Finding the Right Parents for Your Baby: What to Look for in a Potential Adoptive Family

If you are considering adoption for your baby, know that you have many choices. For example, you have the option to choose a family to raise your baby. You also have the option to make an open adoption plan (in which you will have contact with the adoptive family), a closed adoption plan, or something in-between. As an expectant/birth mother, only you know what is best for your baby.

Still, you may be wondering, “How can I find the right parents for my baby?” and “How do I know I am choosing the best ones?” You may have questions about how to start the process of searching for the family that checks off all your must-haves. As you begin to search for adoptive parents for your baby, you will want to find a licensed adoption agency that can guide you through the process. This resource will have a library of safe, stable, and loving families that have already been studied and approved for adoption and  waiting to adopt –  one may be a match for you.

Your first instinct may have been to look for parents for your baby on the internet. This is where most of us think to start any search. However, it is important you step away from Google for this one. There are many families out there on the internet who have not been approved or interviewed by an adoption agency, and who have not gone through the legal steps that are required to adopt a child. Finding a family online could result in an incomplete adoption, which is why professional guidance is extremely important for the safety of your child.

Choosing parents for your baby through an adoption agency can mean:

Safe, Stable Parents Who Have Been Approved to Adopt

A reputable, licensed adoption agency knows many families looking to adopt a baby. In fact, agency staff get to know each of these families personally, through a series of interviews and visits to their home. Each family that is approved to adopt at AWL has been thoroughly screened and interviewed by our social workers, and has completed several background checks to ensure their homes are safe. These families have also been documented as healthy, financially stable, and lovingly ready to adopt. By finding a family for your baby through an adoption agency, such as Adoptions With Love, you can ensure your child will be raised in a stable and secure home.

The Ability to Choose

More than likely, you have an idea of the perfect parents for your baby. With an adoption agency, you can browse and choose from  waiting adoptive families, until one meets your expectations and you feel a connection with them. The best part is, the agency will do all the research for you. An adoption agency like Adoptions With Love will listen to you, note what you are looking for in a family, and then share all the profiles of parents that best match your hopes and dreams. You can comb through each family’s profile, photo album, and even talk to them on the phone or in-person, if you wish.

Open Adoption Options

Another important quality to look for in your child’s adoptive parents is their openness to your wants and needs. If you want to meet with the parents before you give birth, you will want them to be comfortable with this request. Not only will this help calm your fears and give you a better sense of who they are, it will also be a telling sign of how understanding and patient they will be as parents. You may also feel a wonderful connection with them before the baby is born.

If you feel that it is important for your child to have certain opportunities throughout her childhood, you should find parents who are on the same page as you, or at least willing to comply with your request and respect your wishes. Any other requests you have that are based on the best interest of your child should also be something to discuss with the potential parents and your adoption agency. When you find the right parents who are open and accommodating to your wishes for your child, you will know that you have found the right adoptive parents.

If you desire an open adoption, the parents for your baby should be open to this, as well. Most adoptions today are open adoptions. At an open adoption agency like Adoptions With Love, all prospective adoptive parents agree to at least a semi-open adoption. This means that there is some level of communication with you and the adoptive family, throughout your child’s upbringing. Even if you do not wish to speak with the child directly, you can still receive letters and photos throughout the years. This openness also paves the way for a positive story to be shared with your child as he or she grows. The right parents for your child will be respectful of you, will appreciate the incredible gift that you are giving them, and will celebrate your story as your child grows up. After all, you will be the reason your child has such a wonderful life.

Official Adoption Contracts

In addition to the screenings and home study process, a perk of finding your child’s adoptive parents through an adoption agency is getting a legal contract in place. With the help of an adoption agency, your adoption plan – including the level of communication to be had throughout the years – will be clearly written out in a contract. If you desire an open adoption, you will not lose touch with the adoptive parents once you have left the hospital or birthing center. You will never have to worry about losing your child forever. You will be able to contact the adoptive parents in accordance with your open adoption agreement. If you ever have question, concerns, or would like to tweak the level (or type) of communication with your child’s adoptive parents, you may speak with a caring staff member of your adoption agency for assistance.

At the end of the day, making an adoption plan and finding the right parents for your baby is your decision. There is no right or wrong choice, and only you will know what is best for yourself and for your child.

If you would like more information about finding the right parents for your baby, feel free to contact Adoptions With Love at any time. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Call us toll-free at 1-800-722-7731, or visit us online at https://adoptionswithlove.org/contact-us.