Ask any adoptive family out there and they will tell you that the wait between becoming an active family and having their child placed in their arms was the hardest part of the entire adoption process. There’s so much excitement and anticipation as you wait for that little bundle of joy, but everything is out of your control.
Fortunately, you can drastically reduce your wait time by changing one simple thing: your APQ.
The answers you provided on your APQ are the factors that determine which potential birth parents see your profile. You see, our algorithm looks at your answers and matches them to specific desires and traits that a birth mother has listed in her questionnaire. So, if your APQ does not line up with an expectant mother’s wishes, your family will not be presented as a possible match.
When an adoptive family has a more restrictive APQ, the list of potential birth parents they could be matched with is drastically reduced, which means longer wait times. On the other hand, an adoptive family that has a more open APQ could possibly be matched with a much larger pool of expectant parents, which means (you guessed it) shorter wait times.
So what can you do to shorten your wait time?
If you’re concerned about your potential wait time, it might be a good decision to reevaluate your APQ and talk to your adoptive family specialist about potentially opening up to different situations. If there are situations that you were previously unsure about but are now comfortable with opening up to, let your specialist know.
Here are a few things that may be affecting your wait time:
Race. The truth of the matter is that there are very few babies born that are entirely one race (ie. Caucasian, African American, Hispanic). The majority of infants placed through our agency are a combination of two or more races. Being open to many different races is the best way to shorten your wait time as it puts fewer restrictions on the types of expectant mothers you can be matched with.
Budget. Most of our adoption opportunities fall between $28,000 and $35,000, but there are those who fall outside of this range. The variance in cost is largely determined by living and medical expenses for birth mothers, so an expectant mother who needs more financial assistance will require a family with a higher adoption budget. Unfortunately, this is the area where families have the least flexibility. If there is way for you to raise your budget without putting your family in financial jeopardy, it might be a good thing to discuss with your partner.
Medical History. No one has a perfect family medical history, so it is unrealistic to expect one out of a potential birth mother. If you want to shorten your wait time, first check your preferences for medical history. At the very least, these preferences should reflect your own medical history. If there are still areas of concern, research the different conditions. Talk to doctors about the risk of conditions being passed from mother to child, you may be surprised at what you find.
Keep in mind when adjusting your APQ that you should always be 100% comfortable with your decisions. You should be ready and willing to accept any situation that falls within your APQ. If you’re not, then don’t make the change. Even if it does take a bit longer, the baby who is meant to be in your family will eventually find their way to you.
