FREQUENT QUESTIONS? SERVICES...........FEES....... Does your agency provide child placement?
Yes we do. We provide these services for North Carolina couples with an approved Home Study completed by our agency. However,
you may already have your adoption situation with a birthparent you located. We will still provide your home study and post
placement visits. Your fees would be only for the home study, home inspection, post placement visits and your Court Report.
By obtaining your home study from our agency, you not only are made aware of our agency siuations, but you can network on
your to locate your own adoption situation. We will still provide your adoption services for you.
WHY USE AN
AGENCY THAT PROVIDES MORE THAN HOME STUDIES? Good question. Unless you already have
an adoption situation, you will be best served by using an agency that provides your home study and provides child placement.
In this process, the agency already knows you and your expectations, needs, and desires, Child placement will coordinate more
easily with this information already available. Since our agency completes your Home Study, you will be informed of all our
agency adoption situations. You may still continue to network and seek situations on your own. As previously explained--If
you secure your own adoption situation, we will assist you with your adoption services as required by law. We will also help
you seek reputable and solid adoption professionals to assist you and your
birthparents as needed.
WHAT TYPE OF ADOPTION DO YOU PROVIDE? We
provide direct placements. We provide open, semi-open and closed adoptions. We assist our birthparents with the type of adoption
they are seeking. Based on their desires, we are able to present our couples as adoptive candidates. The birthparent(s) can
then begin to choose the couple to obtain more information about. With your permission, we begin the process of sharing information.
Our agency coordinates child placement usually within the state of North Carolina. On occaison, you may accept an adoption
situation in which your child will be born in another state. This is an INTERSTATE adoption and we complete those adoptions
for you as well. We will assure all your adoption requirements for North Carolina
and the other state are easily met.
DO YOU OFFER INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION?
No, we focus on serving the children of North Carolina and the United States. Adoptions that occur within the United States
are called DOMESTIC ADOPTIONS. Remaining here in your state is a more affordable and less stressful adoption.
WHAT OTHER SERVICES DOES YOUR AGENCY PROVIDE? As previously mentioned, we provide Home Studies
PROMPTLY. We also provide the required home visit, and post placement visits. Two post placement visits are required within
a 4 month period here in North Carolina. After those visits, a Report is issued to your County Court to finalize your adoption.
Our paperwork explains in detail your fees and when they are due.
Your first meeting for
your home study is held in our Newton, NC office and your fee for that home study of 1150.00 is due at that time. Please plan
to pay your fee at that meeting.
Your home inspection fee and your post placement visits/report fees are
due at the time of those visits unless otherwise specified. Your Court Report will be be billed to you.
We
also provide counseling. Julia Childers is a licensed clinical social worker and psychologist. Crisis counseling is a field
of expertise for Dr. Childers. We can counsel with you as a couple, and with women in crisis about their very emotional decision
to place their baby for adoption. We also counsel with birthparents through the entire adoption process, making them constantly
aware of their choices, their rights, and what may be best for her as well as her baby---even if that means parenting. We
encourage successful adoption for both parties----THE ADOPTIVE COUPLE AND THE BIRTHPARENTS! Using this combination of care
and professionalism, our success rate is high,. We are also available to birthparents after placement to assist them as needed.
DO
YOU PROVIDE STEP PARENT ADOPTIONS? No, we no longer offer this service.
WHAT HAPPENS
DURING A HOME VISIT?
Your home visit will be a prearranged visit. We do not wear white gloves, and check your closets
and dresser drawers. We do not question friends or neighbors. Homes do not need to be perfect ~ just a comfortable safe Christian
environment to raise your child.
DO YOU NEED TO WRITE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY?
Writing
autobiographies can take months to complete. At ADOPTIONS you are not required to write autobiographies. You will be required
to fill out some informational forms to help us complete the report.
HOW LONG DOES
IT TAKE TO RECEIVE THE COMPLETED HOMESTUDY?
Once you have turned in all the required documents, your homestudy will be
completed within 30 days of your office visit. Failure to turn in your completed package can delay your homestudy by
days or weeks.
CAN YOU EXPEDITE A HOMESTUDY?
Rarely has ADOPTIONS had to expedite
a homestudy. We are efficient in getting our homestudies completed faster then most other adoption agencies. But if expedition
is needed, we can assist you. Our ordinary homestudy time is usually less than all other agencies expedited homestudy completion
times. Emergency studies cost are figured on a case by case basis. Determined ONLY by the location the couple resides and
how long the travel time is to visit the couple.
WHAT
ARE THE COSTS AND FEES? This is the information you need the most. We are an affordable adoption agency! Home studies are
1150.00 Home visits ( the home inspection and post placement visits) are 200.00 each. Court Reports are 400.00
You will also be billed for mailings, faxes and after office hours services if needed. This will be discussed with you
prior to any provision of services.
If and only if you receive child
placement through our agency, the agency fee is $13,000.00-- This could vary slightly if the placement is an
emergency placement ( less than 30 days) You NEVER pay an agency fee until you are matched with an adoption situation. This
fee is for the matched situation leading to child placement.
We encourage you
to be financiually prepared "before" you meet with us. Our fees remain lower than most other agencies.
Many folks believe that Adoptions and the workers who work tirelessly to coordinate them are free. This is a myth.
There are many expenses connected with adoption agencies. ---The physical business itself and the costs to run the agency.---
Rent, utilities, travel, office supplies, advertisements, etc. are costly expenses.
The
services of Dr. Childers includes counseling with birthparents in person, reaching out to birthparents family members in order
for them to understand the adoption process, home visits to the homes of birthparents and personal services to birthparents
including but not limited to: locating housing and housing physical needs, transportation, medical referrals, legal
issues, and visits, shopping, crisis intervention, etc... Two social workers are also employed by our agency.
It is important to also remember that Dr. Childers and her social workers must be "on-call" 7 days a week
and 24 hours a day in order to be available for baby births. Whenever possible, Dr. Childers is with you at the hospital
personally to walk with you through the adoption journey and assure all parties are comfortable and secure. Dr. Childers
is well known to area hospitals and has a positive relationship with the hospital staffs. She is a liason for you and
the staff when you are at the hospital awaiting birth and placement.
Birthparents have
expenses themselves and needs that must be addressed in order for them to even begin considering placing a child for adoption.
This can include rent, food, clothing, utilites, transportation etc. It can also include the needs of children should
she have a child(ren) in her care. These expenses are the responsibility of the adoptive couple. These
expenses are approved by the State of North Carolina.
Some couples in the past have stated
they were prepared financially only to meet a birthparent through our coordination and then advise us --"they will be
applying for a loan, or home equity, or other resources" Unfortunately, birthparents come to our agency because
they are in "crisis" and there is no waiting period. They are distressed, emotional, and need our assurance
that we can assist them with a couple that is stable and prepared for adoption. There are also times we are contacted
by local hospitals with a baby just born and the birthmother is requesting adoption services. As you can see, in this
case, you "must" be financially prepared. Our agency wants you to be realistic in your search for the right
agency and our agency wants to be sure we are representing true, stable, and Christian couples.
Christians
seeking adoption should easily understand the sacrifice made by a birthparent and should not be at all questionable about
meeting her needs. Afterall, she is the BIRTHMOTHER of your son or daughter. She is making a decision
that many of us could not even begin to understand or consider. It is a joy to provide her with the love, care, and
concern she needs. At our agency, it is our philosophy that you " treat your birthmother as if it were you daughter
in the same situation." Many couples are surprised with the positive relationship they establish with their birthparent(s)
and testify to the unselfish love they witnessed.
You will pay your adoption attorney directly
and your birthparent expenses directly. The average TOTAL costs for an adoption (agency fee, lawyer fees, birthparent expenses)
is from 15,000 to 20,000 dollars. Financially, you should be prepared. This is not an astounding amount compared to other
agencies. We encourage you to consider as many agencies as you can! Our agency seeks couples that are committed
to adoption through faith, prayer, and full preparation in all areas of adoption. Adoption is a threefold process:
It is EMOTIONAL, It is LEGAL, and It is FINANCIAL.
You pay for
your home study at your first interview. Your home inspection and post placement visits will be due at the time of the service.
Court Reports fees are paid in advance or at the time of service depending on your County Court. Emergency Home Studies will
be quoted to you based on your location and time requirement.
WE RECEIVE A COPY OF THE HOMESTUDY?
ADOPTIONS
will provide you a copy of your homestudy when it is complete. You will receive a preliminary copy to review before the final
copy is typed to insure there are no mistakes.
HOW LONG IS THE HOMESTUDY VALID?
Your
homestudy is valid for 18 months in North Carolina. Your criminal and medical must be updated at 12 months. It is your
responsibility to keep your paperwork current and provided to the agency on time.
WHAT IF MY HOMESTUDY EXPIRES?
If your homestudy expires, you will need a new home study. This is why it is important to keep your medical checkups
and your criminal background checks current.
WHAT IS A POST PLACEMENT
VISIT?
Post placement visits is a meeting with the adoptive family and the adopted child. This meeting is to assess
if the child is being properly cared for and all has adjusted comfortably to the new family addition. Our social workers say
that the post placements are the "MOST FUN" of all! They enjoy meeting your new additions!
WHAT DOCUMENTS DOES NORTH CAROLINA AND ADOPTIONS REQUIRE?
* A copy of your birth certificates
* A copy of your marriage certificate
* Copies of divorce decrees
* Last three pay stubs
*
Last three checking statements (first page only)
* Last three savings statements (first page only)
* Criminal
record checks (from your Sheriff's Department)
* Immunization records for all children in your home
* Statement
of Faith
* Autobiographies ~ we include a form for this
* Reference letters (6 required)
