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Why Adoption? 3 Signs Your Family is Ready

3 Reasons to Adopt a Child

There are many beautiful reasons to choose adoption— you can use this list to understand how prepared your family is to begin your adoption journey.

Why Choose American Adoptions?

  • Short wait times
  • We protect your budget
  • A licensed, regulated agency

Learn more about the advantages of choosing American Adoptions, here.

You can also call 1-800-ADOPTION or click here to get guidance from a professional.

If you're a prospective birth mother considering adoption for your baby or wondering why people choose adoption, you can find helpful information on whether adoption is right for you here. You can also fill out this form or call 1-800-ADOPTION to connect with an experienced professional today!

Here are three signs you might be ready to begin this life-changing journey:

1. You Struggled with Infertility or are Unable to Carry a Pregnancy… But Want to Move Forward

One of the top reasons to consider adoption for many families is because they are unable to carry a pregnancy, or in some cases, unable to carry a pregnancy safely.

While infertility can be a reason for adopting a child, it is important that couples who begin their adoption journey have fully embraced adoption and have fully grieved any news of infertility or inability to have a biological child.

Individuals grieve and handle difficult situations differently, including infertility. It is common to have one spouse in the family ready to adopt while the other remains uncertain. This is completely OK, and it’s nothing to worry about. Grief is different for different people.

It’s a sign you may be ready to adopt when you both have decided to move forward and you are excited for adoption as its own journey.

Each partner must allow the other to move through the grief and loss process at his or her own pace. If you or your spouse are not ready for adoption, it can often lead to complications within the adoption process itself.

If you ask yourself, “Am I ready to adopt?” and the answer is no, let your spouse know. Be honest, and talk about where you’re at in your own grief and loss process.

Couples who struggle to move on from infertility are encouraged to see an infertility counselor or a marriage and family counselor. It is extremely important to pursue this option before attempting to begin the adoption process. These things take time.

You’ll have the best experience on your adoption journey when you give yourself the time to fully embrace this family-building option.

2. You See the Love and Opportunity Adoption Provides…  And You are Excited

With all the many beautiful adoption stories that already exist, it is common for families to know adoption stories from family members or friends.

This is often one of the reasons why people adopt children—they see the love and opportunity that adoption can provide for children, their birth parents, and their adoptive families. You can read stories of adoption and view videos of adoption stories here.

There are many forms of adoption—and just as each spouse must be ready to adopt, they should also be on the same page for how they are going to adopt and whom they are going to adopt.

Whether you realize it or not, there are actually many different ways to adopt a child. A family ready to adopt is one that knows exactly which type of adoption they are interested in pursuing.

When making your adoption plan you may be deciding whether to:

  • Adopt domestically, internationally or through the state foster care system.

  • Adopt a newborn or an older child.

  • Adopt a baby of a particular gender.

  • Adopt a baby of a particular race or races.

  • Have contact with the birth parents, and how much.

When you’ve started research and you are excited to learn more about specific types of adoption, it is a sign you might be ready for adoption.

Speaking with an adoption specialist will help you and your spouse to better understand certain aspects of the adoption plan, which, ultimately, should help you to come to a decision on the exact form of adoption that’s perfect for you and your family.

We promise, there’s a specific adoption situation out there waiting just for you!

3. You Want Provide a Loving Family to a Child… And You are Prepared

Another reason why adoption is a great option is because it can change the course of three lives: the adoptive family, birth family, and the child who is placed for adoption.

Providing a loving family to a child who needs one can have an enormous impact, and you may feel called to or driven by this idea of changing your life, and the lives of those around you, for the better.

Whether you pursue a domestic or an international adoption, there are adoption costs you must prepare for, including medical, legal and travel expenses.

When you know that you are prepared to provide the safe and loving family a child would dream of, that is a great reason to adopt.

You should carefully research all of your options and compare those costs to your budget to determine if your family is financially ready to pursue adoption.

You don’t have to be rich to adopt a child, but it is important that you are able to provide them with a safe and stable home while still considering your financial future.

Remember, raising children is expensive. In addition to the costs to adopt, you’ll need to ensure you’ll have a stable financial situation to consider opportunities like extracurricular activities in addition to secondary education.

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No matter what your reasons to adopt are, if your family is ready, you can find a path to adoption and get professional help along the way from our professional staff if you call 1-800-ADOPTION or click here.

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do we need to retain our own attorney?

No, American Adoptions has established relationships with some of the best adoption attorneys in the nation. Because adoption laws vary from state to state and between counties, it is important to utilize the services of an adoption attorney who specializes in the state where the adoption will finalize, which is unknown until you match with an expectant mother. You have the right to retain your own attorney, but doing so may be an additional, unnecessary expense.

Can we choose the gender of our baby?

American Adoptions does not allow gender specificity in adoption. Any family who wishes to be gender-specific in their adoption should contact us at 1-800-ADOPTION and ask about the possibility of an exception waiver before taking any other steps toward adoption with our agency. Any families who do receive an exception to be gender-specific may also incur an additional fee, which helps cover the additional advertising costs of such a request.

Please note that gender specificity will likely increase your wait time significantly.

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