What Will Disqualify You From Adopting a Child?

by | Mar 10, 2021 | Adoptive Families Blog

Father and mother hold their daughter's hands as they walk across a parking lotLifetime Adoption has a rigorous screening process for adoptive families. This includes a process during which our adoption experts pre-qualify every adoptive family that chooses to work with us. Naturally, this means our research may uncover some things which could potentially disqualify a couple from adopting a child. Wondering what will disqualify you from adopting a child?

Our screening process includes what is legally required to adopt and often goes above and beyond those basic adoption requirements. In other words, we implement our own screening process in addition to the minimum adoption requirements to meet the needs of the specific expectant mother requests we are receiving.

The most important task for our adoption professionals is to look out for the well-being of our birth mothers and their children. We do that by helping birth families find the perfect family for their baby. All our services are free for birth mothers, so they can focus on what’s most important: finding a new home for their child and deciding on the limits of the open adoption arrangement.

With those things in mind, here is a quick look at some of the things that may disqualify you from adopting a child. These things may be discovered by our team, by the independent social worker who performs the home study, or by our own home study providers in Florida.

Possible Items Which May Disqualify You From Adopting a Child

  • Age, especially if the applicant is of an advanced age
  • Poor Health
  • Criminal history or a criminal record, especially felonies, violent crimes, or crimes involving children (this may include family members or anyone living in the potential adoptive family’s home)
  • Registered sex offender
  • Records of domestic violence
  • Lack of income sufficient to provide for a child
  • Unsafe living conditions or lifestyle
  • History of child abuse or neglect
  • Lack of insurance
  • Narrow adoption preferences for what you are seeking in a child (e.g., age, race, gender, etc.)
  • Unrealistic expectations for modern adoption (e.g., desiring only a closed adoption)
  • Loss of previous foster care license

Newborn baby of Asian descent being held by his adoptive mother

Lifetime Adoption

Expectant mothers put their trust in Lifetime Adoption. They want our caring and compassionate adoption professionals to think first and foremost about the future welfare of their baby. We work hard to earn this trust during every step of the adoption process.

Additionally, our staff is trained to listen to what expectant mothers are looking for in adoptive families. It is important that we have a balance of adoptive parents with different interests and traits, living in different parts of the country, open to a wide array of different adoption preferences.

That’s one of the reasons we are so thorough in our screening process for adoptive families. In fact, we accept just 17% of all adoptive parents who apply to our adoption agency.

Finally, adoptive families who are accepted into our program may find that the only disqualification that matters is that of the birth mother. Ultimately, the choice of an adoptive family is hers — and hers alone.

But not to worry; we take care of our adoptive families, too. And we work hard for them as well so that they can realize their dream of adopting a child and making him or her part of the family.

For additional information on this topic, take a look at the resources offered by the Child Welfare Information Gateway. It’s part of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. They have lots of info about adoption requirements to adopt a baby, adoption home studies, and much more.

You can always contact us if you have any questions.

Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P.

Written by Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P.

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.”

Read More About Mardie Caldwell

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