Adopting Families

ABC's of ADOPTION, Inc.

NOT FOR PROFIT ADOPTION and REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AGENCY

Welcome to the journey of adoption! For some this is all new, and for some it is a second or even third experience. The keys to a smooth adoption are planning and preparation.

What makes ABC's unique? An average adoption with a for-profit agency can range anywhere from $25,000 to $40,000. An adoption with our agency would cost dramatically less because you will not be paying any unnecessary fees. Your costs are directly court and birthmother related. Not only are you avoiding unnecessary costs by choosing us, you will be satisfied in the knowledge that you are really empowering women and children to have a better life.

ABC's of Adoption, Inc. is proud to assist anyone who is interested in becoming an adoptive parent. Whether a single or two-parent family, we can provide all your adoption assistance.

ABC's of Adoption will include your picture and/or profile free of charge on this website after receipt of your application and home study!!!!

On This Page

Creating a profile

Downloads

Adoptive Parent Application and Tips for Family Profile

Procedure to Apply with Us

Documents to Complete Application

Procedures for applying with us and what to expect!

1. Send:

Your application form

Fee: one-time, non-refundable application fee of 500.00 is required to begin processing the application and establishing a file for you.

Two profile booklets (see Creating a profile) if you have completed them.

Completed home study or form to request that the agency Placement Director contact you to begin the process.

Home study: If you have completed the home study process, please send an original copy with an original signature by the preparer. Home studies are good for one year. If you need to begin the process, return the request form with as much of the documentation required as you can get. The Placement Director will contact you after she reviews the paperwork and set up a time to meet with you.

Documents: A list of the required documents can be found here. We know that some documents take time to acquire, but before we are able to begin the process of matching you with a birth mom, we will need to have them in your file.

2. Showing the Profile:

The ABC’s of Adoption, Inc. begins showing you profile to birth mothers once she has signed a statement of intention to place their child for adoption with this agency. Usually 2 or 3 profiles are presented and she will choose the one she feels is a good match for her.

3. Selection

Once a birth mother chooses you, you will meet the birth mother and decide whether you feel like this is a good match for you. If you are comfortable with proceeding, we will then have you sign a contract and deposit the pre-arranged fees with the agency.

4. Meeting the Birthmother

When you meet the birth mother, this will require a meeting in the Oklahoma City area office and will be attend by the social worker on the case to help with any initial awkwardness that might occur.

5. Keeping in Touch

Keep in touch with the social worker and the birth mother throughout the pregnancy, especially near the expected date of birth. The Director will be available at anytime to answer questions you might have.

6. Coming to the Child's Birth City

Come to Oklahoma City or the city in which the child is expected to be born, close to the date of delivery. Sometimes you will be allowed to be present at the delivery. This is completely up to the birthmother, so talk with her beforehand to plan this time. Once the child is born, usually you can be with the baby while it is in the hospital. It is expected that you are the ones to leave the hospital with the child, so plan to be present when the child is discharged.

7. Process after the Birth

If the child is born in Oklahoma, the birth mother will sign documents that allow the agency to take physical custody until she goes in front of a judge. (usually within 24-48 hours of discharge from the hospital) This allows the hospital to release the child to the agency representative. Upon release, you will take the baby to the hotel and wait for the completion of the court hearing and Interstate Compact to be completed. Generally, this process takes7-10 days. The agency will be granted temporary custody of the child at the hearing and thereafter the agency will issue the adoptive parents a physical custody agreement allowing them to have physical custody and allowing them to give medical care to the child until the final decree is issued. This should be faxed to your insurance company so that your child will have medical coverage. If the child is born outside of Oklahoma, other states will have similar documents that will allow you to provide medical care while you are waiting for the final decree.

8. Relinquishing Rights

In Oklahoma, once the birthmother and/or birth parents relinquish their parental rights to the agency before a judge, their relinquishment cannot be revoked.

9. Interstate Compact

If you are from out of state, you must stay in Oklahoma until the completion of the Interstate Compact. Our agency gathers all required documentation for Oklahoma and your home state, and submits it to the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. The home state has 30 days to approve the documentation, but generally, it is received within 7-10 days.

10. Returning Home

You then are able to return home with the child. You will need to have 3 post placement home studies completed. If you are using this agency for the home study process, we will contact you when it is getting close to this time.

11. Final Decree

Set up the Final Decree hearing in your home state or in Oklahoma.

You now have a new family member!!!

Changes in the U.S. tax laws provide for a tax credit for qualified adoption expenses incurred for an adopted child after January 1, 2002. The Adoption Credit is $10,000 for each child adopted for all adoptions (special needs and non-special needs). The beginning point of the phase-out range is $150,000 of modified adjusted gross income. The credit cannot be claimed by families who receive reimbursements from any other State or Federal programs.

Additionally, another form of tax relief allows an employer to reimburse an employee for up to $10,000 of qualified adoption expenses per child. This reimbursement is not to be treated as income.

We recommend and advise that you check with your employer and tax advisor to understand exactly how these adoption assistance laws may benefit you.

Copyright © 2003 ABC's of ADOPTION, Inc. Except where noted, no part of this website may be copied, duplicated, or reproduced in any form without the express written consent of ABC's of Adoption, Inc., and/or participating agency.