Have you ever thought about adopting a child in Rhode Island but were unsure of what the process entails? Here are the six steps on how to adopt a child in Rhode Island through American Adoptions.

However, every adoption process is different, so we encourage you to speak with an adoption counselor at 1-800-ADOPTION for more information about our agency before starting your personal journey.

Step 1: Is Adoption the Best Choice for You?

Adoption is an incredible lifelong journey, one that will involve a major commitment from any prospective family. While the end result is always worthwhile, adopting a baby will be an investment of your time, finances, and emotions.

Many couples that are interested in learning how to adopt a newborn have struggled with infertility. Before you begin the adoption process, you will need to consider if you are ready for adoption after experiencing those losses. Adoption means giving up on a dream of a genetically related child, and it’s important that you have grieved that to give an adopted child the love they deserve. 

If both you and your spouse decide that adopting a baby in Rhode Island is right for you, contacting an American Adoption specialist is the next step. To get started, please call 1-800-ADOPTION for more information.

Step 2: Choosing Your Adoption Professional in Rhode Island

Once you have decided that you are on board with the adoption process, you’ll need to think about choosing an adoption professional. If you’re considering adopting a newborn in Rhode Island, American Adoptions is a full-service national adoption agency that can help you during this process. However, if you are thinking about choosing a local professional, you will want to research certain factors, such as:

• Financial protection in the event of a disruption

• Wait times

• Resources and guidance for the adoption process

You can learn more about different types of adoption professionals here.

Step 3:  Become an Active Waiting Family with American Adoptions

When you start working with American Adoptions, you will need to complete an Adoption Planning Questionnaire (APQ) so you that your family can be presented to expectant mothers that have the same goals for their adoption.

You will also need to complete your Rhode Island adoption home study.  This will include at least two home visits, during which all household members will be interviewed. It will also include:

• Background checks on the adoptive parents

• Reference letters

• Employment history

You can find more information on what will be included in your Rhode Island home study here.

Step 4: Find an Adoption Opportunity

After you have completed the other steps, you will enter a waiting period as prospective birth mothers view your adoptive family profile. Your APQ, otherwise known as an adoptive planning questionnarie is used to gauge how flexible you are during an adoption.

This can be an anxious time for newly active families, but it is important to maintain your everyday lifestyle as much as you can. For example, focusing on new hobbies and spending time with your family and friends can help keep you busy. Our agency works diligently to minimize your wait time. Your adoption specialist will continue to support you during this waiting process.

Before you know it, you will receive the call that you have been chosen for an adoption opportunity. At this time, you will move to the next step in your adoption journey.

Step 5: Match with a Prospective Birth Mother

Once you have been matched with the prospective birth parents, you will begin the next step in your adoption journey. This is a great time to get to know the people who are selflessly choosing a better life for their baby. For the prospective birth parents, this is also a chance for them to get to know you — the family that they are placing their baby with.

The amount of contact that you have with one another may vary. Being open to pre- and post-placement contact will make the adoption process much easier. As both you and the prospective birth parents become more comfortable with one another, it will help solidify that adoption was the right choice for both of your families.

Step 6: Complete Your Adoption

Bringing a little one home from the hospital is an exciting time for any prospective family. But, before your adoption is finalized and your child is recognized as a part of your family, there may be some additional steps to complete, such as:

• Interstate Placement Compact of Children (ICPC) Requirements: If you are a family traveling from out of state to adopt your child in Rhode Island, you will need to follow ICPC guidelines. This process will need to be completed before you can leave the state and typically takes a week to finish.

• Post-Placement Visits: A post-placement visit is used to evaluate how well your family and your child are adjusting after the adoption. Before your adoption decree is issued in Rhode Island, you will be visited at least twice and usually by your home study provider.

• Your Finalization Hearing: Finalization is the last step required to complete your adoption. If everything has been completed in accordance with your state laws, you will be granted permanent and legal custody of your child.

Your adoption may be complete once it has been finalized, but the journey is far from over. Adoption is a lifelong commitment, one that is filled with constant growth and compassion. It is important to have conversations with your child about their history as they grow up and remain in contact with the birth parents according to your post-placement requirements.

If you have any questions about how to adopt a baby in Rhode Island with American Adoptions, please call 1-800-ADOPTION for additional information.

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