Your Baby's Adoptive Parents Don't Have to Live in Ohio [Here's Why]
There are hundreds of hopeful families across the U.S. who are looking to adopt a child. But, can you choose one of those families who live in a different state? Yes, when you work with American Adoptions.
When you review adoptive family profiles, you can learn about where they live. You may be nervous or unsure about placing your baby with a family that lives many miles away. It is important for you to know that you can choose a hopeful family in whichever state that you want your child to live in — and we can help.
Call 1-800-ADOPTION today if you’d like to speak with a specialist. In the meantime, here’s what you need to know about choosing an adoptive family for your baby in a different state than Ohio.
The Difference a National Adoption Agency Makes
State laws about adoption are different, so it’s important to work with an adoption agency that is licensed and familiar with those adoption laws. You can be confident that we have adoption professionals who are knowledgeable in all state adoption laws and have facilitated adoptions in each of the 50 states.
Even if you choose a family that lives in another state than Ohio, you can choose to communicate with them on the phone, via video chats and even in person. Many families are more than willing to travel to where you live and spend time with you and your child in an open adoption in a different state.
How Placing Your Child with Adoptive Couples in a Different State Works [The Adoption Process]
It is important to know that each step of your Ohio adoption process has its own legal requirements that vary by state. So how do state adoption laws work when placing your child with a family in a different state? The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) is a federal law that helps states coordinate the lawful adoption of a child across state lines.
The ICPC regulates travel for adoptive families, ensures waiting periods are met, establishes adoption paperwork review in both states and verifies that your baby is healthy and ready for travel. Your adoption process for placing your child with a family that lives in a different state involves five steps:
Step 1: Choose the perfect adoptive parents for your baby.
When you decide on the type of family that you want your child to have, you have a better chance of finding that perfect family when you consider adoptive couples in a different state. A wider search means more options for you to consider.
Step 2: Get to know the adoptive family that you choose.
When you find the perfect hopeful family, even if the adoptive family lives in a different state than Ohio, you can talk to them on the phone, via video chat and even agree on travel to meet one another in person. Your adoption specialist can set up travel arrangements for your chosen adoptive family to visit you.
Step 3: Prepare for childbirth at the hospital with your chosen adoptive family.
Many prospective birth mothers want their chosen family to be at the hospital when they deliver their baby. Hopeful parents also want to share the childbirth experience with you, so they are aware that if they live in a different state they will need to drive or fly to be at the hospital with you.
Some states require adoptive parents to stay in the state where the baby is born for a certain number of days and to complete a legal process for out-of-state adoption. Adoption specialists are a great resource for explaining travel arrangements for adoption in a different state.
Step 4: Spend time with your baby and the adoptive family together.
Even if adoptive families travel across the U.S. to be with you and your baby at the hospital, this is a time that everyone can cherish.
Step 5: Continue your open adoption plan after your baby has been adopted.
If you and your adoptive family live in different states, you may choose to communicate by phone or video chat only. But, you always have the choice to travel and spend time with your child and their adoptive family if you both agree to do so. You can talk to your adoption specialist after placement to determine how to setup post-placement travel for your adoption in a different state.
The Benefits of Choosing a Family in a Different State
You may know that placing your child with a family in the same state is best for you, and that’s your choice. But, remember that same-state adoptions and out-of-state adoptions can be equally fulfilling. Here are a few benefits of choosing a waiting adoptive family in a different state.
First, you can increase the chances of finding your baby’s perfect family when you expand your search across different states. When you work with our adoption agency, you can be connected with hundreds of waiting families because we work with more families than most other agencies. Our matching service is time-tested and well-developed so that you get the best matching opportunities.
Second, you may choose to place your child with a family in a different state in order to give yourself the space you need to cope after your adoption placement. Communication through open adoption in a different state is still possible and recommended, but it is always on your own terms. This may help you gain the freedom and peace of mind that you need in knowing that you have space to move forward toward your best possible future.
Finally, the opportunities that you want for your child may be more readily available when you place your baby with a family in a different state. For example, you may have been born and raised in another state and you want your child to experience living in that state. There is no right or wrong reason for choosing hopeful adoptive parents for your baby in a different state — you make the decisions that you believe are best for you and your baby.
It can benefit you to consider choosing a prospective adoptive family in a different state because each state has its own unique things to offer. Knowing that your child is safe, loved and receiving everything they need to set them up for their best future are the most important things. You can be confident that your child can have all those things in Ohio or in a different state.
Start Your Out-of-State Adoption Today
State lines don’t have to be boundaries between you and the perfect adoptive family. Our team of adoption specialists has years of experience matching birth mothers with the perfect adoptive parents — even if they live in a different state.
If your baby’s perfect adoptive parents live in another state, that’s OK. Your adoption specialist will be with you during every step of the process and will take care of everything that is required for a safe adoption in a different state.
You can contact us at 1-800-ADOPTION if you have found the perfect adoptive parents for your baby in another state. You can also contact us online at any time if you have questions or to get started with your adoption in Ohio.
Disclaimer
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