What to Expect During the Adoption Matching Process

Continued from What to Expect from the Matching Proccess

When you are in the matching phase of your adoption process, you must realize that adoptions out of foster care will take time. The case worker assigned to the child at the custodial agency will need to read multiple homestudies in order to identify possible families, interview agencies and the families and ultimately set what is called a staffing. A staffing can take weeks or even months to coordinate. During the staffing, those with the custodial agency that know the child best will review the possible families and decide which family has the best abilities to provide for the child and any special needs they present. You will not meet your child until you have received all information. Meetings will occur once you have fully committed your family to the child.

A Child’s Waiting will continue to search for your family until you are matched. You will be in the review process with multiple custodial agencies at once. At the official match, the search is halted until a final decision is made. If your family is identified as the match, you will then receive all the information about the child, have the chance to talk to previous care givers, case workers, teachers, therapists, etc. If your family moves forward with adopting the child, you will receive information about transition with the child and an estimated time of placement. Additionally, you may have to negotiate subsidies. A Child’s Waiting will assist you every step of the way. Any questions or concerns at any point should be addressed. Once your child comes home, post-placement services will be implemented. Your family generally will finalize after six months of placement.

Adopting a child from a birth parent:

If you are hoping to adopt an infant or toddler, you will be matched with a birth parent. At A Child’s Waiting, birth parents identify the adoptive families through photo resumes that you generate. In order to be considered, a “Call for Profiles” is conducted. Adoptive families that match the characteristics that are requested by the birth family are called and given the information about the situation. Self-reported social-medical information is presented as well as any legal procedures that will be needed. All estimated fees will be projected at this time as well. It is important to understand that A Child’s Waiting will give you in information as it is given to us. Information will continue to unfold throughout the process. If your family receives the information that is currently available and say that you want to be presented to the birth family, it is a COMMITMENT to that situation. Your family is essentially saying that if the birth family identifies you as the adoptive family, you would move forward with the adopting the child. A Child’s Waiting will put your family on hold until the child is born or the handing-over of the child has occurred. If new information presents itself, it will be presented to you. In the event that the child is born with a special need, it would be your decision whether or not to move forward with the placement.

It is not unusual to be presented tens of times without getting a match. Please do not get discouraged. If needs are found in the presentation of your photo resume, birth parent letter, or interviews, someone from the “Birth Parent Service Team” will assist you. Do not take these attempts to guide you personally as we are trying to help. Most birth parents will interview the potential families either on the phone or in-person.