HOW ADOPTION WORKS
Two sides of adoption. One process built around people.
There's a lot that happens between the first phone call and a finalized adoption. And most people have no reason to know how any of it works until they're suddenly in the middle of it.
So let's make it make sense. Choose where you're starting below, and we'll walk you through the process from there.
IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING ADOPTION
Okay. So what actually happens?
You reach out. We talk. And no, you won't be expected to know the right questions to ask. Here's what the process generally looks like from there.
—You contact us.
Call, email, or send us a message through our website. We'll ask a little about you, your pregnancy and situation, and you can ask us whatever is on your mind. This first conversation is simply where we start.
01
—We get to know you and what you want.
02
If you'd like to move forward, we'll spend some time talking about what matters to you. What are you hoping for in an adoptive family? How open would you like the adoption to be? What would make you feel comfortable at the hospital? This is where your adoption plan starts taking shape.
—You look at families.
03
We'll share profiles of prospective adoptive families who are open to your situation and whose preferences line up with what you're looking for. You decide which family you want to choose—and if none of them feel right, you don't have to choose one just because we showed them to you. We are not limited to the families working directly with our agency. If we don't have the right fit in-house, we work with other agencies and consultants to help find families who better match what you're looking for.
—You decide what happens before the baby arrives.
04
If you want to get to know the family you chose, we can help make that happen. Some people want phone calls, texts, video chats, or time together before delivery; others prefer less contact. We'll also talk through your hospital wishes so everyone knows what you want when delivery day comes.
—Baby is born.
05
At the hospital, you are the patient and the parent. Your adoption plan doesn't change that. We'll work with the hospital and the adoptive family to help everyone understand your wishes while you recover, follow through with your hospital plan, and make the decisions that belong to you.
—Consent and placement.
06
When the time comes for consents to be signed, the legal process will be explained to you before you sign anything. After the required consents are completed, placement with the adoptive family can occur.
—And then... life after placement.
07
Placement isn't the last time you'll hear from us. We remain available after placement, and counseling support continues to be available to our birth parents. If you chose an open adoption, the relationship you planned with the adoptive family begins its next chapter too.
IF YOU'RE HOPING TO ADOPT
Here's how it works.
There's paperwork. There's waiting. There are some very exciting phone calls. And there are a few steps in between that most people have never heard before. Here's the rundown.
—We start with a conversation.
Most families begin with a phone call. We'll talk about where you are in the adoption process, whether you're looking for an agency to work with directly or are already working with another agency or consultant, and what you're hoping for. This conversation helps us figure out your path.
01
—You get the paperwork in place.
02
Whether you're working with Family Creations or coming to us from another agency or consultant, we'll need an application, a current home study, required background checks, and the other documentation needed for your file. If you don't have a completed home study yet, that's okay—Florida families can complete one through Family Creations, or you can begin the process with an appropriate provider where you live.
—You decide how you'll work with us.
03
Some families choose to contract directly with Family Creations, while others come to us through an adoption consultant or another agency they're already working with. Families who contract directly with us become part of our waiting-family pool and are considered first when we're working with an expectant parent whose situation aligns with what they've told us they're open to. When we don't have the right fit within our waiting families, we also work with trusted agencies and consultants to broaden the search.
—Your family may be presented.
04
When we're working with an expectant parent whose situation aligns with what you've told us you're open to, we'll talk with you about the opportunity before your profile is presented. At Family Creations, agreeing to be presented means that you're prepared to move forward with the match if the expectant parent chooses you. We take that commitment seriously because choosing an adoptive family is a significant and emotional decision for her too.
—She chooses.
05
The expectant parent reviews the families presented to her and chooses the family she feels is right for her child. If she chooses you, you are matched. From there, we'll help everyone connect and begin talking through communication during the pregnancy, hospital wishes, and following expectations for openness after placement.
—You get ready.
06
Once you're matched, things start feeling a lot more real. We'll stay in communication as the pregnancy progresses, help coordinate with the expectant parent and hospital, and make sure the pieces that need to be in place for delivery and placement are moving. This is also the time to keep asking questions. Birth plans can change, babies arrive early, and adoption has a way of refusing to follow a perfectly tidy calendar.
—Baby arrives.
07
The hospital experience is shaped by the birth parent's wishes. She decides things like who she wants with her during labor and delivery, how mch time she wants with the baby, and what involvement she is comfortable having from the adoptive family while she is still the patient and legal parent. We'll help everyone understand the plan ahead of time and communicate with the hospital so you know what to expect as much as possible.
—Placement happens. And if you crossed state lines, meet ICPC.
08
Once the required consents have been signed, placement with the adoptive family can occur. If the child is being placed across state lines, there's one more process called the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). In plain English: both states have to review and approve the placement before you can take the baby home across state lines. We coordinate the necessary adoption documents and help you through the process while you wait for clearance.
—Then we work toward finalization.
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Placement is a huge milestone! But the adoption isn't legally finished yet. There are post-placement requirements to complete, reports to submit, and legal work happening behind the scenes before the adoption can be finalized. We'll help keep those pieces moving and work with the professionals involved in your case until it's time for the finalization hearing—the point when the adoption becomes legally complete.