Domestic adoption

For the prospective adoptive family we offer a complete range of professional services related to adopting a child.  This includes education regarding domestic adoption, an assigned family advocate that will be your contact person throughout your adoption journey, a social worker (or referral to a social worker for out of state clients) for completion of the home study, education and support regarding your portfolio preparation, and post adoption assistance. 

AN OVERVIEW OF DOMESTIC ADOPTION

Step One: APPLICATION PROCESS

To start the process of adopting, you must complete A Helping Hand Application and Child Desired Form.  This lets us know that you are ready to proceed.  The Child Desired Form outlines the characteristics of the child you are requesting. 

Once received, the application will be reviewed by the staff of AHH. You will be given notification of application status by email or via letter.

Step Two: HOME STUDY REPORT

You will start the home study process after your application has been approved by AHH. Your home study is the most important document of all! A Helping Hand will complete your home study unless you live out of the state of Kentucky, then we will help you contract with a competent home study provider near you.

The home study evaluation process includes three or four visits with a social worker at your home and/or in the social worker’s office.  The purpose of these visits is to gather the needed information to enable the social worker to write his or her report and to further educate you about adopting a child.  The visit to your home is to verify that it meets state requirements for an adopted child.  This also allows your social worker to get to know your family in a more personal way.  No one is looking under your bed for dust!

Several documents are needed to support the home study.  Your family will collect letters of reference, medical and financial information, police checks, and other documents of a similar nature that will be utilized by the social worker to write the report. The social worker is required by law in all states to insure that the child will be placed in a safe environment.

Step Three: PORTFOLIO PREPARATION

Preparing the portfolio can be one of the most enjoyable parts of the process.  A portfolio is the initial contact between the adoptive parents and birth parents.  The birth mother, and sometimes birth father, looks through portfolios to select a family for the baby.  A portfolio provides information about your family, your activities, hobbies, why adoptions is a choice you made, friends, and pets, as well as other personal facts, and includes photographs of your family.  Every portfolio is unique depending on the openness of the adoption and the information the adoptive family wants to provide. 

Included in the portfolio is a one page “Dear Birth Parent(s)” letter that shares why you have chosen adoption, what their sacrifice will mean to you, what kind of adoption you want (open/closed) and how you feel about birth parent(s).  This is your best chance to express your feelings about the birth parents decision. 

Step Four: MATCHING PROCESS

A Helping Hand does not keep a chronological list of applicants as birth mothers and fathers may select an adoptive family for their child by viewing profiles of families with completed approved home studies.  In some cases, adoptive families may meet with the birth mother and father.  This meeting allows the birth parent(s) a chance to get to know a little about the adoptive parents so they can feel comfortable about the placement decision.  It also allows the adoptive parents a chance to get to know the birth parent(s) and to get a feel for their reasons they chose adoption.  It may also be an opportunity for both parties to discuss the kind of adoption they want (open/closed).  After the meeting, both the adoptive parents and the birth parent(s) can decide if they want to pursue the adoption plan together. 

The matching process varies based on the availability of birth parents and finding a match between birth parent(s) and a prospective adoptive family.  Birth parents decide if they want to choose a family from a selection of portfolios or if they want AHH to match their child with a family.  If AHH matches a child, we match birth parents based on approved families and the birth parent(s) wishes. 

Step Five: STATE APPROVAL

In the state of Kentucky (and other states, if out of state adoption) adoption entities review and approve the home study and documents for adoption.  You will be notified by letter of approval of the home study. 

Step-Six: POST PLACEMENT PROCEDURES

In many cases your child may be placed with you before the adoption is final.  In order for the child to be in the adoptive families care the court must grant you temporary custody.  Your family advocate will help you to attain temporary custody of the child you are matched with, until the adoption is finalized. 

Once the child you have been matched with is born, in most cases you may take him/her home after the birth parent consents have been signed.  You will be approved as the child’s foster parent or have temporary custody of the child.  During this post-placement period a social worker will visit with you once a month and complete monthly post placement reports as required.  If the child was born in another state, those states requirements regarding post placement services will need to be followed as well.

Other states and/or other agencies regulations may differ regarding temporary custody.  We will work with your family regarding your specific case.   

Step-Seven: POST-ADOPTION PROCEDURES

After the adoption is finalized, Kentucky clients are required to complete three post adoption reports within the first year following the adoption.  Other states and/or agencies may have different post adoption requirements.  Your social worker will meet with you and completed the post adoption reports as required.