1. It is difficult to be approved to adopt?
Yes, there is a lot of paperwork and something called a home study and during that home study process a social worker will visit your home. But as Adoption STAR says often, the home study is an educational process. You learn so much about yourselves, adoption and make decisions regarding the process. It is not a white glove test!
2. There are no babies available for adoption.
This is one of the biggest myths today. Infants are available within domestic adoption. In fact, the majority of Adoption STAR’s placements are newborns.
3. You will be on a waiting list for many years.
Gone are the days of the “waiting list” in the adoption field. Your “wait” relates to how flexible and open you are to certain situations as well as the preferences of the child’s birth family. While no one can predict when you will adopt, clients of Adoption STAR who stuck with the process have adopted within weeks to up to three years after home study approval. The majority of clients who have adopted did so within one year.
4. Adoption is very risky.
While adoption certainly has risks, the media unfortunately highlights these situations when statistics show that the large majority of adoptions go smoothly. Each state dictates the legalities surrounding termination of birth parent rights and that is shared with adoptive parents before they make a commitment to adopt a child. Utilizing a reputable adoption agency lowers your chances to fall into situations that are financially or legally risky. Adoption STAR has less than a 0.8% revocation and return rate (meaning the birth parent changed their mind after placement and the adoptive parent returned the child.)
5. I will be considered too old to adopt.
Age is often a fear that prevents people from considering adoption. While certainly age can be a barrier in certain adoption situations, many families in their 40s and 50s successfully adopt infants.
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