|
 We know that each birth
parent is concerned about who the adoptive parents
will be for their child. You want the best family
for your child!
At Georgia AGAPE, you
will have options available to help you get to know
the adoptive family and make the decision that is
right for you.
We think you'd like
to know a little bit about the screening, evaluation
and training process our adoptive families go
through at AGAPE. Not every family who applies to
adopt is approved. We have strict standards, because
we know that is what our birth parents want. You
need to have confidence in our ability to provide
you with a
 list of strong families to choose from to
adopt your child.
We will be glad to
answer any questions you may have about this
process. By way of initial information, the
following is what we do in the screening, evaluating
and approval process.
Consistent with our
agency’s mission, we only work with Christian
families for adoption. Once our families apply to
adopt, we determine if they meet our initial
qualifying criteria. If so, we then have them come
to an orientation and training
session where many issues regarding adoption are
presented.
In our training
sessions, we cover such topics as:
- One’s readiness
to adopt
- Understanding
birth parents and their perspectives and needs
in adoption
- The value and
merits of openness in adoptions
- What we consider
important and core issues related to adoption
- Our adoptive
families also hear from various speakers,
including birth parents who have placed children
for adoption, adult adoptees and adoptive
parents who have already adopted a child.
After the training
sessions, we then schedule adoptive parents into the
process of having an adoptive home study completed.
This is the investigative/evaluative process.
Through a series of interviews, both together (as a
couple) and separately, the following information is
attained: their backgrounds, character, emotional
stability, marriage and family life, parenting
abilities, understanding of adoption, finances,
health, home and neighborhood and the type of child
they would like to adopt. A criminal records check
is done, a physical exam is completed and references
are received from friends, extended family members,
employers and church leaders.
The home study
process is what determines if a family will be
approved to adopt or not through AGAPE. Once they
are approved, we then encourage them to continue in
their education and understanding of adoption.
Our commitment to our
adoptive families is to help prepare them for
adoption and support them after a placement. We are
very proud of our families and the understanding
they have of adoption. We are especially proud of
the positive attitudes
and sensitivity they develop toward birth parents
and their circumstances.
As a birth parent,
you will be given the information you need about an
adoptive family as you make your choice of who will
raise your child. We want you to feel good about
this decision and be at peace with it. |
