BellaOnline Forums Family Adoption about me.

Hello everyone. This is my first time here but i plan on visiting often! What a wonderful site!! Let me give you a little background on me. I am 22 and my husband of 2 years is 36. I have always wanted to adopt a child when the time was right. I feel that adopting a child would be one of lifes greatest gifts. I have done research for the last 6 months on the issue. I am looking forward to my homestudy. One thing that i cant seem to find an answer on is if there is age restrictions in Ohio? And if you have to be married for a certain number of years. Any info or insights would be great! Thanks so much.

Hi Tasha...I think maybe the Dept. of Social Services in your county would be a place to start. That was the route I went when I was on the "giving" end of an adoption. The County Clerk's office could probably give you a phone number. Good luck to you both. I would think the restrictions on adoptions would be less rigid than they were years ago, with so many kids in need of homes.

Joanne

Hi Tasha,

I'm happy that you like Adoption At BellaOnline. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Although certain criteria for adoptive parents are goverened by state adoption laws, usually each agency/attorney/facilitator has its own policies regarding issues such as length of marriage and age.

I'd recommend deciding if you want to adopt domestically or internationally. Then decide if you want to adopt an infant or older child. If you decide to adopt an infant domestically, you'll want to consider your feelings about open adoption. Then decide what, if any, special needs you feel equipped to handle. This would also be a good time to set a realistic adoption budget. Start contacting agencies/attorneys/facilitators regarding their procedures so you can narrow your choices to those that you'll be able to work with. Keep in mind that while it's usually less expensive to adopt within your own state of residence, in most cases it is possible to adopt from another state. Keep in mind, too, that independent adoptions and using adoption facilitators are not legal in every state. Check out http://www.adoptionlaws.org/ for individual state adoption laws.

We adopted a beautiful newborn from FL (we live in NC). Her birth mother "found" us through an adoption resume that a college counselor gave her, and the adoption was planned several weeks before the baby was born. While we had to play the agency's game of not knowing identifying info on one another (when we actually did!) until after the adoption finalized, we have found open adoption to be a very positive arrangement for all of us. Our birth mother is the very best! Through the years as our relationship has grown, we have shared even more identifying info on our families. My daughter's birth mother has 3 other children that she circumstances have allowed her to be able to parent. My daughter and her siblings correspond frequently, and anytime she has questions regarding her adoption, the answers are only a letter away. She is looking forward to meeting her birth mother and siblings some day if we ever vacation in FL.

Adoption is a loving way to build a family, and birth mothers are true heroes. Without the generosity of these brave women, many of us would not know the joy of parenting.

Karen
Adoption Host

Unless you're interested in adopting a child from the state foster care system, contacting your local Department of Social SErvices may very well be a waste of time, as birth mothers placing through the state tend to be few and far between these days. The agencies that offer openness in adoption and that give the birth mothers a voice in selecting the families for their babies tend to work with more birth mothers. I think about it this way: If I were placing a baby for adoption, I'd much rather work with an agency that treats me with respect and dignity, that gives me a voice in who becomes my child's family, and that will not discourage an open adoption.

Karen
Adoption Host