How to Start the Adoption Process

You may have known you want to grow your family through adoption for some time. But you may be wondering how to begin the adoption process. That’s OK. We’re here for you. Contacting us is the first step in starting the adoption process and getting all the support you deserve to grow your family.

Choosing adoption with us means getting all the services you need to complete your adoption. You’ll have a dedicated adoption specialist to answer and address all your questions and concerns throughout the journey with everything you need for the adoption.

Reach out to us online to learn more about how to begin the adoption process. We can’t wait to hear from you.

How to Start the Adoption Process [4 Steps]

When it comes to the adoption process itself, each journey will be as unique as the parties involved; dependent on the decisions you make that can shape what the journey looks like.

But when it comes to starting the adoption process, here are four steps you can take:

Step 1. Enjoy a Free Consultation with Your Adoptive Family Coordinator

Adoption is a life-changing journey and you deserve to have all the information in front of you to make the best decisions possible for your situation.

You can learn how to begin the adoption process and everything else that comes after by talking to one of our adoptive family coordinators.

Step 2. Fill Out a Pre-Application and Start the Home Study

The pre-application helps us determine where you are in starting the adoption process. If you are still gathering documents and information for the home study, we can point you in the direction of resources and support to ensure you’re ready.

The home study for adoption is a required piece of becoming adoptive parents. The requirements of it help gauge your readiness to become a parent. Each home study will depend on the specifics of your situation but will generally include:

Submitting legal documents: Birth certificates, marriage licenses, etc.
Each member of the adoptive household completing an interview with the home study worker
Home visits with the social worker
Background checks (such as child abuse clearances and criminal record checks)
Character references from people who know you
And more

As a full-service, national adoption agency, we are a licensed home study provider in Iowa, meaning that working with us gives you the comprehensive services you need to not only start the adoption process, but complete your adoption under one roof.

If you are already home study approved, you are that much closer to starting life with your new family.

If you have questions about the home study and what you need to do to prepare for it, use this form to get the answers to your questions.

Step 3. Complete Your Adoption Planning Questionnaire [APQ]

Your adoption specialist will use this document as the roadmap for your adoption. The adoption planning questionnaire allows us to create a personalized adoption plan that lays out your preferences and needs.

As you are learning how to begin the adoption process, know that once you fill out the pre-application form in the previous step, you can create your online account with us to access your adoption planning questionnaire.

Step 4. Create Your Family Profile

When you’re figuring out how to start the adoption process, you might not even know what the family profile is just yet. That’s OK.

Your family profile is your chance to tell a birth mother about your family. These profiles are the first glimpse into your lives, telling them why you want to adopt and what kind of family they’ll be joining.

One of the ways that we help our adoptive families stand out is with our adoptive family video profiles. These go more in-depth than a profile can and it’s why we partner with a professional media company to help you make yours.

Once you have created your online account with us, you can get step-by-step instructions by clicking on the Video and Print Profile tab.

These four general steps are just the beginning of starting the adoption process. You’re that much closer to becoming an active family and holding your child in your arms for the first time.

Fill out our form online to learn more about how to start the adoption process with us and get the support you deserve on this life-changing journey.

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Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.

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