frequently asked questions for adopting families

 We offer a personal orientation at no charge to review the options in adoption and to explain the requirements and expectations. We want you to take the time you need to decide if adoption is your goal. When you feel you are ready to start, you can click the “Get the Application” button on the Hoping To Adopt page, or email us for the Application Packet. When you are ready, you will complete the Application packet, and contact us to start your home study. If you are an out of state family desiring an African American or biracial child, and are home study ready, then contact us directly regarding your adoption goals 

 Most of our placements are newborns from Louisiana. On rare occasions a toddler may be available. If you are interested in an older child or a sibling group, we do make referrals to other agencies who place older children, so feel free to inquire. We are a domestic agency and do not have an international placement program. 

 The home study is a process which results in the court document called the “Home Study”. Louisiana requires an adoption orientation, and a minimum of two home visits and individual interviews with each applicant and other household members. There are also background checks, reference forms, medical forms, and copies of various documents such as your birth and marriage certificates, among others. We also have paperwork that you complete that allows us to get to know you better, assess your readiness to adopt, and your understanding of adoption, and so forth. Part of the home study process through our agency also is educational in nature to prepare you for the adoption experience, what you may feel and experience, what others may ask, address things you have questions about, and discuss a host of other topics. The home study is not a process to rule people out, but rather it is a process to assist a variety of appropriate families to optimize their adoption goal. 

We like to have a variety of people in our pool of waiting families so that a variety of birth moms will have choices in families they can identify with in choosing their family. Here are the ranges of adopting parent descriptions:

AGE: Most adopting parents are in their 30’s and 40’s, but we are open to younger and older applicants as well. Let us know your situation.

MARITAL STATUS: Most of our birth moms are single parents already and they tend to request married couples. However there are circumstances in which we are glad to work with single parents. Again, let us know your situation.

RESIDENCE: Generally we place with Louisiana families of various races and blends. We place with out of state families when the mother requests an out of state family, or when we do not have an available family according to the infant’s needs or the birth mother’s requests. At this time we are accepting out of state adoptive families who are African American or bi-racial African American and white, or who have adopted an African American child and desire a sibling of the same background.

RELIGION: Adoptive parents can be of any mainstream religion or no religious affiliation. Birth mothers have different preferences.

FINANCIAL: Adoptive parents do not have to be rich, but do need to show their ability to raise the child to adulthood, including the provision of medical insurance, and other provisions for the child’s stability in case of parental death or disability. We will review your employment and financial situation with you.