There is so much information. We feel overwhelmed.
How do we make the right choice?
Special Children offers a free 1 hour consultation with families to answer questions, provide families with current adoption and country information, discuss program options with consideration for parent eligibility and preferences, and guide families in their selection of a program that is best suited to them.
What is a home study?
The purpose of the home study is personal reflection combined with education; it is a sharing between the adoptive family and the worker of experiences, expectations, and motivation. As adoptive parents ourselves, we hope this process will be a comfortable preparation for the joys and challenges of parenting.
The home study consists of at least two face-to-face meetings with the adoptive family, one in the home and one in the office. Our agency's home study packet should be submitted as the home study convenes to help us complete your study within one month following our last meeting with you.
In addition to the home study, Special Children, Inc. offers a
variety of options to meet WI training requirements and to help prepare you for your child's arrival and adjustment. The content also focuses on enhancing the attachment and bonding process with your child to assist in a successful placement. This educational session and a preliminary consultation meeting with a family are recommended for families.
How long is the process?
Special Children strives to provide expedient but thorough service which usually involves two or more meetings with the adoptive family within several weeks. Following the last meeting, we ask for one month to complete the writing of the home study, provided the family has submitted all the paperwork at the last meeting. Special Children then sends the study to
USCIS (Formerly INS) so that USCIS can notify the family of a fingerprint date. Special Children also sends the family the study and sends a copy to the international or other state agency.
From that point, the timing varies considerably depending on country and individual program. We will discuss those timing diferences with you at the time of the consultation or first home study meeting. Generally, adoptions from Russia proceed most quickly, often within 8 months of the start of the process. At this time, adoptions of healthy children from China are taking the longest, approximately 18 months. The timing of other countries falls in-between.
The timing in domestic adoptions varies according to when a birth mother is identified who commits to a placement, making the timing more unpredictable.
Can we adopt if we have a police record?
Special Children asks families to be honest with us right from the beginning. While we can never guarantee a placement, we are in a far better position to advocate for your family if you are open about your past and provide us with accurate information. The Immigration Service, BCIS, will have a record of any time an individual has been fingerprinted. That record can be a reason for a BCIS denial if the charge/arrest/conviction is not addressed in the home study. Occasionally, depending on the situation, Special Children will ask for additional assessments to help support our findings in the home study.
Children need parents who are stable, are emotionally mature, and have learned from their past. That is our ultimate responsibility in approving a study.
Are there any health problems that would prevent an adoption?
Families need to show that they are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy and free of communicable diseases so that they can raise a child in a healthy environment. Some
countries have specific guidelines for adoptive families regarding health concerns. If there are health concerns, Special Children recommends to the family that those issues be addressed immediately with the foreign program to determine acceptance into the program. We also help families identify programs for which they will qualify.
Is there any financial aid available?
Yes, there are need-based grants available through Gift
of Adoption (877-905-ADOP (2367) 101 East Pier Street Port Washington, WI 53074) and need-based, interest-free loans available through Family
Legacies (262-364-5527 13400 W. Bluemound Rd., Suite 100 Brookfield, WI 53005). Check out their websites at
http://www.giftofadoption.org/
http://www.familylegacies.us/
Where can I find information and forms about Immigration and
fingerprinting, etc?
You can get this information directly
from the government website. Check out the website at
http://www.uscis.gov/graphics/formsfee/index.htm
