| Children Available for Domestic Adoption |
Domestic Adoption Requirements | Domestic Adoption Timeline |
| Domestic Adoption Cost Overview | Domestic Adoption Process |
About US Adoptions
Adoption has been a natural response by human beings to protect children, especially during times of vast illness (like the Black Plague), wide-spread poverty, and war. During the 1950s, there was a shift in the United States from adoption being in response to ill health and poverty, to being a result of adverse social circumstances. People also became more sensitive to the child's experience and worked to make adoptions a private matter, as opposed to the previous practice of placing children up on a stage for people to select. Foster care homes replaced orphanages during this time. Legal process was also developed, along with the adoption structures that we are familiar with today.
In the 1970s, the amount of American infant adoptions decreased by half, with the legalization of abortion, and since that time has been steadily decreasing as a result of increased social acceptance of out-of-wedlock pregnancy, single parenthood, and continued accessibility to abortion. This trend has contributed to the much higher proportion of adoptive families to available adoptive children in the United States, which has propelled the movement toward international adoptions.
There are currently over 20,000 newborn infants voluntarily placed for adoption every year in the US, but there are approximately three to four times as many parents wanting to adopt. Children of All Nations recognizes this re-emerging push for private, domestic adoption and the need for adoptive families and birth parents to have professional guidance to help prepare them for the adoption and mediate a healthy and positive adoption plan. CAN created United Adoption, our domestic adoption program, to help adoptive parents and birth parents alike.
Over the last two decades, research has shown healthier outcomes for adopted children and birth parents when the adoption is one that is "open." For this reason, Children of All Nations' United Adoption program promotes open adoptions and encourages birth parents to take an active part in selecting the adoptive family in which they see as a positive match for their child. Additionally, plans are made between the birth family and the adoptive family for continued contact throughout the pregnancy, post-placement, and after the adoption takes place. The amount of contact will vary between families, typically consisting of sharing letters and pictures a couple times a year. Some families also agree upon a predetermined amount of telephone or face-to-face contact. Children of All Nations' United Adoption program is different from all of our other programs for this reason. With United Adoption, Children of All Nations assists in preparing and unifying birth families and prospective adoptive families to create a positive and healthy adoption plan for a child.
If you would like more information about our program, our specialized adoption consultants are standing by to help! To have your questions answered, call us today at 1.877.827.5226 or email us.
Children Available
The children available through CAN's United Adoption program are primarily healthy infants, ranging in ethnicity and gender. These children are loved by their birth mother/parents, and will usually maintain some on-going contact with their birth family throughout their lives.
If you would like more information about our program, our specialized adoption consultants are standing by to help! To have your questions answered, call us today at 1.877.827.5226 or email us.
Domestic Adoption Requirements
A unique feature of the United Adoption program is that the birth parent(s) select the family they deem as the best match for their child. This allows Children of All Nations to accept a broader range of applicants in this prorgram.
Children of All Nations has developed minimum adoption eligibility requirements to adopt through our United Adoption domestic program. If you feel you are not eligible to adopt from CAN's United Adoption program or you are unsure, we may be able to work with you. Please contact us for a free case-by-case consultation regarding your private adoption.
- Citizenship: One parent must be a U.S. citizen
- Age: One adoptive parent must be under 50 years old.
- Marriage Status: Married couples are eligible to adopt if they have been married for at least two years. Single men and women are also eligible to adopt. Unmarried couples are eligible to adopt if they are able to prove a long-standing commitment to one another (individual states/courts determine if unmarried couples may adopt under both names).
- Previous Children: Families with three or less children under the age of 18 are eligible to adopt.
- Income: Parents must make at least $10,000 annually per person in the household, including the future adopted child; for example, a married couple with no children living in the home must earn at least $30,000 annually. If a single parent is adopting, they must earn the base amount of a two-parent household, earning at least $20,000 annually for themselves, and an additional $10,000 per child/other dependents.
- Medical: If either parent is not in excellent health, acceptance to adopt through this program is on a case-by-case basis.
- Criminal History: Applicants with a criminal history of child abuse, violence or domestic violence, or any felony arrests are not eligible to adopt. Acceptance to adopt with a past criminal record will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- Religion: Spiritual beliefs must not prevent your child from receiving medical treatment of any kind.
If you would like more information about our program, our specialized adoption consultants are standing by to help! To have your questions answered, call us today at 1.877.827.5226 or email us.
Compare with other Children of All Nations country programs
Domestic Adoption Timeline
Once your family has a completed and approved home study and has been approved by Children of All Nations, you will prepare a family profile which will be available for review by birth parents. You may be selected at any time; some people are selected in a week, others in a year or more. The average wait for prospective parents is 18 months.
If you would like more information about our program, our specialized adoption consultants are standing by to help! To have your questions answered, call us today at 1.877.827.5226 or email us.
Domestic Adoption Cost Overview
To give you a general understanding of adoption costs for domestic, the following list outlines fees paid directly to CAN, fees paid for in-country adoption development and legal processes through CAN, and fees paid for your Home Study and Post Adoption reports. All listed fees are a portion of your adoption costs and are subject to change without notice. Please request our Children of All Nations Outreach Guide for a full list of estimated costs for your entire domestic adoption.
Our adoption fees are among the lowest available. We strive to keep costs low so that we may help as many children as possible find their loving, forever family.
 |
Application Fee |
$250 |
| (Opens your file to review and determine eligibility for adoption from your preferred program) | ||
|
Agency Fee--1st Fee |
$4,500 |
|
Agency Fee--2nd Fee |
$4,500 |
|
Agency Fee--3rd Fee |
$9,000 |
|
Home Study Fee (Home Study Update is not included) |
$1,200 |
| (Assesses your readiness for international adoption. This amount is only for families residing in Texas & Florida. Fees for Home Studies conducted outside of Texas & Florida vary.) | ||
|
Birth Mother Expenses Escrow |
$2,500 |
| (unused portion will be refunded) | ||
|
Post-Placement Visits (per visit; TX and FL only) |
$300 |
|
Legal Fees |
$2,300 |
All agency fees are exclusive of birth mother related costs and expenses including medical care, residential expense, legal fees, independent counseling, foster care, travel, or supervision expense. Legal fees that exceed the rate for standard termination and finalization and additional birth father terminations as billed. Please note that the total cost of any domestic adoption depends in large part on the individual situation of the birth mother. Agency fees are only those fees paid to the agency for professional services provided from first contact with the adoptive parents through finalization of the adoption. Adoptive parents will be provided a written estimate of costs/expenses, along with all available information about the child, at the time that they have been selected as a potential match for a child. All related fees and dues (including initial escrow deposit) will be due upon acceptance of the match.
For more details on the adoption process and estimated costs, you may request our CAN Outreach Guide.
If you would like more information about our program, our specialized adoption consultants are standing by to help! To have your questions answered, call us today at 1.877.827.5226 or email us.
Compare with other Children of All Nations country programs
Domestic Adoption Process
1. Research and Application
At this point, you should research Children of All Nations agency information and speak with an adoption consultant about our United Adoption domestic adoption program. Ask any questions you may have about our program and the agency.
To get started in your adoption process, you will first need to complete our agency application and submit the application fee (as outlined in our fee schedule). The application can be found online at www.childrenofallnations.com/apply, or you may request for one to be mailed to you. Once Children of All Nations receives your completed application and fee, your application will be reviewed to determine if you qualify for the United Adoption domestic program. Upon acceptance of your application, you will receive a formal Agency Agreement, along with supporting documents and instructions on how to obtain criminal background checks.
2. Background Checks
Children of All Nations is required to obtain Child Abuse and Criminal Background clearances, even if you reside in another state. Once your application has been completed and reviewed by CAN, you will receive information on how to obtain such clearances. These clearances are done independently from the ones run by your home study social worker if you live outside of Texas. We are unable to proceed with the official Agency Application until we have received your processed and cleared background checks.
3. Agency Agreement
Once you have completed your Agency Agreement and have submitted it to Children of All Nations, along with its corresponding fee, you will be assigned a United Adoption Counselor (UAC). Your assigned counselor will assist you with the remainder of the approval process and subsequent adoption process.
4. Training
All states require adoptive families to complete training prior to the placement of an adoptive child. The state of Texas, and therefore CAN's United Adoption program, requires 8 hours of pre-placement training. This training requirement can be fulfilled through online courses, which will need to be pre-approved by your United Adoption Counselor (UAC), and fulfilled upon completion of your home study.
5. Home Study
Also prior to submitting your Family Profile for review by a birth parent, you will need to complete a home study. The home study will need to meet your state of residence and CAN standards. CAN has home study social workers in the states of Florida and Texas to complete your home study. In all other states, you will need to hire an independent social worker who is qualified to perform home study assessments in your state of residence.
If requested, your UAC may refer you to a reputable social worker in your area. During the home study process, a social worker will visit your home and interview each member of your family (over the age of three years), along with any other residents. You will be asked about various topics, including feelings about your childhood and life up until this point, current health and disabilities, significant relationships (including past divorces), support network, your motivation for adoption, religion, and discipline. Your home environment will be reviewed for safety and child-friendliness and you will provide a floor plan and pictures of your home. You will be required to provide documentation of your ages, marriage, employment, citizenship, financial status, and complete a physical examination and provide character references. Criminal Background, Child Abuse, and FBI Clearances must be completed for each member of the household per regulations of their state of residence. For Texas, this is anyone over the age of thirteen years. The home study process is thorough and will provide your UAC with a clear picture of your family environment and your capacity to raise a child. The approval of your adoption home study is necessary to receive Agency Approval from CAN, submit your Family Profile for review, and become matched with a child. CAN will provide you with a home study packet to give to your social worker.
For the state of Texas, it is important to note that your home study needs to be updated every 12 months, or if a major life change occurs (such as separation, divorce, birth of a child, etc.) up until the time of placement. It is your responsibility to make sure your home study remains current so you will be available to receive a child at a moment's notice. Your UAC will assist you through this process as needed.
6. Agency Approval
You are eligible for official Agency Approval once CAN has received the following documents:
- Application
- Background clearances
- Agency agreement
- Training certificate of completion
- Corresponding agency fees
Once all of the above documents have been received by the United Adoption program, your UAC will review the materials and determine if you are appropriate to proceed with adoption through our agency. When approved, your UAC will send you an official Approval Letter. Second installment of Agency Fee is due upon Agency Approval.
7. Creating Your Family Profile
During the time you're undergoing the home study and background clearances, you may begin working on creating a Family Profile through our online Family Profile Tool, located at www.childrenofallnations.com. This will include a one-page letter from you to the birth mother and carefully selected photos. Your Family Profile will consist of general family information, which may include information about your lifestyle, hobbies, extended families, or friends. Your Family Profile is a crucial step in the adoption process and should be well-though-out and done with care. Be sure your profile is an accurate representation of your family, as this is the information the birth parent uses in their selection of an adoptive placement. Your UAC will provide resources to aide you in the creation of an engaging Family Profile, so be sure to utilize those materials! Your UAC will be available to review and provide feedback on your Family Profile and will need to approve it prior to final completion.
Once you turn in your approved Family Profile, in the fashion outlined above and have received Agency Approval as a client, United Adoption will make your Profile available on the website, with your written consent, allowing searching birth mothers to view your profile.
8. Waiting
You are now waiting parents available to be selected by an expectant birth mother and receive a child into your care at any time. Please know this timeline is not set and will vary for every family. The average US infant adoption takes between 12 and 18 months, so plan to utilize your wait enjoying time with your spouse and family, and staying active doing the things you enjoy most. Try to do things you may not be able to do once you have an infant, like traveling or completing home improvement projects.
Your patience is key at this time. It is possible that you may be selected within a few weeks or months, there is no way to tell when. It all depends on the birth mother's selection. Your UAC will present your Family Profile to searching birth mothers whenever your preferences match those of the birth mother and the circumstances of her specific case. All searching birth mothers will have the ability to view your Family Profile on our website at any time and request more information from the agency whenever they desire. Your UAC will maintain regular contact with you while you wait and is available to answer any questions that may arise.
Additionally, be prepared that a birth mother may identify you as one of her considered adoptive families and request a phone interview with you. If this happens, your UAC will contact you ahead of time to notify and prepare you.
9. Selection and Matching
When a birth mother has selected you as the preferred adoptive family for her child, your UAC will contact you to discuss the details of her case. We will overnight mail all available information on the case, which may include the birth parent social and family history reports, medical history reports, prenatal information, and an estimate of the expenses for the case. Whenever possible, a meeting between you and the birth mother will also be arranged, preferably in person, but over the phone is also acceptable.
Following this contact (and after you have had a chance to review the background information), your UAC will contact you and the birth mother separately, to determine if everyone is in agreement on the match. After reviewing the information and meeting with the birth mother (if applicable), if you decide that you would like to proceed with this match, you will need to sign the commitment letter and return it to Children of All Nations. At this time, you will also be responsible for the third installation of your Agency Fee and initial Birth Mother Escrow Deposit, as outlined in our fee schedule.
10. Pre-Placement & Delivery
During pre-placement, your UAC will maintain weekly contact with the birth mother to stay up to date on her well-being and to monitor the progress of her pregnancy. In turn, your UAC will maintain regular contact with you to provide updates on pertinent information. Preferably, you will also have some phone contact with the birth mother during the remainder of her pregnancy. Also, when feasible, an in-person meeting should occur with the birth mother, adoptive parents, and your UAC to discuss a mutual adoption plan. If this meeting cannot occur in person, your UAC will work with you and the birth mother to mediate a desired adoption plan. This plan should include the type of contact desired during labor and delivery and the post-delivery hospital stay, as well as the type of contact desired during post-placement and following the adoption. Your UAC understands the relationship you develop with the birth mother evolves over time, which also means that your Adoption Plan may also change. Your UAC will be there to support you through the process and assist you and the birth mother in re-evaluating the Adoption Plan as needed. It is important to know that the Adoption Plan is not a contract with the birth mother. It is a mutually agreed-upon guideline that is acceptable to both parties. Additionally, the birth mother has the right to change her mind about her adoption plans at any time during the process, without legal or financial ramifications.
When the birth mother goes into labor, she will contact the UAC, who will be sure to notify you if the birth mother hasn't already. Your UAC will meet with you at the hospital and work to carry out the arrangements as agreed upon in the Adoption Plan. This is a very emotional time, so having the Adoption Plan in place will help keep everyone's wishes in the forefront.
Please keep in mind that the birth mother is facing the biggest decision of her life and will be experiencing some strong emotions. You will need to be flexible and allow her to work through this in the way she needs. She may request some additional space and time that was not outlined in the Adoption Plan. Although this may be scary for you as adoptive parents, you will need to respect her wishes.
11. Relinquishment, Interstate Compact, Post-Placement & Finalization
Texas law prohibits the birth mother from signing the Affidavit of Relinquishment of Parental Rights until 48 hours following the birth of her child. Once the Affidavit of Relinquishment document is signed, the birth mother cannot change her mind. After the relinquishment is signed, your UAC will complete placement paperwork with you and you will be able to leave the hospital with the baby. You now have the written authorization to make decisions on behalf of the child, with Children of All Nations as the managing conservator until the adoption is finalized.
If you reside outside the state of Texas, or the child is born in a different state from which you reside, we will need to receive Interstate Compact approval from both states before you may cross state lines and return home with the child. Your UAC and agency attorney will submit the necessary documents for this approval as soon as possible after the Relinquishment is signed. Be aware that the Interstate Compact approval process typically takes between 7 and 10 business days.
Texas Law requires that a child reside with his/her adoptive family for six months prior to finalization, and that this post-placement period be monitored by a professional social worker. Therefore, you will need to contract your original home study agency or social worker to arrange for monthly post-placement visits. If you reside in the state of Texas or Florida, your CAN home study social worker will submit a Post-Placement Adoption Report to United Adoption. Your home study social worker will need to contact your UAC to receive the post-placement visits and Post-Placement Adoption Report requirements for the state of Texas. After six months, post-placement visits are to occur quarterly until the adoption is finalized.
Finalization may occur after six months of post-adoptive placement. Our agency attorney will finalize your adoption in the state of Texas and file for a new birth certificate. Your Adoption Decree will be used in lieu of the birth certificate in the mean time. Once a new birth certificate is received, you may apply for the baby's social security number.
12. Travel
The adoptive family is responsible for their travel costs. Expect to travel to Texas at least one time prior to the birth of the child, to meet in person with the birth mother/parents, then another time upon the child's birth. If you live outside of Texas when the child is born you will need to plan for at least one parent to stay in Texas with the child until the Interstate Compact is completed (usually 7-10 business days).
Unless you obtain independent legal counsel, all adoptions will be finalized in Texas. In most cases you have the option to attend the court finalization.
13. Post-Adoption Reports
The adoptive child must reside with the adoptive family for at least six months prior to finalization. This post-placement period must be supervised via monthly face-to-face visits and a post-placement report by your original home study social worker/home study agency.
If you would like more information about our program, our specialized adoption consultants are standing by to help! To have your questions answered, call us today at 1.877.827.5226 or email us.
