker and may take place over several in home visits with the family so they can write a detailed report about your family, home and life to submit to the courts as part of your adoption. You must have adequate, appropriate space to place the new child/children entering your family and it needs to be seen as a safe, healthy environment to place children.

3. You will be assigned a court date when you need to appear before the judge to state your intent to adopt. At this time you may be assigned an additional court date and the child/children may be assigned a guardian ad liedem to represent their interests in court if they are under 18. Depending on your individual situation in the adoption you may finalize the adoption or need further court hearings before a determination can be made in the best interest of the child.

4.Some states require both a medical and drug screening on adoptive parents. Check your states requirements in regards to this. All states require an FBI background check on the adoptive family and this is usually done as part of your homestudy process.

In all adoptions:
* no placement can be made without a homestudy.
* no adoption can proceed, be placed or go forward to finalization without the biological parents termination of rights (sometimes called relinquishment). The biological parent(s) of the child will have their rights terminated by the courts and that must be done of their choosing without any kind of coercement involved. Coercing (promising money or expensive gifts in exchange for the child) is illegal in all 50 US states. The time after a baby is born to the time they can be relinquished varies in each state and can be as little as 24 hours to several weeks. Check your individual state laws on this area to be sure.
* There are also different ways to adopt in the US so research ALL your options and avenues BEFORE you decide which is better for you and then research within that avenue before deciding on who you want to help with the legal end of things. We went through a private attorney for our sons adoption 2 1/2 years ago, but others go through an agency, foster care, international situations or even kinship adoption of a family members child. They all hold the same requirements legally but they all proceed slightly different in how it happens.

Things to remember when going into adoption:
* NO ONE, agency, lawyer or otherwise can guarantee you a set period of time from starting the process to finalization. Every adoption is different. Some start and finish fairly quickly and others could take several years to finish and complete. You won’t know the circumstances until you get into the process with a placed or identified child.
* NO ONE, agency or otherwise should tell you the fees changed or they need more money before proceeding your adoption further. This is not normal and is not legal. Once you sign any contract for an agreed on fee and what those fees cover in an adoption it must be honored. They can not come back with hidden fees that weren’t disclosed or to “speed the process”. NEVER sign anything in an adoption without thoroughly reading the document first and understanding what exactly it is and means. If you have any qualms about your adoption workers before you agree to use them as your exclusive assistance then don’t sign a thing. It’s better to walk away and keep looking then to jump into a situation that could be lousy out of desperation or longing to become parents.
* Be upfront in a situation what your expectations are. If you aren’t into the visits with the biological parents then say so. If youa re only open to non identified information for pictures or notes through a specified email account or third party delivery then say so. It doesn’t do any good to “lie” to a biological parent of the child being placed for adoption to go back on your word the minute the adoption ladedamom