The Adoption Process

If you are just starting your research into adoption, thank you for your interest in Adoption Choices of Arizona! The adoption process can be confusing and overwhelming without the proper guidance. There are a lot of details to review and many options to consider; we can help you throughout the process.

If you are already a certified or licensed adoptive parent and would like to join our Adoption Choices of Arizona network, please contact us so we can talk about your preferences in relation to the needs of our Arizona birth moms.

The first step for all applicants (needing a home study or wanting to apply with our agency) is to complete an orientation to provide you with the necessary information about private adoption in Arizona, as well as Adoption Choices of Arizona. It is strictly for informational purposes and it is at no-cost to you. If you are married or in a relationship, it is best to have both of you available for the presentation. A copy of the presentation as well as the orientation paperwork will be provided to you at that time.

After you have completed the orientation, the following documents will need to be submitted to our office. Once the paperwork has been submitted, our staff will contact your home study agency to obtain all the required documents to create your file.

* Orientation Attended form and other orientation paperwork

* Adoption Choices of Arizona Application along with the non-refundable application fee

* Copies of Driver’s Licenses

* At least 5 copies of your profile book and 1 electronic PDF version

An adoption specialist is assigned to each of our birth mothers to support and help them prepare for their futures. When a birth mother chooses to start the adoption process, paperwork is completed and she is ready to view profiles. We only show your profile to birth mothers for whom you have already been sent information and have given your approval to present.

When you are chosen by a birth mother, you will sign a contract and send the total estimated amount of your adoption fees, expenses, and costs, which will be deposited into the agency escrow account.

In the meantime, start looking for an attorney in your area to handle the finalization of your adoption. Once you are matched, we will need to obtain a letter from your attorney. Please note that not all states require an attorney for finalization. www.adoptionattorneys.org

After the baby is born, you will sign a temporary custody placement agreement allowing the baby to leave the hospital with you. The placement agreement should be e-mailed to your insurance company to ensure that the baby will have medical coverage. Federal Law requires that insurance companies cover an adopted child from date of placement. However, you should check with your insurance provider to confirm coverage. If your baby is delivered outside of Arizona, other states have similar documents that you will sign, allowing you to provide the child with medical care while you are awaiting the final decree of adoption.

If you have any questions, please email us at info@adoptionchoicesofarizona.com

Or Schedule an Orientation online.

The Home Study Process

The home study (or certification study) will include:

1. A complete social history.

2. The financial condition of the applicant.

3. The moral fitness of the applicant.

4. The religious background of the applicant.

5. The physical and mental health condition of the applicant.

6. Any court action for or adjudication of child abuse, abandonment of children, dependency or termination of parent-child relationship in which the applicant had control, care, or custody of the child who was the subject of the action.

7. Whether the person or persons wish to be placed on the central registry

8. All other facts bearing on the issue of the fitness of the prospective adoptive parents that the court, agency, or division may deem relevant.

The home study, along with the agency’s recommendation, is submitted to the Superior Court in the county in which you reside. The Court has up to sixty days to review and certify the applicant as being acceptable or not acceptable to adopt children based on the report and recommendations. If the court finds that the prospective adoptive parents are acceptable to adopt children, an adoption certification is issued and it will remain in effect for eighteen months from the date of its issuance. If no adoption petition has been filed within that time, certification can be extended for one year periods if the court determines that there have been no material changes in circumstances that would adversely affect the acceptability of the prospective parents to adopt.

Our office strives to make the certification process informative, seamless, and positive, while helping you discover the unique attributes you bring to parenting an adopted child. Our specialists are trained professionals who are compassionate and understanding with many years of experience in working with prospective adoptive parents. We will provide you with all the documents required to complete your home study, including the contract for services, application, financial statement, physician statements, and other agency paperwork.

We will also need copies of the documents below (if applicable).

* Birth Certificates

* Marriage License (you must be married at least one year before starting the home study process)

* Divorce Decree

* Employment/Income Verification

* Income Tax Returns for the last three years (1st page only)

* Bankruptcy discharge

* Social Security Cards or Passports

* Copy of Native American Heritage enrollment (if applicable)

* Arizona Driver’s licenses

* Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card – additional fees will apply (If you do not have one, we’ll provide the information for you to apply for one.)

* Health Insurance under which the child will be covered

* Life Insurance or Will information

* Auto insurance and registration

* Rabies vaccinations and licenses for all dogs

* Military discharge

* CPR training (if you have a pool or other body of water on the property)

* Photos of your family and home

Once you receive your adoption certification and have provided copies of your profile books to our agency, you are ready to be presented with adoption opportunities!

If you have any questions, please email us at info@adoptionchoicesofarizona.com

Or Schedule an Orientation online.

Adopting A Baby Through Private Adoption

Why Families Pursue This Type of Adoption

Why do so many people pursue a private domestic adoption and choose an adoption agency to adopt a baby?

The following is a list of the types of people who choose to work with an agency like Adoption Choices of Arizona to complete their private domestic adoption:

1. People who want to adopt a newborn

Private domestic adoption is the only type of adoption that promises prospective adoptive couples a newborn baby. On average, Adoption Choices of Arizona completes the adoptions of xxx healthy newborn babies per year.

Families who want to adopt a newborn will find the most success with a private domestic adoption agency.

2. People who want one partner throughout the adoption process

Adoption Choices of Arizona provide adoptive families with their own Adoption Specialist whom they will work with throughout the adoption process. The Adoption Specialist is their main contact who organizes the steps of the adoption and the people required to complete it.

Other people involved in the adoption process often include social workers, attorneys, hospital workers, case managers, media staff, and more. While you will interact with many of these people, everything will be set up in advance and your Adoption Specialist will be involved as well.

An Adoption Specialist will also provide support, education, and adoption counseling leading up to placement, during placement at the hospital, and after placement. They are always just a phone call, text, or email away.

Schedule an Orientation

3. People who want to adopt a baby quickly

Low adoption wait times are determined by the number of birth mothers an adoption professional receives. Private adoption agencies are usually able to offer families lower wait times than other adoption professionals because they work with birth mothers across the county, not in just one state or region.

Adoption Choices of Arizona takes this one step further with our strategic marketing efforts and online presence, in hospitals, in crisis pregnancy centers, with other adoption professionals, and more.

More than xxx percent of our families adopt a baby within xxx months of becoming active with our agency.

4. People who want to adopt a boy or girl

Adoption Choices of Arizona offers a gender-specific opportunity for families interested in adopting a certain gender.

5. People who want to be financially protected

In many ways, adoption can be a leap of faith, especially financially. Adoptive families work hard to save enough money to make their dreams of adopting a baby a reality. But if an adoption doesn’t work out, many families are financially devastated.

Our (risk sharing program) protects families from adoption disruptions.

This adoption insurance is rare among other types of adoption and adoption professionals.