Adoption Questions and Answers

Why should I adopt through an agency?
Adoption is unique and raising an adopted child is different than raising a biological child.  If you adopt through an agency, you are given the resources and support needed to guide you through the life-long journey of adoption.  Nebraska Children’s Home Society will always be there to support, educate, and advocate for you and anyone involved in the adoption process. 

The Advantages of adopting through an agency include but are not limited to:

• Preparation and support provided to prospective birth parents (See Unplanned Pregnancy)
• Adoption Education given before, during and after the placement
• Support groups for all individuals involved in the adoption process
• Post placement services
• A lifetime of support and advocacy

What are Adoptive Couple’s Eligibility Requirements?
The following are our requirements and guidelines for prospective adoptive parents for our program:

• Our couples must be married to each other for at least three years before they start the adoption journey.
  
• Our couples must live in Nebraska.
  
• Each spouse must have medical insurance.
  
• Each spouse must carry $50,000 in life insurance coverage.
  
• If you have previously filed bankruptcy, you must wait at least 3 years from the date of filing before applying to the program
  
• If parenting, your youngest child must be 18 months of age before applying. If you are approved for the placement of a child, you would not go into the waiting couple’s pool until your youngest child is 2 years old.
  
• We do not require a certain income level, nor do we require that families own a home. Our primary concerns are how a couple manages their resources and how able they are to adequately provide for the needs of a child.
  
• We feel that a couple's faith commitment is important, along with the spiritual environment of the home.

What is a Home Study?
A home study is a positive experience that includes exploring marital and family relationships, family history, and preparation for parenthood through adoption.    

A Home Study also includes:

• Joint Interviews
• Individual Interviews
• Educational Trainings Sessions (ISM & ADOPT)
• Background checks
• Health information

A home study can take up to a year to complete and is required by law in the State of Nebraska.

What are the adoption laws in the State of Nebraska?
In Nebraska, as a licensed child placing agency, we are required to do the following:

• A home study must be completed prior to an adoption placement.
• Birth parents are not allowed to sign relinquishments until after a minimum of 48 hours after the birth of the baby.  Relinquishments will not be signed until the agency is confident the birth parents are ready.
• Nebraska Law requires the agency to duly notify all possible birth fathers before an adoption plan is made.  To learn more about birth father’s rights, visit A Father’s Role.  
• A petition to finalize the adoption can be filed after the child is in the home for six months.  During these six months, NCHS will complete post placement visits with the family before the adoption can be finalized. 

Can we be on a “waiting couples” list at other agencies?
We encourage you to check out other agencies.  They all have different requirements and processes, and it is important for you to find one that is most comfortable for you.  Once you do start your home study, we ask that you only work with one agency.  All agencies will ask the same.  

How long will it take to receive a child?
It can take up to a year to complete a home study and enter our adoptive couples “waiting pool”.  Once you are in the waiting pool, it is impossible to predict how soon a placement might occur.  More often than not, the birth parents are involved in the selection process and we never know what qualities or characteristics they will look for in adoptive parents.  Unfortunately, NCHS is unable to guarantee that a placement will occur.  To learn more about the Adoption Process, visit our Step by Step Adoption Page.

When is the adoption final?
Once a placement is made, the State of Nebraska requires your child be in your home a minimum of six months before legal paperwork can be filed to be finalized.  During these six months, your caseworker will visit your family to access how your family is adjusting to parenthood.  This process will also be explained to you in more detail during your home study and educational meetings. 

How much does all of this cost?
There are considerable costs incurred by agencies in the adoptive placements of children. The national average fee can range from $9,000 to $25,000 per placement.  It is our philosophy, however, to provide these services with no fees attached. It is our expectation that those who adopt through our program be great parents, positive advocates for adoption and for Nebraska Children’s Home Society, and finally will contribute to the NCHS Foundation through gifts of their time, talent, and treasures.  It is only through generous contributions that we are able to survive and continue helping children and families like yours. 

How do I get started with the Adoption Process?
If you meet our eligibility requirements (see above) and are interested in starting the adoption process, please email Kim S. at 2Adopt@nchs.org or call us at (402) 451-0787.

When you email us, please include the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• Date of Marriage
• Date of Birth
• If you have children…how many?
• Specify all that you are interested in:  Infant Adoption, International Adoption, Adopting a second child, FosAdopt, Other

After you email us this information, please give us 7-10 working days to process your request information and respond to you. This will begin your adoption process.

What is “open adoption?”
Open adoption involves a continued relationship between a birth family and an adoptive family. This relationship can have varying degrees of contact and is different within each individual situation.  Often times, birth parents choose to meet the adopting parents prior to the child's birth, at placement, and or sometime after the placement.  In the majority of our current placements, adoptive families and birth families share visits, pictures and letters.  

An important part of our educational efforts at Nebraska Children's Home Society includes educating all members of the adoption circle on openness. Most of our adoptive couples feel more comfortable as they learn more about openness. 

Is it different raising an adopted child?
Yes, adoption is unique and raising an adopted child is different than raising a biological child.  This child has a biological history and a medical history that is not your own.  At Nebraska Children’s Home Society, you are given the resources and support needed to guide you through the life-long journey of adoption.  Nebraska Children’s Home Society will always be there to support, educate, and advocate for you and anyone involved in the adoption process.  Our post adoption services also provides additional support and assistance after the placement.

Are Support Groups available?
You will be informed of support groups during your home study process.  We have support groups across the state for adoptive couples.  These support groups meet at different times and locations with some focused on social and networking opportunities and others focused on educational purposes.  Please contact your local NCHS office if you want to be involved with a support group.

What is appropriate and current Adoption Language?
Adoption Language has changed over the years and our goal at Nebraska Children’s Home Society is to continually educate adoptive parents and the community on accurate adoption language. 

In describing family relationships involving adoption:

• Birth parent:  Those who conceived and gave birth to a child.
• Mother/Father: Those who raise and nurture a child.
• AVOID these terms:  real parent, real family, natural parent, natural child
• Use birth parent as opposed to natural or real parent

In describing the decision-making process:

• Adoption Decision: Chose an adoption plan, made an adoption plan, or chose to parent
• AVOID these terms: surrender, relinquish, give-up, abandon, keep

Can I still be on infertility treatments during the adoption process?
We ask that you devote your full attention to adoption and conclude your infertility treatments once you start the adoption process.  This allows you to focus on the adoption process whole heartedly. 

What do I do if I become pregnant during the adoption process?
We ask that you inform of us of any changes in your life, including a pregnancy, while you are a client of NCHS. In this circumstance, we would congratulate you and want you to focus on your pregnancy and preparation for your child. Therefore, we would remove you from our group of approved families awaiting adoption, but would not close your file. We ask that you continue to keep us informed of your situation so that if anything happens to your child, you have an opportunity to continue your adoption journey and rejoin the approved group of families if you wish.

In addition to news of a pregnancy, our clients have a responsibility to provide truthful and accurate information and a responsibility to notify the Nebraska Children’s Home Society when any changes occur with them as individuals, as a couple and as a family. The following are examples of this, but are not limited to the following examples:

• Any health changes, to include physical and/or mental
  
• A change in employment
  
• Any changes in finances
  
• Filing for bankruptcy
  
• A pregnancy
  
• A change in address
  
• A marital separation
  
• Receiving counseling for whatever issue
  
• Any criminal charges, to include charges of assault, driving under the influence, etc…
  
• A report made to Child Protective or Adult Protective services in regards to the applicant’s or members in their home
  
• Any evaluations completed for the purposes of alcohol or other drug evaluation, a gambling evaluation, etc…
  
• An occurrence or occurrences of domestic violence in the home

What can I do to learn more about Adoption?
You may only be in the adoption process for a short time, but you are an adoptive parent forever.  The more you can read and educate yourself on adoption, the better.  Please visit our section called Learning About Adoption for our resource guide.