For Adoptive Parents

Dear Prospective Adoptive Parents,

We know that you have come to us bringing a heart filled with hopes, excitement, frustration and questions. Deciding to adopt a child is one of the most exciting and yet difficult decisions you will ever make, and we understand how important the trust is that you place with us during this process.

You can be assured that our services are provided in a professional, confidential and nonjudgmental manner that is in complete compliance with all state licensing requirements.

We have worked with many different families and have placed hundreds of infants in loving homes since our founding in 1987.

We hope that the following information will answer some of your questions about Adoption Affiliates, and encourage you to talk with our staff in person to obtain more specific information addressing your particular needs.

What type of children may be adopted through Adoption Affiliates?
Most of the children we serve are newborns, of all ethnic backgrounds. Occasionally, a new parent may ask us to help her make an adoption plan for her toddler, although we rarely place children over two years old.

What are the qualifications for prospective adoptive parents?
Our social workers look for warmth, flexibility and stability in the families who adopt from us. Most of all, they look for responsible families and individuals who are committed to providing a secure, nurturing home for their adopted child.

We accept both single and married applicants. We have a minimum age requirement, no income restrictions, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnic origin or religion. There are no restrictions regarding the number of children already in the family. Although the majority of our adoptive parents live in Texas or Oklahoma, we consider applicants from all over the United States for special needs infants.

What is the typical waiting period to receive a child?
Because we know that waiting may be one of the hardest aspects of the adoption process, we work only with a small number of families at a time. We can expect to place a child with each family within a year of the completion of the family home assessment.

What is the cost of adopting through Adoption Affiliates?
Adoption Affiliates charges a comprehensive fee for the placement of a child in your home. The attorney's fee for finalizing the adoption is your only additional expense. The agency's comprehensive fee is payable in increments, and includes all counseling and expenses for birth parents, educational programs for adoptive parents, legal fees to free the child for adoption, and supportive services after placement.

Also included are administrative costs and the availability of our well-trained staff to work with you in a manner, which best suits, your needs. The fee is all-inclusive and you can be assured that Adoption Affiliates will not charge you for expenses or costs that might arise beyond the agreed-upon amount.

What about "Openness"?
Because adoption practice has changed so much over the last two decades, there is a great deal of confusion about "openness" - the amount of information and communication that is shared between birth parents and adoptive families.

Since not all birth parents or adoptive parents desire or need the same level of communication, the staff of Adoption Affiliates endeavors to match birth parents with adoptive parents who share an interest in the same level and frequency of communication. All aspects of "openness" must be mutual and voluntary, keeping in mind the best interest of the child. Most of our families ask Adoption Affiliates to facilitate their communication through the years.

Are there advantages to working with a licensed agency as opposed to a private adoption through an attorney?
As a licensed agency, Adoption Affiliates has developed expertise in working with all parties of the adoption triad, the birth family, the adoptive family and the adoptive children. Our goal is to contribute to the future well being of all our clients. Because our agency is staffed by social workers and guided by social work principles, counseling and education play a major role in the services we provide.

Licensed agencies must comply with state regulatory requirements that are often more rigorous and comprehensive than state law regarding adoption, and we expect to stay in contact with our families over the years. Because our "business" is building families through adoption, our relationship with adoptive families isn't over at the time of placement.

How can I find out more about Adoption Affiliates?
Adoption is a very personal issue, and we expect you to have many questions that can't be answered here.

If you live in or near Texas, please call our headquarters office in San Antonio to speak with our Executive Director, Jan Couve, LCSW at (210) 824-9977 and (800) 270-6757.

For Oklahoma families, please call Natalie, in Tulsa, at (918) 664-2275 and (800) 253-6307.

If you prefer to email, just click here januscouve@aol.com.