The Adoption Process

List Of Required Documents

Brochure

This brochure contains detailed information about the adoption process, some frequently asked questions, and an overview of our agency’s policies and procedures. Please read this carefully before submitting your application.

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Application

Completing our application is the first step in beginning your adoption journey.

Application (Texas Residents)Application (Residents Outside Texas)Online Application

Your home study, medical exam, and background checks must have been completed within one year of your pending adoption. Otherwise, you must also provide our agency with a home study update, and updated documents listed above. Please note that Texas law requires that you have a face-to-face meeting for your updated home study, and that your medical exam, and criminal background checks also be up to date in the last year.

Below is a list of the documents that you will need to complete your application with Adoption Choices of Texas. Please note that if you reside outside of Texas, your home state might require additional documents. Your homestudy provider can help you with your state’s specific requirements. If you have any questions, please call or contact us.

Required Documents

1)Home study completed within the last year by a qualified adoption professional.

2)Copies of government issued ID’s of applicants and all household members over the age of 14.

3)Photographs of all household members.

4) Photographs of the inside of the home and any areas outside accessible by the child.

5)A labeled sketch of the home’s floor plan, roughly illustrating the size of the rooms and describing their functions.

6)If you have pets, you must give proof of current vaccination.

7) Statements of salary, savings, and debts.

8)Proof of insurance and a statement from your health insurance carrier detailing when coverage begins for the adopted child.

9) Birth certificates for all household members.

10)Marriage license, if applicable.

11)All prior divorce judgments, if any.

12)Final decrees of prior adoptions, if any.

13)Medical reports stating the current general health of each member of the household.

14)Three letters of reference from friends and family.

15)Criminal and child abuse clearances, as well as fingerprint-based background check for anyone residing in the house who is over 14 years of age. These must include clearances processed through Texas, and child abuse registry checks for any state of residence in the past five years.

16) Picture and/or .pdf profile and a letter for the expectant parent(s) (5 copies).

Procedure For Adoptive Parents

If you have a completed and current homestudy, the steps below are for you. If you need a homestudy, please contact us today. Please note that we do not accept gender preferences from families applying with our agency.

1) Submit Paperwork

Send in your Adoption Choices of Texas application, supporting documentation, home study, 5 copies of your profile (if completed) and the application fee. If you have any questions while gathering these items, please contact our office to speak with the adoptive parent coordinator.

2) Talk With Adoptive Parent Coordinator

Once your application is received, the adoptive parent coordinator will review your application and contact you about what documents are needed in order to complete your file. Please note, there is a Texas-specific background check process all out of state applicants must complete. The adoptive parent coordinator will walk you through this process.

3) Submit Profile Book

When your file is assembled, it will be time to submit your profile book if you haven’t already. If you need help creating your profile book, we are happy to assist you.

4) Matching Opportunities

When your your file is in and complete, you will be considered for upcoming matching opportunities.

5) Birth Mother Selection

When you are chosen by a birth mother, you will sign a contract and send the total estimated amount of your adoption fees, expenses, and costs, which will be deposited into the agency escrow account.

6) Find An Attorney

Begin looking for an attorney in your area to handle the finalization of your adoption. We recommend using a member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys (www.adoptionattorneys.org).

7) Sign Custody Placement Agreement

When the baby is born, you will sign a temporary custody placement agreement allowing the baby to leave the hospital with you. The placement agreement should be e-mailed to your insurance company to ensure that the baby will have medical coverage. Federal law generally requires that insurance companies cover an adopted child from date of placement. However, you should check with your insurance provider to confirm coverage.

The Adoption Process

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1. I am pregnant. Now what?

While the positive result on that pregnancy test has you asking yourself why or how this could happen, a growing life is forming and developing daily that will force some tough decisions to be made, affecting the lives of many people in the process.

The first step is to seek medical care for your own health. A doctor will determine the due date.

Also, it is very important to stop any alcohol or drug use as the effects can easily cross through the placenta and have negative, life-long consequences for a developing child.

2. Next Steps

Once you have secured medical care, begin preparing for the next step. You may ask yourself:

• Am I ready for the changes this pregnancy will bring to my current plans for the weekend? The summer? The next 18 years?
• What were my goals for my life before I found out I was pregnant? What are they now?
• How can I plan to support myself and a child? How much do diapers cost? Baby formula? Other baby items?
• Can I handle a child and a job and/or school at the same time?
• What is the father’s role going to be? Can I depend on him to provide me with financial and emotional support and care for the baby?
• What are my parents and friends going to say?
• How can I finish school? Go to college? Start my career?
• Would I be able to physically and emotionally provide the stability, love, and support my child needs and deserves?

3. Choosing Adoption

Adoption is chosen for many reasons. Some want their child to have a more stable or financially secure home; others don’t want school or career opportunities to be lost by raising a child; and many don’t feel ready for the lifelong commitment of parenting. Whatever your reason for thinking about adoption, learning about all your options will help you make the best choice for you and your child.

4. Making your adoption plan.

Adoption Choices can help you understand your options and make a plan that meets your needs. You’ll want to consider whether you’re prepared to parent a child for the next 18 years, and what resources you’ll have if you choose to raise your child. Our professional staff will help you think through your feelings, concerns, and questions without any pressure.

5. Involving the father of the baby

The baby’s father has parental rights, but what happens with those rights depends on your situation. Whether you are married, and how active the birth father is in your life will affect how his parental rights are handled before the adoption is final. Our staff can take care of all the necessary paperwork.

6. Choosing the adoptive family.

You decide how active you want to be in choosing and getting to know an adoptive family. Some of the women we help want to have a lot of contact, even inviting adoptive families to doctor visits. Some of the women we help don’t want contact and have the agency choose a loving family that matches their wishes.

7. Staying safe and healthy

During your pregnancy, it is very important that you are able to stay safe and healthy – for your own wellbeing and for the wellbeing of your baby. We will make sure that you are not worried about stable housing, healthy groceries, reliable transportation, and uninterrupted phone service. Your adoption counselor will also make sure that you are receiving the counseling and guidance you need to have a positive and healthy adoption experience.

8. Signing adoption paperwork

In Texas, you may sign the adoption papers 48 hours after giving birth. Your decision only becomes final when you sign that paperwork. It’s a good idea to make important decisions as early in your pregnancy as possible, so you’re not in a hurry to choose a family and make your adoption plan.

9. Contact after adoption

You will have the ongoing support of your adoption counselor as long as you need after the adoption, and your financial support will continue for about a month after birth. We will arrange the contact that you want to have with the adoptive family, if you want any, and we will always be available whenever you need our help.