If you’re hopeful adoptive parents just beginning your adoption journey, you might have heard the phrases “sudden adoption opportunity” or “last minute opportunity.” When you sign on with your adoption professional, they’ll probably ask if you’re open to this type of adoption situation.
These types of adoption opportunities happen when a birth mother is about to go into labor or has just given birth. She is typically contacting your adoption professional from the hospital because she doesn’t have an adoption plan in place yet. So how do you know if this type of adoption is right for you? Read on as Lifetime describes what’s involved in a sudden adoption opportunity, as well as important aspects to keep in mind!
Sudden adoption opportunities aren’t right for every adoptive couple. Sometimes, this type of adoption opportunity simply isn’t going to work because they’re not completely ready to bring home a newborn baby with such short notice. Because there’s urgency with these types of adoptions, your adoption professional probably will only have limited information on the birth parents when they present the opportunity to you. With a sudden adoption opportunity, you need to be ready to leave right away and fly (or drive) to where the baby and birth mother are.
If you’ve determined that you’re open and able to accept a sudden adoption opportunity, it’s necessary to get your home study completed. Many adoption laws will prevent you from moving forward with the adoption opportunity if you don’t have a completed home study.
As you can see, a sudden adoption opportunity requires that you remain flexible and able to handle the unexpected. Rest assured that your adoption professionals will be in constant communication with you. They’re also doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work, such as organizing the adoption with the hospital and the birth mother and handling issues surrounding the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC). And of course, you’ll also have a lawyer working to make sure your sudden adoption happens safely and smoothly.
Each adoptive family’s journey is going to be unique. If you think that a sudden adoption opportunity sounds like a good fit for you, make sure to communicate that to your adoption professional. A great place to start when you’re interested in sudden adoption opportunities is to learn from other families with this type of adoption. How did their adoption look? Do they have any tips?
Lifetime adoptive couple David and Deanna experienced a sudden adoption. They received a call from us about a birth mother who was just about to deliver a newborn girl and wanted them to adopt her baby! You can hear their story and tips by watching this adoption webinar!
As Vice President of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.
0 Comments