A Caring Connection - Adoption Services

Overview of the Adoption Process


This overview is to give you some idea about what to expect while you are moving through the initial stages of the adoption process with our agency, Catholic Charities - A Caring Connection.

First contact to A Caring Connection usually occurs through a phone call or an email from interested couples. Many of our prospective adoptive couples hear about our services through other couples who have added to their families by adopting through our agency. During this initial contact, you can request an application packet.  

After receipt of an information packet (provided upon your request from the agency), we ask that you contact us to schedule a meeting to discuss the program. This orientation will allow you to meet the staff that you will be working with during this process and provide you with an opportunity to have your questions answered.

 At whatever point you decide that you are interested in working with Catholic Charities, return the enclosed Initial Adoption Questionnaire (go to Download Forms) accompanied by the $150.00 non-refundable application fee.  At the time you return the application/fee, your names will be added to a waiting list of applicants which is solely determined by the date that it is received. 

The next step of the adoption process involves adoption preparation education and a home study -- an assessment designed to prepare families for adoption, as well as to ensure that a safe and stable environment is provided for the adoptive child.
Adoption preparation groups are offered one to two times per year as needed.  Groups are filled from the waiting list and those who have submitted applications will be contacted about upcoming groups to determine whether you are interested in attending.  These adoption preparation group sessions are conducted over a six to seven week period and last approximately 2 ½ hours each. It is required that both members of a couple attend every session.  You will be notified in advance so that you can make the necessary arrangements to participate if you wish.

At the completion of the group meetings, you will be provided the necessary paperwork to complete the adoption application process.  Also, as part of this home study process, staff will continue to meet with you in our offices and conduct a home visit.

When all of your paperwork is completed and all other requirements have been met, you will receive an acceptance letter from Catholic Charities to become prospective adoptive parents.  At this point, you will be placed in the pool of waiting families available to be shown to birth parents.

Birthparents usually choose the family to parent their child, so we cannot predict when or if a couple will receive a placement.  Following the placement of an infant in your home, we will continue to provide support and supervision until the time that you finalize the adoption.  Services continue to be available to adoptive families and birth parents through the years.

There are several benefits to adoptive parents and birth parents in working with an agency.  When you work through A Caring Connection's adoption agency you always have a support system throughout the entire process, after the finalization, and throughout the child’s life.  At Catholic Charities we provide extensive education to our adoptive parents and birth parents in order to help them understand and anticipate what to expect in making an adoption decision.   In addition we provide pregnancy counseling to the birth family to help them work through this difficult choice.  We make sure that their decision is an informed decision, help them with their grief issues and act as an advocate for them.  We are also there to attempt to ensure that the entire process is in the best interest of the child.