Inheritance Adoptions - Adoptive Parents

Waiting time for Adoptive Couples

Most couples desire to know how long the wait is to receive a child. We are unable to give you an exact amount because the birth mothers choose the couples. It is not a first come, first serve basis. The average wait time for couples last year was six months. The more preferences you place on a child typically means you will be waiting longer. Couples who do not have preferences typically do not wait very long.

Expectations of Future Contact

Inheritance Adoptions bases all decisions on what is best for the child. We believe that ongoing contact between adoptive families and birth families depends on mutual trust between both parties. At minimal, we expect pictures and letters to be sent through the agency monthly for the first year. We also expect the adoptive families to send pictures and letters to the agency annually until the child is 18.

Approval Process for Couples

The first step in applying with Inheritance Adoptions is to download the information packet provided on this website. Once you determine that you fit our qualifications and are interested in working with us, then you can download the application packet and send it in along with $100.00. You will be notified of acceptance into the home study process of the agency. Your interviews will be scheduled and the home visit completed. You will also be required to attend adoptive couple training that is offered on a quarterly basis and costs $100.00 to attend. Once the home visit is complete and you are approved, your profile will begin showing to prospective birth mothers.

Cost of Adoption

Inheritance Adoptions believes in the importance of making adoption available to anyone with adoption on their hearts. Our placement fee of $11,000.00 is one of the lowest of other agencies. The total cost of an average adoption through Inheritance is between $12,000 and $14,000. We also have a Special Needs Assistance Program for those couples willing to adopt harder to place children.

Legal Issues of Termination

The birth mother of the child is not allowed to sign voluntary relinquishment papers until 48 hours after the child's birth. The couple typically will begin caring for the child during the hospital stay and may even leave the hospital with the child before the 48 hour period is over. Legal issues of the birth father can be more complicated. The birth father can sign a Waiver of Interest before the baby is born or a Voluntary Relinquishment after the baby is born. If the birth father has not signed and we know where he is, then we can serve him papers letting him know that we are planning to terminate his rights. He has until the first Monday past twenty days of being served to file an answer to the court. If he does not file an answer, then we can proceed with the termination hearing. If he does file an answer, then we decide whether to proceed with trying to involuntarily terminate his rights. If we do not know anything about him or where he is located, then we do a publishing notifying him of the birth in the local paper where the baby was conceived. He has until the first Monday past twenty days of it being published to answer. If he does not answer, then we can proceed with the termination. Every case is different and legal issues are always unique to the case.

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