Call: 617-964-4357
Text: 617-777-0072
Thinking About Adoption?
Adoptions With Love has a very successful record of helping pre-adoptive parents in Massachusetts reach their goal of adopting a child. In fact, Adoptions With Love is the premier adoption agency and places more babies for adoption in Massachusetts than any other local, private adoption agency. You can trust our professional, individualized approach to working together, helping you build your family. We are here for you. Let’s get started!
- For Massachusetts residents looking to get started, call Adoptions With Love at 617-964-4357 or contact us here. We will send you our information package for your review.
- When you are ready, call to set up a private consultation with one of our experienced social workers at no charge.
- Complete your application, including all supporting documents, and send it to Adoptions With Love, Inc.
Understanding the Different Types of Adoption
Domestic Infant Adoption
With domestic infant adoption, also known as private adoption, you work with an organization that is licensed to handle adoptions, primarily regarding the placement of newborns, infants, and young toddlers. This type of adoption agency, such as Adoptions With Love, will cover every aspect of the adoption process, including the legal services, financial support, and medical care for the birth mother, and more. This professional works with expectant/birth mothers and helps them find adoptive parents ready to adopt a child.
Foster Care Adoption
Foster care is run by the state and handles the temporary and permanent placement of children who have been removed from their homes. Children removed from their biological parents’ homes are taken due to unsafe or unsuitable circumstances.
Educate Yourself and Decide if Adoption is Right For You
Adoption is a lifelong commitment. So it is vital to take the time to educate yourself and learn all you can about the adoption process before diving in. With Adoptions With Love by your side, you can get the resources you need, including reading material and courses that cover parenthood and other important topics related to adoption, such as:
- Transracial adoption
- Adopting as an LGBTQIA+ parent
- Speaking with your child about adoption
- Building a relationship with your child’s birth parent(s)
Knowledge is power. Going into the adoption process prepared can help you navigate the uncharted waters of your adoption journey.
Choose an Adoption Agency
Once you have determined that adoption is the right path for you, and you have determined the type of adoption you wish to have, you should begin researching adoption agencies. If you are moving forward with a private adoption, you can search from the many available.
Adoptions With Love is a fully licensed, private nonprofit adoption agency in Massachusetts. Our team of adoption professionals has been working with birth and adoptive families since 1986 and can offer every supportive service needed to complete the adoption process.
Complete Your Adoption Application
After choosing your adoption agency, you can complete your adoption application. This straightforward form provides the adoption agency with basic information needed to get started, including your background, family, and lifestyle. To submit an application with Adoptions With Love, adoptive parents must meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 21 years old.
- Own or rent a home that has adequate space, privacy, and safety for a child.
- Provide personal letters of recommendation along with your application.
- Pass background checks and provide financial documentation.
Undergo the Home Study Process
Before adopting a baby, every adoptive parent must complete a Home Study. This process ensures that every child is placed in a home that is safe, stable, and healthy. A social worker visits the home to ensure it can offer a welcoming environment for a growing child. This professional also helps prepare individuals for parenthood and drafts a report detailing the family’s readiness to adopt.
The Home Study takes several months to complete. With this process, there are multiple at-home visits and interviews. This process also includes the review of vital medical and financial records, proving that each adoptive parent is healthy enough – physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially – to raise a child.
Create Your Adoptive Family Profile
An adoptive family profile is a showcase of who you are, what you value, how you live, and what kind of life you can offer a child. This booklet is typically full of letters and family photos to give expectant/birth parents an idea of what kind of parent(s) you will be for their baby.
Wait for an Adoption Match
Waiting for a match can often be the hardest part of the adoption process. Adoptive parents are anxious to be matched with their baby, so they can plan and prepare for the big arrival. While you wait, you can prepare for parenthood and adoption.
When working with Adoptions With Love, adoptive parents attend pre-adoptive educational groups and baby care classes. This can help fill the time when waiting to be chosen by an expectant/birth mother.
Connect with an Expectant Parent
Once you have been matched, you can connect with your baby’s birth parent(s). This can be done via phone calls, text messages, email, phone calls, virtual calls, and even in-person meet-ups. If an expectant/birth mother feels more comfortable with a semi-open adoption, you may be communicating with the support of – or directly through – your adoption agency. If the birth mother feels more comfortable with a closed adoption, there will be no contact. Most adoptions today, however, are open – meaning there is direct and ongoing communication between birth and adoptive families. With an open adoption, you can build a deep, meaningful relationship with your child’s birth parent(s).
Welcome Your Baby
When the big day finally arrives, you may get the chance to meet your baby in the hospital. If the birth mother lives in another part of the country, you may have to prepare for a longer road trip or flight to reach your baby. Your adoption agency will communicate with you to keep you informed on the birth plan and status.
Finalize the Adoption in Court
Adoption is a legal process. It is not complete once the baby is in your arms in the hospital. Several months after welcoming your baby, you will receive a date to appear in family court. With your baby in tow, you will head to the court date where a judge will sign the documents and declare the adoption complete. This is a moment worth celebrating!
Ongoing Support and Open Adoption
Adoption is a life-long journey. It is not over the moment the paperwork is filed and your child’s adoption is official. This is, in fact, the start of a new chapter. You can continue to receive support from your adoption agency, including adoption resources and support group sessions.
If you have an open adoption, you can continue to build and maintain a relationship with your child’s birth parent(s), and your adoption agency can guide you throughout your child’s upbringing as you navigate these uncharted waters, as well. With a supportive adoption professional like Adoptions With Love, this marks the beginning of the journey, and you can rely on support for years to come.
Get Started with a Massachusetts Private Adoption Agency
Adoption is a lifelong journey, and you will always remain a part of the AWL family. If you are ready to get started on your Massachusetts adoption process, contact Adoptions With Love today. Call 617-964-4357 or contact us online. Remember, we are here for you!