this will specifically cover adoption in america, and will not go over international adoption. if you want me to do a whole chapter in international and/or interracial adoption, let me know!

𝑁𝑈𝑀𝐵𝐸𝑅𝑆 𝐴𝑁𝐷 𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑇𝐼𝑆𝑇𝐼𝐶𝑆

- over 437,000 children are living in the foster care system, in which only 125,00 are eligible for adoption

- almost 70,000 children up for adoption live in institutions, group homes, etc. instead of with a family

- 93% of parents rely on adoption subsidies and post adoption services to meet the children's needs

- in 2018, 7% or 17,844 children aged out of the adoption system, leaving without the emotional or financial support needed to succeed in their adult years
⤷ "Without these vital supports, they will fare
poorer as a group in postsecondary educational
attainment, employment, housing stability, public
assistance receipt and criminal justice system
involvement."
⤷ 25% of those that aged out did not have a high
     school diploma

𝑃𝑈𝑇𝑇𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝑈𝑃 𝐴 𝐶𝐻𝐼𝐿𝐷 𝐹𝑂𝑅 𝐴𝐷𝑂𝑃𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁

what does it feel like for the mother?
     in the majority of cases, a parent gives up their child because they believe that it is best for their child. this is a difficult decision to come to, because the mother cares so deeply for the child. however, they ultimately believe that there is a better place for their child with a different family (where they could receive better medical care, education, amenities ect.).

adoptions for newborns to 6-months old
     this age group is the majority of placements that adoption agencies handle every year. the parents/parents to be will find an adoption agency in which they will place their child. they often get to look through different applications, picking a few parents to meet in person so they can eventually choose the home that they want their child in.

adoptions for 6-months to 4 years old
     the child must have been out of the hospital for a period of time, different based on the agency that the parents have chosen. the parent will need to provide more information at this age when giving a child up for adoption.
          ⤷ the child's birth certificate
          ⤷ the father listed on the birth certificate
          ⤷ all medical records
          ⤷ documentation of where the child has lived
          ⤷ who has current custody of the child
          ⤷ who has provided financial and emotional support
     for the child
          ⤷ proof of child support from any father

     as age climbs, it is much harder for a parent to find an adoption agency that is equipped to handle older children and their patterns and behaviors.

adoption for ages 5+
     the age of 4 is typically the maximum age for putting a child up for adoption at most adoption agencies. in this case, parents would look to special needs assistance, Head Start, or social services

sibling sets in adoption
     it is better for siblings to stay together in adoption if this is possible, which in some cases it's not. adoption agencies will not split siblings up if they are being placed in the system together. accommodations can sometimes be made if one child is slightly above the age limit. however, there are cases where a parent would have to raise an older sibling and put a younger one up for adoption. or, the older sibling could go to social services and be split from the younger.

𝐴𝐷𝑂𝑃𝑇𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐴 𝐶𝐻𝐼𝐿𝐷

the process and paperwork
     once someone decides that adoption is right for them, they will choose between domestic and international adoption. i will be going over only domestic adoption in this chapter. they will need to choose an adoption agency to work through, depending on how comfortable they feel working with them, price, services offered, wait times, and more.

     hopeful adoptive parents must complete a home study, an APQ, and adoption profiles. a home study is where a social worker will complete background checks, collect medical and financial information, conduct interviews, and do a home inspection. an APQ is an Adoption Planning Questionnaire, asking questions to find out what situation will fit your adoption goals. adoption profiles contain text and pictures of a family, including a video profile, which allows the prospective birth mothers to imagine what their child's life will be like with that family.

     the birth parent(s) and adoptive parent(s) will have contact over the whole process, whether it be a conference call, text messages, or meeting in person before and/or during the birth.

     to complete the adoption process, adoptive families need to complete the ICPC (if the adoption occurs across state lines), complete a post-placement visit agreement, and attend a finalization hearing. finally, there will be a post placement contract, and then everything formal is done!

more on the child's experience will be discussed in the chapter on foster care, where most of the children are older and can remember things

𝑊𝐻𝐴𝑇 𝐴𝐷𝑂𝑃𝑇𝐼𝑂𝑁 𝐼𝑆 𝑁𝑂𝑇

     - children who are placed in an adoption plan are not unwanted or abandoned by their birth mothers. it is a difficult decision for the mother to make, but ultimately the best one for her child.

     - people are fearful of adopting because they don't know what they will "get" with a child. they fear that there will always be some kind of trauma or illness they can't handle. this is 100% not the case. adoption is not the problem, it is a response to a problem.

     - the majority of adoptive families are not abusive! they raise their adoptive children in a normal environment, just as any other child would receive were they not adopted.

     - not all children are devastated to hear that they are adopted. while yes, it is a difficult thing to cope with at time for the children, not all of them want to go out and find their birth mom, or hate their adoptive parents because they aren't their "real" parents. it's individual to every child, and it's not always like a netflix special.

𝑆𝑂𝑈𝑅𝐶𝐸𝑆

https://ifstudies.org/blog/countering-the-soft-stigma-against-adoption

https://www.americanadoptions.com/adopt/the_domestic_adoption_process_step_by_step

http://www.ccainstitute.org/resources/fact-sheets

https://www.americanadoptions.com/pregnant/putting-a-child-up-for-adoption-age-limit