Adopting a Child: Understanding the Process
Adopting a child is an intentional path to growing your family—one that often involves a unique and transformative journey. For those considering this life-changing path, it’s natural to have questions: What does the adoption process entail? Is it difficult? Is it emotionally challenging?
The journey begins with a single, powerful decision—to adopt. This first step requires deep self-reflection and often, heartfelt conversations with your partner or family. It’s important to explore your motivations, assess your readiness, and determine which type of adoption aligns best with your values and circumstances.
While adoption can be an incredibly fulfilling experience, it also involves a significant investment of your time, emotional energy and often finances. Regardless of the route you choose, having a clear understanding of the process will help you feel more confident and prepared.
Below, we will walk you through the adoption process, giving you a better understanding of what to expect along the way.
Understand Your Adoption Options
Before you dive in, it’s important to know the types of adoption available:
- Domestic Infant Adoption – Adopting a newborn within the United States.
- Foster Care Adoption – Adopting a child from the state foster care system.
- International Adoption – Adopting a child from another country.
- Kinship or Relative Adoption – Adopting a child you are biologically related to.
- Stepparent Adoption – A stepparent legally adopting their spouse’s child.
Each route has its own timeline, cost, and legal requirements. Choosing the right path depends on your goals, family situation, and capacity for various challenges.
Choose the Right Adoption Professional
After deciding on the type of adoption that best fits your family—whether domestic, international, or foster care—the next crucial step is selecting an adoption professional to guide you through the legal and procedural aspects of the journey. This might be a licensed adoption agency or attorney.
Is this step difficult? It can be. Finding a trustworthy, ethical professional takes time, research, and discernment. Look into their licensing and credentials. Ask about their experience and get clear information on the services they provide, their ethical principles, and the full scope of costs involved. You can learn more about ACI at our zoom program introduction meetings held monthly.
The adoption professional you choose will become your partner and advocate throughout this process. It’s essential to select someone who not only has experience in the field but also aligns with your values and communication style.
Navigating the Home Study Process
The home study is a critical milestone in the adoption journey. It’s an in-depth evaluation designed to assess your readiness and ability to provide a stable, nurturing home. Keep in mind that while the process may feel very personal or even a bit overwhelming at times, it’s ultimately meant to ensure the well-being of the child and support your success as an adoptive parent.
What does a home study typically involve? Here’s what to expect:
- Comprehensive background checks
- Review of medical and financial records
- Interviews with you and other members of your household
- In-home visits to evaluate your living environment
- Completion of adoption education or training courses
It’s natural to feel a little apprehensive—many prospective parents wonder if the process will feel invasive. While it is thorough, most families complete the home study without major issues. The key is to be open, prepared, and transparent throughout. Read our blog on A Comprehensive Guide to Adoption Home Studies
Remember, the home study isn’t just about meeting requirements—it’s also an opportunity for self-reflection, learning, and preparing for the responsibilities of parenthood.
Enter the Matching Phase
Once your home study is approved, the next phase is the matching process—where your family is considered for a child whose background, needs, and circumstances are compatible with your values, strengths, and preferences. This step can take time, as it’s important to ensure a thoughtful and appropriate connection that supports the well-being of the child, the biological family and the adoptive family.
Is the wait hard? Often, yes. Waiting can be emotionally taxing, especially if it stretches for months or even years. Staying informed and seeking emotional support can help during this uncertain phase.
Meeting the Child and/or Biological Family
Once a match is made, you may have the opportunity to meet the expectant parents, the child, or—depending on the circumstances—the extended biological family. This stage looks different for every type of adoption and can be one of the most emotional parts of the journey.
- In domestic infant adoption, it’s common for adoptive parents to build a relationship with the expectant mother or parents before the baby is born. These early conversations can lay the groundwork for future openness and trust, especially in open or semi-open adoptions.
- In foster care adoption, you’ll typically begin with supervised visits with the child. These initial meetings are a chance to begin forming a bond and help the child gradually transition into your home. It also gives you insight into their needs, routines, and personality.
- In international adoption, travel is almost always required. You may spend time in the child’s birth country, meeting them for the first time and possibly going through a period of in-country bonding, depending on the nation’s legal requirements.
Is this step challenging? It can be—emotionally, it’s often one of the most intense moments in the process. Meeting a child or their biological family for the first time brings a mix of anticipation, vulnerability, and deep emotion. But it’s also a pivotal moment—one that marks the beginning of building trust, attachment, and a future together.
Placement and Legal Finalization
Once the child is officially placed in your home, the final phase of the adoption journey begins—legal finalization. This transition period is critical and may involve visits and gradual integration into your home. Support from social workers and counselors can be invaluable during this time. While the emotional focus shifts to bonding and settling into life as a new family, there are still important legal steps to complete before the adoption is considered permanent.
Finalization typically involves:
- Filing legal petitions with the appropriate court to formally initiate the adoption process.
- Attending court hearings, during which a judge will review your case, ask questions, and ensure all requirements have been met.
- Participating in post-placement visits, where a social worker checks in with your family to assess how everyone is adjusting and to provide support.
- Receiving a new birth certificate, once the court officially grants the adoption decree. This document lists you as the child’s legal parent(s).
Is this part arduous? It can feel complex or bureaucratic at times, but you’re not in it alone. Your adoption agency or attorney will guide you through the paperwork and court procedures, keeping everything on track. Your main focus during this time will be creating a sense of trust and routine for your new family.
Finalization often takes several months, but when the judge declares the adoption official, it marks a joyful and affirming moment—closing one chapter and beginning another as a legally recognized family.
Life After Adoption: The Journey Continues
Adoption doesn’t end with legal finalization. It’s a lifelong journey that includes emotional growth, ongoing communication (in open adoptions), and helping your child understand their story. Post-adoption resources such as counseling, support groups, and educational materials are incredibly helpful, especially as your child grows and starts asking questions about their identity. Many agencies offer resources and support groups to help families navigate the challenges and celebrate the joys of adoption. If you’re thinking about adopting a child, start by educating yourself, speaking with professionals, and reaching out to families who’ve walked this road. With the right support, you’ll be ready to take each step with confidence.
Leigh began working with ACI as an Expectant Parent Counselor in 2011. In 2019 she transitioned to an ACI Home Study Worker and starting in September 2024 she accepted the role of Domestic Program Supervisor. Leigh received her Master of Social Work degree from Loyola University Chicago. Her experience includes working as a case manager for children in pre-adoptive foster homes, assisting adult adoptees and birth parents with search and reunion, counseling and adoption planning with expectant parents, and completing home studies and assisting adoptive parents in the adoption process.