Receiving news that you may be welcoming a child soon can be exciting and heartwarming–especially when you’ve been waiting for this day to come for so long. You will soon be starting the rewarding but intricate process of identified adoption if you are fortunate enough to have a friend or someone you know choose you to raise their child.
What is identified adoption?
Identified adoption, also known as an independent or private adoption, is when a birth mother has identified an adoptive family for her child. Often, this choice comes from being friends or getting to know each other through mutual peers, advertising, or other means.
A personal relationship may offer reassurance because you already trust and understand each other. The reservations and fears of a birth mother sometimes lead them to withdraw from adoption resulting in despair for the prospective family.
With identified adoption, your connection with the birth parent may make it less challenging to manage expectations and develop an adoption plan where everyone is comfortable.
Will you still need an adoption agency or lawyer?
Even if you know the birth mother, they cannot simply place the child with you. The birth mother must legally give up her baby, and you must officially adopt the child. Despite your best efforts, it can be overwhelming. Adoption, in general, is often time-consuming and taxing.
Help is available. You may partner with an agency, a trusted adoption law firm, or both. In any case, having an attorney by your side could be very valuable throughout this incredible journey. They can help facilitate the legal aspects of adoption, assess risks, connect you with helpful resources, and keep you well-informed at every step.
After waiting and hoping, the opportunity to grow your family is finally here. However, as you probably already know, the adoption process demands patience and precision. With legal support, you may embrace the child you’ve been waiting for very soon.