Domestic FAQ's
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT BETHANY’S DOMESTIC ADOPTION PROGRAM IN MINNESOTA
*please note that some of these requirements do not apply for the International adoption program. Please call for further clarification.
Adoption Process
Q. If we adopt through Bethany, how long will it take before we’re parents?
A. Typically, our families adopt within one to two years from the time the Family Assessment is completed. (Much of the waiting time depends on what you’re open to and birth parent selection.)
Q. What is involved in a “Family Assessment?”
A. What is commonly referred to as a “home study”, we call the “Family Assessment”. The state of Minnesota has a mandated format with specific areas that need to be addressed. For the “Family Assessment” part, we will need to get to know you as a couple and individually. We’ll have several interviews with you, make sure your home is safe, secure fingerprint clearances, gather references and verify the documents you’ll be asked to submit. We’ll want to make sure you are both in good health that would not jeopardize a normal parental roll and both committed to parenting by adoption.
In addition to getting to know you, we want you to be better prepared to be parents and be familiar with adoption issues and the ages and stages of adoption. This is competed through reading, videos and classes.
Motivated couples can complete the whole process within 2-3 months. Once this process is finished, we’ll help you prepare your “Adoptive Family Profile” for birth parents to review. We will also provide you with information so you can put your profile on Bethany’s web site that is available at no cost to you.
Trans-racial Adoption
Q. Do you need families to adopt children of minority and/or mixed races?
A. YES!!!! Bethany is always looking for Christian families who would welcome the opportunity to adopt children from various racial and ethnic backgrounds. Today’s most pressing need is to find adoptive families for infants of Hispanic, Latino and African-American descent. Caucasian couples will not be excluded from adopting children of a race different from their own. If you desire that your profile be shown to other Bethany offices, we will work with those offices that need additional profiles for a birth parent.
Designated Adoptions:
Q. We have made contact with a birth mother who wants us to adopt her child. Can Bethany work with us?
A. Yes. You and the birth mother can participate in a “Designated Adoption” in which Bethany can be involved in a variety of ways. Some of the requirements for this service vary from our traditional adoption program. The cost and fee structure is also different. Please refer to the Independent Services Fee structure on the Financial Considerations Handout in the Information Packet.
Faith:
Q. We know you place children in Christian homes. What does that mean?
A. Through our traditional domestic adoption program, Bethany will only place children with families who acknowledge and confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and who give clear evidence in their living experience of this confession, including active participation in a church which shares their confession and builds them up in their faith. Bethany Christian Services is primarily an evangelical, interdenominational ministry, which includes fellow believers who worship across many different Christian denominations and fellowships.
Age:
Q. Does Bethany have age requirements?
A. Bethany does not have specific age limitations. Age may be a determining factor for a birth parent as they choose a family for their child.
Children/Infertility:
Q. Do you have any requirements regarding infertility?
A. Most of the families that apply to adopt through Bethany have dealt with infertility treatments for a long time before moving to a place where being parents is more important than how that becomes possible. While the pain of infertility may linger, we hope that families can get excited about providing a Christian home to a birth mother who is seeking this for her child. Most birth parents that come to us have a preference for adoptive couples with impaired fertility, usually selecting families with no children (or with one child). (However, if you are interested in adopting a child with special needs, the number of children in your home may not be an issue.)
Q. Can we state a preference for our child’s gender?
A. No. Most of our birth parents select an adoptive family before the birth of the child. At this time the gender is usually unknown. Stating a particular gender would prohibit you from being considered by our clients through the domestic adoption program. (International Adoption applicants can specify gender.)
Financial Requirements:
Q. Do we need a certain level of income or to own a home to adopt?
A. You do not need to be financially wealthy or to own a home to adopt. We are looking to see that you have an adequate level of income in order to provide for your needs and the needs of a child. Medical insurance, which will include the adopted child, is required.
What do you mean by “Levels of Openness”?
There are generally three levels of openness with a domestic adoption.
| · | Fully Open – where a couple and birth parent have a full exchange of identifying information |
| · | Semi Confidential – where the couple and birth parent exchange pictures, letters, and other items through the agency |
| · | Confidential – where there is no information exchange or meeting with the birth parents |
Please note that levels of openness can change as a relationship develops with each partner in the relationship. It is always imperative to consider the best interests of the child.
For more detail please refer to Bethany’s
main page on domestic adoption