Answering Your Questions
Does adoption seem like a long or impossible process? We’re here to show you how it’s possible!
About An Open Door Adoption Agency
An Open Door focuses on finding loving Christian families for our children. We are here to make the way clear for you — to help you find the child the Lord has prepared for you. We will help you through the process with an attention to detail, personal care and a sense of urgency. Our staff works throughout your adoption to attend to your needs. We guide you through every step of the process, provide training to help prepare you for your child, and also have an array of resources to help you both financially and as a parent.
Since 1987, we have helped over 2,700 children find their forever families.
Adoption Wait Times and Process
We work with a shorter waiting list of adoptive parents than most agencies. This means that we are able to match our couples to children in the shortest possible time. The wait time for domestic placement is usually 12 to 18 months, significantly lower than many other agencies which can take 2 to 5 years. International waiting times vary widely by country and the age of child desired.
While the love is often the same as for our biological children, parenting an adopted child comes with its own joys and challenges. For domestic adoptions, An Open Door provides a full day-long adoptive couple preparation conference. For international adoptions, the law requires at least 10 hours of couple training, and we provide online resources for. During training, you will learn how trauma affects brain development, different parenting techniques for parenting an older adopted child, learn how to help your child cope with his or her new home, how to talk to them about adoption, how to anticipate their emotional, developmental and other needs, and what resources are available to you in the future.
The first step is to determine if our Agency is right for you! Call us at 1-229-516-4293 for a free consultation. We encourage you to discuss your adoption dreams with one of our consultants before you apply.
A home study is an assessment of you, your family and your home environment by a qualified social worker. Completing a home study is necessary for both domestic and international adoptions. It involves a home visit, paperwork and assessments that are required by state and international laws. The intent is to ensure that adoption is in the best interest of both you and the child.
Adoption Cost
Every domestic and international program is different. Our consultants can provide you information about the amount and timing of adoption service fees.
There are many steps necessary to ensure that the child’s safety is foremost, and that the rights of child, birth parents and families are respected. Adoption costs include financial and social help for birth mothers, training for families, home studies, dossier preparation, translation, matching with a child, travel preparation, travel and finalization. Every adoption is different and has its own unique rewards and challenges.
An Open Door Domestic Adoptions
Usually, a birth mother or birth parents choose the adoptive family for their child. Sometimes, they ask the Agency to choose the family for them, and we choose a family we feel is best for the child’s needs. Also, adoptive couples complete a Comfort Level worksheet in which they select “yes,” “no” or “will discuss” in different situations regarding their comfort level within their adoption. When choosing a family, birth parents will review your Life Book or an online profile. A telephone conference usually follows with the birthparents and often a face-to-face meeting.
For domestic adoptions, both our birthmothers and An Open Door seek married couples. If you are single and feel led to adopt, this may be an option through our International Program. Call 800-868-6339.
An Open Door matches birth parents and families who desire the same degree of openness or confidentiality. There are many kinds of adoption — in some cases, there is no contact between birth parents and families by the birthmother’s choice. However, most adoptions are semi-open or open. In a semi-open adoption, the birth parents receive monthly updates (photos, cards) for the first six months. They then receive annual updates every year until the child is 18. The Agency handles communication confidentially between the two parties. See our guide to Communication. On those occasions when a birth mother wants an open adoption, the agency will offer her families receptive to open adoption.
In Georgia, a birth parent has 4 days to change their mind after surrendering their child for adoption. These 4 days are known as the Revocation Period. If the Agency feels that there is a risk of revocation, we may recommend placing the child temporarily with one of our Caring Homes until the 4 days pass. After that, two or more visits in the home of the adoptive parents, and reports, must be completed by a social worker recommending that the adoption proceed. Birth father rights may also have to be terminated. Then the adoptive parents may appear before a judge to verify and finalize the adoption. This takes place in the adoptive couple’s county of residence.
In recent years, an average of 25% of our adoptive couples have experienced a revocation. We will help you understand any known risk associated with a particular birth mother before you accept a match.
An Open Door handles all communication confidentially between birth parents and families, and your privacy is protected to the best of our ability. When a child turns 18, he or she may seek his or her birth parents on the Georgia Reunion Registry. If the birth parents have registered, then the child can find their birth parents in this way. Earlier reunion is possible only with the mutual consent of the adoptive parents, birth parents and child.
We provide many Post-Adoption Resources to help you in your new life.