What Adoptive Parents Wished They Knew Before Adopting

Adoption is a complex process, involving a significant amount of time, money, and dedication. That said, adopting a child can be a wonderful and joyful experience. Knowing about the challenges that you can expect to face during the adoption process can make it easier to cope with these issues as they arise, rather than causing you to feel tempted to give up. Read on to learn of some of the things that adoptive parents wished they’d known before they adopted, and be sure to consult with an experienced adoption lawyer when you’re ready to begin your own journey toward adoption.

The process will take more patience than you might’ve expected.

Adoptions are complex processes, possibly involving consent and visas from multiple countries, or the waiver of rights by any living parents, as well as numerous home inspections and interviews by adoption agencies. These moving parts can all slow down your adoption, and you’ll need to remain steadfast, focusing on the reason for your hard work.

Delays in the process might also involve higher costs.

These added delays in the finalization of your adoption can also result in additional expenses to complete your adoption. You may need to spend additional funds on court costs, should a relative or biological parent challenge your attempt to adopt your child, or you may need to make unforeseen trips to your child’s home country to work through bureaucratic issues. If you’ve received an estimate of the costs of an adoption, you may want to wait to begin the adoption process until you’ve saved double or triple that amount. Any extra savings can become the beginning of a college fund for your child.

Find support where you can.

While not all your friends and family will understand why you’re choosing to adopt, and may even say or do insensitive things along the way, be sure to surround yourself with those who do understand and are excited for the addition you’re making to your family. Turn to online forums and Facebook groups geared toward connecting parents who have already adopted and those still going through the process. Additionally, hire a knowledgeable adoption lawyer who will walk alongside you every step of the way, ensuring that you can focus more on building your family than fighting legal battles.