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Do you wish to grow your Massachusetts family through adoption? Adopting in Massachusetts is a rewarding experience. The journey to private adoption in Massachusetts can seem intimidating at first, but it is made easier with the support and guidance of a reputable private adoption agency.
Finding the right adoption agency offers many benefits for adoptive parents. This highly experienced professional can walk you through the adoption process in Massachusetts from start to finish.
If you are looking to adopt, continue reading. In this guide, we will share the steps to adopt, the role of private adoption agencies, and give you an idea of what to expect when adopting in MA.
Private Adoption vs. Foster Care: What’s the Difference?
You may be familiar with the terms foster care adoption and private adoption, but you may not know the difference between the two. Here is a brief explanation to help you understand which path is best for you and your family.
Foster Care Adoption
Foster care is a state-run system that supports the temporary and permanent placement of children in need of homes. The children placed in foster care have been removed from their homes by the state. This is done either because of an unsafe or unsuitable living environment for the child. Foster care can be a good choice for anyone looking to adopt a child in a very inexpensive way. Children placed in foster care, however, may sometimes be returned to their biological family after some time in foster care. This can be emotionally challenging for both the child and the foster family. You can learn more about adopting through the state with foster care system by visiting this website.
Private Adoption
Private adoption in Massachusetts covers the permanent placement of a child with an adoptive family. A child placed for adoption with a private adoption agency is done so voluntarily by the expectant/birth parent(s). The right Massachusetts private adoption agency handles every step of the adoption process – from the adoption planning, counseling and matching of adoptive and birth parents to the legal proceedings and ongoing support.
Learn More About Private Adoption
How to Adopt in MA
1. Choose Your Massachusetts Adoption Agency
This is the first – and most critical – step of the adoption process. Finding the best Massachusetts adoption agency ensures that your adoption is handled smoothly, legally, and safely. In Massachusetts, prospective adoptive parents must work with a Massachusetts licensed adoption agency to adopt. It is important to contact an MA agency prior to engaging with an agency outside of the state. The “big box” adoption agencies will happily accept money prior to the home study, which can cause a potential disaster with the adoption plan.
Once you have found an adoption agency that you are interested in, schedule a consultation to learn more about the agency and how they work. When you find the agency, you feel will be a good fit for your family, fill out an application and submit it. This gives both parties a chance to get to know one another a bit.
2. Complete the Home Study
Once you have chosen your Massachusetts adoption agency and completed the application, you can prepare for the Home Study. This process takes several months to complete. It includes the following:
- A thorough background check and screenings
- Multiple at-home visits
- Interviews with each person in their home
- Review of important medical and financial records
The Home Study ensures that each child is placed in a safe, stable, loving and healthy home. While it is easy to stress this part of the adoption process, you need not worry. The at-home visits are not going to involve Mary Poppins wiping a white glove across every surface checking for dust. This part of the process is ensuring your home is safe and suitable for a young child.
The medical and financial records that are reviewed may involve mortgage payments and other routine bills, tax returns, physician reports, mental health evaluations, and anything else that can indicate your health and well-being. At Adoptions With Love, the top priority is that a child is placed with a healthy – physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially – family.
3. Create Your Adoptive Family Profile
As you move through the Home Study process, you can start to make your adoptive family profile. This is a collection of photographs and stories that share a bit about you and your family. You can write a letter to your anticipated child’s birth mother. You can also share family vacation memories, your love story and anything else you feel captures who you are.
Your Massachusetts adoption agency can help guide you as you create your adoptive family profile. You will want to put your best foot forward with this step, as this is the first impression a potential expectant/birth mother will have of you as she decides whether to choose you for her child.
4. Match with an Expectant/Birth Mother
Once you have completed the Home Study and your adoptive family profile, you can look forward to being matched with an expectant/birth mother. This part of the process can take even longer than the Home Study. There is a wait for being placed with an adopted child. It can take anywhere from 6 months to two years until you have your child in your arms. At Adoptions With Love, adoptive families are typically matched with their children within 12 months (about 1 year ).
While you anxiously await your bundle of joy, you can prepare for the big arrival. If this is your first child, you may want to register for must-have items. If you have other children, you may want to spend some time preparing them for their sibling.
5. Understand the Adoption Laws in Massachusetts
While you wait for your adoption to be completed, you can take the time to understand the adoption laws in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, a birth parent can terminate parental rights – consenting to adoption – no sooner than four days following the child’s birth. Once the paperwork is signed, it is irrevocable.
Choosing to work with an adoption agency in Massachusetts means having access to adoption attorneys who understand the complex adoption laws in the Commonwealth. Adoptive parents in Massachusetts, for example, have the right to parental leave. Adoption laws vary by state and can be quite complicated. With an adoption attorney on your team, you can rest assured that your rights are protected and that your adoption is handled smoothly, safely, and legally.
6. Plan and Finalize the Adoption
Your adoption agency can prepare you for the final steps of the adoption process. Once you have been matched with an expectant mother, you can make an adoption plan. At Adoptions With Love, the birth parent(s) can determine the type of adoption plan that best meets their needs. They can choose from the following:
Most adoptions today are open adoptions, meaning there is ongoing communication between birth and adoptive families. At Adoptions With Love, all adoptive families must agree to at least a semi-open adoption.
Once placement has occurred and the child has been in your home for six (6) months, the agency can file to finalize the adoption.
7. Continue to Learn
Adoption is a lifelong journey. It does not end once the paperwork is complete. Once your adoption is complete, you can continue to learn about being an adoptive family. If you have an open adoption, you can continue building a relationship with your child’s birth parent(s).
Private adoption in Massachusetts can be a joyful, rewarding experience. It can also be quite complicated. Having the support of an adoption agency can provide you with the support, guidance, and adoption planning services you need.
Learn More About the Adoption Process in Massachusetts
If you would like to learn more about adopting in Massachusetts, contact Adoptions With Love. Contact us any time of day, any day of the year for support. Call 800-722-7731, text 617-777-0072, or contact us online.
