I should preface with this: You can’t truly know what to expect in domestic adoption! Praise God that He knows the plan, and the perfect plan at that. Like the exiles in Babylon, we can trust that God knows the plans for each of us (Jeremiah 29:11).
You can expect every domestic adoption to be different. Each agency, birthmom, and waiting family is unique. I’ve learned so much in our adoption journey and I wanted to take some time to share with you on what can be expected in a domestic adoption and help prepare you for what is to come.
Starting the Domestic Adoption Journey
Before we chose an agency we did lots of research, mostly on-line, to find out more about adoption agencies. Did they make promises that aren’t guaranteed? What did they stand for? Were their fees online?
I have to admit, choosing an agency was extremely overwhelming. We chose ours because it was a Christian agency and that was priority because their mission aligned with ours. It also came recommended from a friend who worked there which helped make this big decision much easier.
To get started, our agency required a simple preliminary application with a small fee. Nothing too crazy or time consuming, but would signal any red flags that we would not be a good fit with the agency. (Some agencies have very specific requirements for waiting families such as number of years married.)
The Home Study
Leading up to the home study I felt overwhelmed because of what I read on-line. I’d see articles titled, “Surviving the Home Study,” and that doesn’t make anyone eager to go through it. Y’all, it’s really not that bad. Think of it as part of the labor pains of adoption; it’s not fun, but it’s going to lead to Baby.
Our home study process was made up of three different components: Paperwork, Interviews, and Home Study. It took about two months from the day we officially chose to pursue adoption to the time our home study was complete. This is probably faster than most, but when Beth Burge feels compelled by the Good Lord to do something… watch out!
Here’s a list of what was involved in the home study process:
You can expect every domestic adoption to be different. Each agency, birthmom, and waiting family is unique. I’ve learned so much in our adoption journey and I wanted to take some time to share with you on what can be expected in a domestic adoption and help prepare you for what is to come.
Starting the Domestic Adoption Journey
Before we chose an agency we did lots of research, mostly on-line, to find out more about adoption agencies. Did they make promises that aren’t guaranteed? What did they stand for? Were their fees online?
I have to admit, choosing an agency was extremely overwhelming. We chose ours because it was a Christian agency and that was priority because their mission aligned with ours. It also came recommended from a friend who worked there which helped make this big decision much easier.
To get started, our agency required a simple preliminary application with a small fee. Nothing too crazy or time consuming, but would signal any red flags that we would not be a good fit with the agency. (Some agencies have very specific requirements for waiting families such as number of years married.)
The Home Study
Leading up to the home study I felt overwhelmed because of what I read on-line. I’d see articles titled, “Surviving the Home Study,” and that doesn’t make anyone eager to go through it. Y’all, it’s really not that bad. Think of it as part of the labor pains of adoption; it’s not fun, but it’s going to lead to Baby.
Our home study process was made up of three different components: Paperwork, Interviews, and Home Study. It took about two months from the day we officially chose to pursue adoption to the time our home study was complete. This is probably faster than most, but when Beth Burge feels compelled by the Good Lord to do something… watch out!
Here’s a list of what was involved in the home study process:
