Lifetime Adoption is honored to provide adoption services to those who serve our country. Last week, we answered three important questions that military couples ask about adoption. Today, we bring you three more adoption questions unique to hopeful adoptive parents who are active-duty military:
What if I receive orders for deployment during the adoption process?
Lifetime introduced our “hold” option a couple of decades ago, in order to accommodate for our military families during the First Gulf War. Placing your adoption on hold isn’t required in cases of deployment, exercise, TDY, or other military duties; it’s simply a choice that Lifetime gives our clients.
While there is military duty to fulfill, married couples can keep pursuing adoption. We encourage our military spouses to obtain a Power of Attorney, which will allow them to continue with the adoption process if a placement happens while their spouse is away on military duty.
What if we get picked for a sudden adoption opportunity, and we’re stationed overseas?
When you start your program at Lifetime, make sure to voice your travel concerns with your Adoption Coordinator. Share with her how much time you estimate that it’d take you to travel from your location back to the U.S.
Lifetime can still consider you for sudden adoption opportunities (a.k.a. “drop in the lap situation”), so long as you can arrive within the time needed for the adoption opportunity!
Some birth mothers plan a last-minute adoption, or have time constrictions that give us just a few hours to have an adoptive family there. Lifetime will keep travel time in mind when deciding which adoptive family is a good fit.
Lifetime doesn’t require that you’re open for sudden adoption opportunities if you’re stationed overseas. Please inform us in advance that you want to be omitted from these adoption opportunities. All adoptive couples living stateside are required to be open for sudden adoption opportunities. We do make allowances for military adoptive couples who are stationed overseas.
What if we rotate during the adoption process?
Rotation plans should be shared with Lifetime as soon as possible. That way, we will be able to lead you through the necessary steps of your adoption process.
If you haven’t completed an adoption yet and you’re moving to a different state, a new home study is required.
If you’re moving to another part of the same state or county, you’ll probably only need to update your home study. The update will include updated info on your home, and a new home inspection.
Keep in mind that states have differing home study requirements. So, if you’re moving to another state, you should be ready to start a new home study at your new location. It’s for this very reason that Lifetime will discuss the projected timeline of your rotation before beginning the program together. Most military families will need to remain at a duty station for a certain amount of time. Lifetime respects and understands that where and when you move is out of your control, and the needs of the military always prevail.
Do you have a question about adopting while being an active-duty member of the military, and it didn’t get answered in our two-part military series? Please call us at 1-800-923-6784 or email us your question.
Founder of Lifetime Adoption, adoptive mom, adoption expert, and Certified Open Adoption Practitioner (C.O.A.P).
Since 1986, adoption expert Mardie Caldwell has been dedicated to bringing couples and birth parents together in order to fulfill their dreams.
“Many years ago, I was also searching for a child to adopt. We didn’t know where or how to get started. Through research, determination, and a prayer, our dream of a family became reality. I started with a plan, a notebook, assistance from a caring adoption consultant and a lot of hard work; this was my family I was building. We had a few heartaches along the way, but the pain of not having children was worse!
Within weeks we had three different birth mothers choose us. We were overwhelmed and delighted. Many unsettling events would take place before our adoption would be finalized, many months later. Little did I know that God was training and aligning me for the adoption work I now do today. It is my goal to share with our families the methods and plans which succeed and do not succeed. I believe adoption should be affordable and can be a wonderful “pregnancy” for the adoptive couple.
I have also been on both sides of infertility with the loss of seven pregnancies and then conceiving by new technology, giving birth to a healthy daughter. I have experienced first-hand the emotional pain of infertility and believe my experience allows me to serve your needs better.
It is my hope that for you, the prospective parents, your desire for a child will be fulfilled soon.”
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