Adoptions From The Heart has been devoted to helping families for thirty years, even families who live outside our service area. We call these families “out of area families.” Don’t worry, it you are an out of area family, we can still help you to reach your dreams of adopting as your placing agency, here’s how!

The Application Process for Out of Area Families

  1. Complete all the applicable paper work like your application, contract, questionnaires and the application fee.
  2. Have a licensed, non-profit agency or licensed social worker complete your home study and make sure to double check what your state allows. While AFTH does not have a physical New York office, we do have trained social workers in NY that we can have complete your home study.
  3. Discuss with your agency social worker about how you want to create your adoption profile and forward fifteen color copies of your profile with your Profile Key enclosed to AFTH.
  4. When your home study is completed, have your local agency forward it to AFTH along with a copy of their license.

When Out of Area Families are Selected by an Expecting Mother

  1. When you get “the call,” your AFTH social worker will give you all the information he or she has at that time including baby’s due date, medical background of child, information about the expecting parents, and details about fees and preparation for the hospital visit specific to the situation for which you have been chosen. Because you will be so excited to have received “the call” you might not remember everything that your social worker tells you. Not to worry, your social worker can follow up the conversation with an email summary so you have everything in writing.
  2. If you agree to the placement, you will be asked to sign an escrow agreement and forward the full placement fee, any additional expenses you have agreed to pay (i.e. housing, medical), plus a fee for miscellaneous expenses to the agency. The placement fee must be made with a cashier’s or certified check. Medical or housing expenses can be escrowed with a personal check. If the placement disappoints (meaning the expecting parent decided to parent before signing the relinquishment of rights and the baby going home with the family) the money is returned to you. However in the case of a disruption where the birth parents change their mind after terminating their rights, the money is not refunded but credited toward your next placement.
  3. Adoptions From The Heart is an open adoption agency and the birth parents may want to meet you. Pre-placement meetings are held, with an agency social worker present, on a first name only basis, no additional information will be shared that you are not comfortable with.
  4. Remember that emergency placements are about 50% of the placements AFTH sees. An emergency placement is when a mother chooses adoption for her baby in the hospital after her baby’s birth and although the process is still the same, it is a much faster pace. Families will need to be prepared for emergency placements and be ready to get “the call” and jump into action in cases where you need to be at the hospital the next day.

Out of Area Placements

  1. You will be given all of the background social and medical information on the expecting parents that is known and self-reported as well as a medical report on the baby.
  2. Since it is very likely that the baby will be born in a different state than the one where you live, AFTH will need to complete the Interstate Compact Approval for placement. You will need to remain in the state in which your baby was born until we receive the required approval. This normally takes about 7-10 business days, although it may take longer. At the time of the match, your social worker can give you a better idea of the length of wait you may be facing.
  3. After placement, you will need to contact the agency attorney who is handling the termination of parental rights in the state where your baby was born to arrange for him/her to proceed with the case. Termination must be handled by an agency attorney. New Jersey does not require an attorney for this process but if you do not finalize in New Jersey, you will need to pay an attorney to write a legal “opinion.”
  4. It is usually easiest to finalize your adoption in the state where your baby was born but it is not required. Please talk to your social worker before deciding where to finalize. Once you have retained an attorney for finalization, please have him/her send us a letter of representation.
  5. When your adoption is finalized, you will receive a complete accounting of bills that were paid from your miscellaneous escrow account and the balance will be refunded to you.
  6. You will need to make arrangements with a licensed agency in your area to supervise the placement. At least three or four post-placement visits and reports are required. The number required is dictated by law in the state where your baby was born.

Other Important Out of Area Information

  1. The minimum requirement for contact after placement is that you send pictures and letters to your birth parents (the Agency will act as intermediary) once a month for the first 6 months and once a year until your child is 18. Not all birth parents want post-placement contact and you may have different arrangements with your child’s birth parents however the agency typically requires that you send updates to AFTH for us to hold in the event that your child’s birth parent reaches out for them. AFTH also requires that all families are open to a minimum of 1 visit a year. Whatever commitment you have made, you must honor and make sure that your pictures are mailed on time.
  2. Adoptions From The Heart does not use foster care and infants are placed directly from the hospital with the adoptive parents. Again, because each state has different laws, there is a summary of all the laws available from your social worker. Please make sure to review the list so that you are aware of the time frame for termination or birth parents’ rights as well as the length of revocation period in that state.

 

Whew! That’s a lot of information to absorb! That’s why we are here. Our staff is willing to assist and offer advice every step of the way. So take the first step today with AFTH and give us a call.