Adoptive Parents
Please Note:
It is the policy of Inheritance Adoptions to post our forms and fees online as a resource for families interested in learning about adoption. However, please DO NOT begin the process of filling out an application without contacting Inheritance Adoptions in advance. We work with a limited number of families at one time, in order to provide the same standard of service to everyone; therefore, we sometimes find it necessary to maintain a waiting list. We will not accept an application from a prospective couple who has not previously contacted the office. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
The first step in applying with Inheritance Adoptions is to download the information packet provided on this website. Once you determine that you fit our qualifications and are interested in working with us, then you can download the application packet and send it in along with $100.00. You will be notified of acceptance into the home study process of the agency. Your interviews will be scheduled and the home visit completed. You will also be required to attend adoptive couple training that is offered on a quarterly basis and costs $100.00 to attend. Once the home visit is complete and you are approved, your profile will begin showing to prospective birth mothers.
Contact with Agency While Waiting
Contact with Agency staff during the waiting phase is limited for adoptive couples. Do to the agency's ministry of supporting pregnant women our time is very limited. A couple waiting to be matched will be sent quarterly reports from agency staff. Otherwise, the agency will contact the couple upon being selected by a birth mother to schedule a match meeting. The Adoptive Couple Liaison is available for emotional support of waiting couples. However, it is vital that every couple have a strong support system to endure the waiting process.
Expectations of Future Contact
Inheritance Adoptions bases all decisions on what is best for the child. We believe that ongoing contact between adoptive families and birth families depends on mutual trust between both parties. At minimal, we expect pictures and letters to be sent through the agency monthly for the first year. We also expect the adoptive families to send pictures and letters to the agency annually until the child is 18.
Cost of Adoption
Inheritance Adoptions believes in making adoption available to anyone with a desire to parent a child in need. Our placement fee is one of the lowest in the industry and is based on the tax benefits available. The cost is outlined in the fee schedule. We also have a Special Needs Assistance Program for those couples willing to adopt harder to place children.
Legal Issues of Termination
The birth mother of the child is not allowed to sign voluntary relinquishment papers until 48 hours after the child's birth. The couple typically will begin caring for the child during the hospital stay and may even leave the hospital with the child before the 48 hour period is over. Legal issues of the birth father can be more complicated. The birth father can sign a Waiver of Interest before the baby is born or a Voluntary Relinquishment after the baby is born. If the birth father has not signed and we know where he is, then we can serve him papers letting him know that we are planning to terminate his rights. He has until the first Monday past twenty days of being served to file an answer to the court. If he does not file an answer, then we can proceed with the termination hearing. If he does file an answer, then we decide whether to proceed with trying to involuntarily terminate his rights. If we do not know anything about him or where he is located, then we will utilize the paternity registry to terminate his rights. Every case is different and legal issues are always unique to the case.
Waiting time for Adoptive Couples
One of the first questions a prospective family will ask is, "How long is the wait?" We are unable to give you an exact answer. Our process is not first come, first serve; rather, the needs of the child and the wishes of the birth mother take precedence. The more preferences you place on a child typically means the longer you will have to wait. Couples who do not have preferences typically do not wait very long. Remember, over this ministry's 17-year history the vast majority of families accepted for service were blessed with a child to love.
Click Here for our INFORMATION PACKET
Click Here for our APPLICATION PACKET