Five Colorado Adoption Fictions…and Facts
When you decide to adopt a child, you may have many questions. There are lots of answers out there in the cyber-world and we have found that various information and sites are inaccurate or simply out of date. We are proud to be an accredited and updated resource that families can turn to when they have questions about adoption.
Over the years we have answered a lot of adoption questions. Here are few we have had to continually answer that we thought we’d share.
All adoption agencies are the same: Fiction.
Fact is, they’re not. Each agency will have its own mission, focus and expertise. There are three types of adoption in the U.S.; domestic adoption, inter-country adoption and foster care adoption. Some agencies will only handle domestic infant adoptions while others will handle inter-country adoption. Some agencies will focus on foster-adoptions while others are private adoptions. Hope’s Promise is a Christian, non-profit child placement agency licensed by the State of Colorado. We specialize in domestic infant adoption and inter-country adoption. We are Hague accredited by the Council on Accreditation. We started in 1990 and our mission of reflecting God’s heart in the lifelong journey of adoption and orphan care holds true to this day.
I have to own my own home to adopt a child: Fiction
Fact is, you don’t need to own your own home, be wealthy, have children already, have a college degree, or be a stay-at-home parent to adopt. However, you do need to demonstrate that you can support yourself without any additional income, such as adoption assistance.
You must maintain contact with a child’s birth family: Fiction
Fact is there are three types of adoption relationships; open, semi-open and closed. Each adoptive family and each birth family can choose the level of contact that works best for them. But we have learned over time that some degree of openness is almost always best for the child. Most children in adoption, even the younger ones, are able to understand that they have birth parents they no longer live with. Children do not forget their birth parents, whether or not they are in their life. Our advice is to determine you comfort level with contact after you meet the birth family based on the best interest of the child.
Everything you need to know about adoption is on the Internet: Fiction
Fact is that there are many sites on the Internet and there is a lot of information about adoption, but some of it isn’t accurate or updated. Adoption is not a “one size fits all” type of procedure. The adoption process needs to be tailored to your particular family and the best interest of the child. Adoption professionals recommend you double-check any information you find online with a local source, like Hope’s Promise. We are here with the most current adoption information to ensure your family meets state and federal regulations regarding your adoption.
I have to adopt outside of the U.S. There are no children to adopt in Colorado: Fiction
Fact is there are children of all ages in the United States waiting for permanent homes and are available for adoption. In the U.S. foster care system there are approximately 139,000* waiting children who are in need of adoptive homes. There are also numerous children (mostly infants) who are adopted privately in the United States every year.
To help you better understand the adoption process and the children currently waiting for a family, we are here for you. Hope’s Promise is a Christian, non-profit child placement agency licensed by the State of Colorado. We facilitate both domestic and international adoptions. Since 1990, Hope’s Promise has placed over 1,000 infants and children in safe and loving homes.
*US Department of Health + Human Services, 2015
