What You Should Know About California Adoption [A Guide]

Have you thought about adoption in California? No matter if you’re a hopeful adoptive parent or an expectant birth mother, your adoption experience will change your life.

If you’ve become unexpectedly pregnant, adoption in California may be a viable option. You can see your child grow and know they’ll have an opportunity to be the person they’re destined to become. Couples who want to grow their family will find that in California, adopting a child provides an excellent path for family expansion and offers a child a loving home.

If you’ve considered adoption in California, you may have questions such as:

• Who can adopt in California?

• How much does adoption cost?

• Who helps birth parents and potential adoptive parents?

• How does the adoption process work in California?

• What are the different types of adoption?

• How do I start the process of adoption in California?

If you’re considering adoption in California, you’ll find an ally in American Adoptions. You can contact our team of experienced, compassionate adoption specialists today by calling 1-800-ADOPTION or requesting free online information.

For now, you can use this guide as a primer for what to expect from the adoption experience in California, whether you’re a birth parent or prospective adoptive family.

A Primer for Adoption in California

Adoption in California is a complicated process, no matter whether you’re placing your baby or adopting a child into your family. There are many laws governing adoption to consider, and the formal adoption process can be detailed. It’s always best to have a professional like American Adoptions on your side. However, below you’ll find a little info about adoption in California.

Who can participate in adoption in California?

The laws that govern adoption in California clearly state the qualifications for adoptive parents. However, the first step in any adoption is your decision to adopt. Only you can decide if adoption offers the best path for you and your family.

Prospective adoptive parents should meet some qualifications to adopt. Prospective parents required to complete an adoption home study to evaluate the quality of the home they’ll provide. Also, with foster care adoption from the state of California, parents may need to complete orientation and training.

Generally, however, if you possess the desire, ability and resources to parent a waiting child, adoption may be a great option for you.

Adoption in California is an option for any prospective birth parent dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. For birth parents, there are no financial or legal requirements for placing your child in an adoptive home, aside from signing adoption papers.

How much does adoption in California cost?

The cost associated with adoption in California differs depending on whether you’re placing a child or adopting. The cost of adoption in California is also influenced by the type of adoption you’ve chosen.

Adoption in California is always free for birth parents. The financial impact of pre-natal healthcare and the cost of delivery is significant for a birth mother. Additional costs levied on birth mothers would be burdensome.

Birth mothers aren’t ever paid for placing their child for adoption in California. However, California adoption law does allow birth mothers to receive financial assistance to cover living expenses, healthcare costs, and some other expenses. Our team at American Adoptions can help you get the assistance you deserve within the bounds of California law.

For prospective adoptive parents, the cost varies dramatically based on the adoption method you select. If you choose foster care adoption in California, you’ll incur minimal cost. You may even receive assistance from the state of California.

However, if you select private domestic adoption or international adoption, the cost may be higher. Depending on the type of adoption, the process can cost between $10,000 and $50,000.

Who helps birth parents and prospective adoptive families with adoption in California?

Whether you’re a birth parent or prospective adoptive family, your adoption professional will be your biggest ally. Adoption professionals like American Adoptions help you navigate the legal, emotional and social aspects of placing a child or growing your family through adoption in California.

If you’re a birth parent, your adoption specialist will help you find the right adoptive family. National adoption professionals like American Adoptions have a broad reach, with prospective families across the country pre-screened and ready to open their homes through adoption in California. We can help you look through as many profiles as you want — hundreds of families — instead of being limited to only a few to choose from.

Your adoption professional will help you decide whether an open adoption in California is right for you and assist by arranging communication with prospective adoptive families. Your adoption specialist will help you get the financial assistance you are eligible to receive when planning to place your baby for adoption.

Adoption professionals offer prospective adoptive families a wealth of resources like counseling and information that can help you decide the type of adoption that’s best for you. American Adoptions may also connect you with an agency to perform the required home study and other services that require the support of a local California affiliate agency.

American Adoptions can be a tremendous resource and advocate for the best interest of all parties involved in adoption in California, no matter if you’re a prospective adoptive family or expectant birth mother.

How does the adoption process work in California?

Every adoption journey is different. Even before you consider the differences between adoption types, it’s obvious that every adoption scenario is unique.

American Adoptions is focused on private domestic infant adoption in California. Though different types of adoption have slightly different processes, there are some things that are common in most private domestic adoptions.

These common steps include:

1. Deciding that adoption is the right choice for you and/or your family.

2. Contacting an adoption professional such as American Adoptions to get the process started.

3. Developing your own adoption plan that details your goals and expectations for the adoption process.

4. Creating your online adoption profile and getting a home study, if you’re a prospective adoptive parent.

5. Searching for the perfect prospective adoptive family, if you’re a birth parent.

6. Communicating with the other party about adoption specifics such as the desired lifestyle, location, and type of post-adoption contact agreement.

7. Creating a hospital plan, if you’re a birth mother.

8. Traveling to the hospital and preparing for the delivery.

9. Finalizing the adoption through family court in California.

It’s true that each adoption story is unique, but there’s one trait that describes most scenarios involving adoption in California. Adoption unites birth parents and adoptive families in their love for the child and their best interest. Through adoption, you can provide your child with a brighter future full of love and opportunity.

What are the different types of adoption in California?

There are three types of adoption in California. They are private domestic adoption, international adoption, and foster care adoption. Private domestic adoptions usually involve infants and are facilitated by adoption professionals. International adoptions involve adopting children from other nations. Foster care adoptions focus on older children in the California foster system.

Private domestic adoption in California offers the most common path to family growth for adoptive couples who want to adopt a baby. It’s the type of adoption most likely to include the birth mother throughout the process. In private domestic adoptions, birth mothers place their children with the perfect adoptive family through an adoption professional.

If you’re considering placing your baby, or if you’d like to adopt an infant from the U.S., American Adoptions can help you navigate the process. Our team of compassionate adoption specialists consists of many birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive parents. We want to help you create the best adoption scenario for you.

Prospective adoptive families that wish to adopt older children usually seek opportunities for foster care adoption or international adoption in California.

Foster care adoption is a way to provide loving adoptive homes to children in the California foster system. There are hundreds of waiting children in foster care in California who are waiting for an adoptive home. When you choose foster care adoption, you can grow your family and experience the fulfillment of providing a great home to a waiting child.

International adoption in California sometimes involves infants. However, many children adopted from other nations are older. Due to the expense and regulations governing intercountry adoption, the practice is declining. But for many parents, international adoption is a viable avenue for family growth and can provide a child in need with a loving home.

How do I start the process of adoption in California?

Starting the process of adoption in California is simple, and you can begin today. Whether you’re a birth mother who wants to place a child for adoption, or a prospective parent who wants to adopt a child, you can begin the process by contacting American Adoptions today at 1-800-ADOPTION. You can also get free online information here.

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