Pennsylvania Adoption Agencies
Adoption agencies help children find families and families find children. Whatever the reason for considering adoption, the agency that is chosen should be professional, considerate and compassionate. The adoption process could take several years, so it is important that the agency is licensed, has all its credentials and works effectively for its clients.
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History
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Adoption is the process whereby parents are supplied for parent-less children or for those children whose parents are unable to provide for their care. The concept of adoption was not legally recognized in the United States until the 1850s, with the inception of the first adoption statutes.
Geography
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The Adoption Directory lists all adoption agencies within a specified state. Pennsylvania has 10 listings for adoption agencies. Adoptions From The Heart has three locations: Allentown, Lancaster and Greensburg. They have been building families through adoption since 1985. A leader in open adoption, AFTH provides services to pregnant women wishing to create an adoption plan and adoptive families seeking to create a family. AFTH also provides services to families interested in Embryo Placement or Donation.
Bethany Christian Services has six locations in Pennsylvania. The agency was founded in 1944 and has over 75 locations in 32 states. They are the largest adoption agency in the country, with 1,874 placements (international and domestic) in 2005.
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Types
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There are two types of adoption agencies. Private agencies are more than likely the agency where couples or birth mothers actually place a child with potential adoptive parents. These private agencies select adoptive parents based on marital status, health, income, age, sexual orientation, religion, family size and personal history. (These criteria are not necessarily in this order of importance.) Private adoption agencies also provide counseling and other services to the adoptive family and the family giving a child up for adoption.
Public agencies get many children ready to be adopted. Many of the children come from the state, or were abandoned. Often they are older or special-needs children. Public adoption agencies come at a much lower cost than private agencies because they do not provide counseling and other services.
Considerations
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Adopting a child can be expensive. Adoptions can range from $1,000 to $35,000 or more depending on whether a public or private agency is chosen. If you are trying to adopt a child and have a low income, or are trying to adopt a child with special needs, you can apply for low-interest loans or grants through foundations that help fund adoptions. Children with special needs may also have reduced fees to help families adopt them. Some employers have an adoption assistance program also. If they do not, then an adoption assistance program may be an idea you could bring to your company's attention.
Misconceptions
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Just because an adoption agency is conducting business does not mean it has all the credentials necessary. Contact the state licensing specialist once an adoption agency is chosen to ensure that the agency you're interested in is licensed. Contact your state's Office of the Attorney General to find out if any complaints have been lodged against the agency.
A very important misconception about adoption is how much time a birth mother has to withdraw her consent to give a child up for adoption. In the state of Pennsylvania, legal proceedings cannot begin until after seventy two (72) hours after the baby's birth, and a putative father may execute consent at any time after receiving notice of the expected or actual birth of the child. The birth mother is under no legal obligation to surrender her child for adoption before the legal consent papers are signed. If the birth mother does sign the legal papers for adoption, it may be withdrawn only if the court finds that it was obtained by fraud or duress.
Benefits
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Adoptions can be beneficial to the adopting family, the adopted child and the family giving the child up for adoption. Children receive the benefit of a two-parent home and the love and support of an adoptive family, who are emotionally and financially ready to parent. The adopting family benefits by receiving the blessing and joys of adding a child to their family. The birth mother and/or father can also benefit from adoption by providing the opportunity to make their dreams for their child come true.
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