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Adoption Support Groups in Washington
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Starting the Adoption Process |
Among the most common things you, as an adopting family, may be looking for is information on "how to adopt a child" whether to use an adoption facilitator, whether to engage in a private adoption or adoption agency, the limitations and requirements for adoption, what to consider in selecting an adoption agency, where to find licensed adoption agencies in Washington, and the laws relating to what you can and cannot do when adopting a child in Washington. |
Child Adoption Laws in Washington |
Understanding the child adoption laws in Washington can greatly increase your chances of successfully adopting a child. Important legal concerns include the giving of support or gifts to a birth mother or birth father, fees paid to an adoption agency, attorney, or other intermediary, the legality of using an adoption facilitator, the legal rights of the birth parents and the adopting family, and the critical issues of a disruption and the ending the biological parental rights (called a Consent, Relinquishment or Surrender). For example, using our most recent update, in Washington: *Use of Advertisement: No person or entity shall cause to be published for circulation, or broadcast on a radio or television station an advertisement of a child or children offered or wanted for adoption, or shall hold himself or herself out through such advertisement as having the ability to place, locate, dispose, or receive a child or children for adoption unless such person or entity is: A duly authorized agent, contractee, or employee of the department or a children's agency or institution licensed by the department to care for and place children or A person who has a completed preplacement report with a favorable recommendation as to the fitness of the person to be an adoptive parent. Nothing in this section prohibits an attorney from advertising his or her availability to practice or provide services to the adoption of children. *Birth parent expenses allowed include prenatal, hospital, or medical expenses, attorney's fees, and court costs. *When Consent Can Be Executed: A petition for relinquishment, together with the written consent to adoption, may be filed before the child's birth. If the child is an Indian child, the petition and consent shall not be signed until at least 10 days after the child's birth and shall be recorded before a court. The consent will not be presented to the court until 48 hours after it is signed or 48 hours after the birth of the child, whichever occurs later. In the case of a consent to an adoption of an Indian child, no consent shall be valid unless the consent is executed in writing more than 10 days after the birth of the child. *Consent to adoption is revocable by the consenting party at any time before the consent is approved by the court. |
Who and Where to Adopt |
You may be looking for the differences in the waiting period, effort, cost, and success rates involved in adopting children within your state or in other states (domestic adoption) or even from other countries (international adoption) in order to determine which type of adoption will work for you. Some specific choices you may want to consider, as the waiting lists tend to be shorter, are special needs adoption, bi-racial and trans-racial adoption, and older children (generally from one to 15 years of age) from the Washington child welfare and foster care systems. The more open you are in the type and age of child you are looking to adopt the better your chances of success. You should also decide before contacting an adoption agency whether you want an open adoption or closed adoption. |
Helping Hands |
In addition to the adoption support groups shown below, there are many sources of help available to you in Washington. For example, we are always happy to take your calls and offer you help and information (contact us). There are local and private as well as state and federal government resources that can provide financial and medical information and help. Washington also has the Washington adoption exchange or photo listing program and an Washington adoption contact office. |
Parenting Your Adopted Child |
You may also be looking for information on special problems in raising an adopted child and being the best possible parent you can be. This may include explaining adoption to your child, family, friends and others. It could also include dealing with special emotional and developmental issues, or adoption and school problems, or issues involving adoption therapy and finding a therapist who specializes in working with adopted children and their families. Then again you may be looking for information on infant nutrition or birth records or one of a myriad of other questions. |
Support Groups for International Adoption |
If you are specifically interested in an international adoption support group, you may want to visit the support groups for Russian adoption, as well as the groups for Guatemala adoption and China adoption. |
National Level Adoption Support Groups |
American Adoption Congress is composed of individuals, families and organizations committed to adoption reform. Families for Russian and Ukrainian Adoption (FRUA) is for families who have adopted, or are in the process of adoption, from Russia and former Soviet Union countries. Families with Children from China is a non-denominational organization of families who have adopted children from China. Guatemala Adoptive Families Network initiates and supports the adoption of Guatemalan children. National Adoption Center attempts to facilitate the adoption of children in the U. S., particularly children with special needs and those from minority cultures. North American Council on Adoptable Children is committed to meeting the needs of waiting children and the families who adopt them. Our Chinese Daughters Foundation (OCDF) is a non-profit foundation that supports families with children adopted from China. Resolve is dedicated to providing education, advocacy, and support to those who face infertility. The Child Welfare Information Gateway provides information on all aspects of both domestic and international adoption. |
Adoption Support Groups in Washington |
Aberdeen Parent Support Group Adoptive Friends and Families of Greater Seattle Adoptive Families of S. Puget Sound Association of Single Adoptive Parents FAS Family Resource Institute Families with Children Adopted from Bulgaria (FaCAB) Families Like Ours, Inc. Foster Parent Association of WA Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Guatemalan North American Adoptive Families Korean Idenitity Development Society Los Ni-os de Colombia MT State Foster & Adoption National Foster Parent Association North Central WA Adoption Support Grp. Omak Parent Support Group Okanagan Valley Adoptive Parents Parents of Adopted Children Parents of Adopted Romanian Children Program for Early Parent Support PRIDE: Native American Adoptive Parents RESOLVE of Washington State Sprt Grp for Gay & Lesbian Parents Unlimited Parents Vancouver Parents Group Village Families of North Puget Sound Washington Adoption Resource Exchange (WARE) Yakima Parent Support Group [ Return to Support Groups ] |
Adoption Support Groups for Adopting Families |
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Washington Cities and Surrounding Areas |
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