I want to adopt
We welcome you to begin your adoption journey with DeColores Adoptions. We love to grow families through the gift of adoption and we want to be here for you as you walk this road.
How to adopt a baby
If you’ve just begun the process of considering adoption, you will surely have many questions. We would love to speak with you to answer any questions you may have. Please call DeColores Adoptions at 1-377-855-7398 to learn more about the adoption process and our adoption agency.
It’s a good idea to go into the adoption process with all of your questions answered. Below, you will find the beginning steps and answers to some questions you may have.
Step 1 - decide to adopt
Adoption is a very emotional process for adopting families. It is a big decision for any family, and one that should not be taken lightly. Especially since most families have experienced years of infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization, miscarriages, and even adoption disruptions.
DeColores Adoptions will make sure that you are emotionally ready to proceed with the adoption plan and will provide you with all necessary support during the adoption process.
We will assign an Adoptions Specialist to you who will stay by your side during the adoption process. Your specialist will make sure to explain every detail of the adoption process and answer any question you may have. She will help you create realistic expectations and provide you with support while you are waiting to be matched with a birth mother.
DeColores Adoptions Adoptive Family Specialists are experienced in the adoption process and have successfully completed many adoptions. In addition, most of them have also gone through the adoption process themselves as proud adoptive parents. They know and understand the different emotions involved in the adoption process and will do everything they can so that you are eventually matched with the perfect birthmother who will make you proud adoptive parents of a beautiful baby.
Step 2 - Choose an adoption agency
Once you have decided to adopt, next you will choose an adoption agency. DeColores Adoptions, although located in Louisiana, is a national adoption agency. This means that we can help you no matter the state in which you are located. Not all adoption agencies are created equally. Some things you may want to consider when selecting an adoption agency are:
- Do they offer to help pregnant women with counseling and emotional support before and after delivery? At all hours of the day or night?
- Do they coordinate contact between the prospective adopting parents and the birth parents before and after the adoption?
- Do they provide fast and accurate waiting times for prospective adoptive families?
- Do they provide accurate cost estimates to prospective families, including a financial protection plan should an adoption plan change?
Step 3 - Begin the adoption process
When you begin working with DeColores Adoptions, there are several steps we will help you through so that you can become active, or available to adopt. The following is a general overview of the required documents and steps of the adoption process for adoptive parents. All of these documents are needed to complete your adoption application with DeColores Adoptions.
Your home study, medical exam, and background checks must have been completed within one year of your pending adoption. Otherwise, you must also provide our agency with a home study update and updated documents.
- Home Study -This is to ensure that you, your family, and your home are ready for adoption. There is a documentation phase as well as an inspection of your home, and interviews with each member of your family.
- APQ – An Adoption Planning Questionnaire is a form that will help you know what your preferences are when it comes to the adoption process, and the baby you are adopting. For example, would you want to have an open adoption or closed? How do you feel about possible medical conditions, exposure to substances, etc. The questions in the APQ will help us find adoption opportunities for you that fit your preferences. The more flexible you are in your preferences helps ensure the likelihood of you being able to adopt within the estimated wait time.
- Adoption Profiles – You will have the opportunity to create a print profile and a video profile. This gives the pregnant woman an idea of who you are as a family and as individuals. She will then be able to have her adoption specialist arrange to meet you.
- Complete application (Click here to go to application)
- Send application fee ($350)
- Provide our agency with copies of:
- Photo IDs of applicants and all adult household members
- Birth certificates of the adoptive applicants
- If you have pets, you must give proof of current vaccinations.
- Most recent W-2
- Marriage license (if applicable)
- Divorce/Death certificate (if applicable)
- Medical reports stating the current general health of each member of the household.
- References from five friends who know you personally
- Criminal and child abuse clearances, as well as fingerprint-based background check for any one residing in the house who is over 18 years of age. These must include clearances processed through Louisiana and child abuse registry checks for any state of residence in the past five years.
- Photo book which includes a Dear Birthmother Letter, profile of Adoptive Parent, and current pictures of you all, your home, your family members, yards, holiday pictures, vacations, personal hobbies, etc. This will be used to show potential birth mothers.
- Once your application is received, the adoption specialist will review your application and contact you about what documents are needed to complete your file. When your file is complete, you will be considered for upcoming matching opportunities. Once you are selected by a birth parent, you will sign a contract and send the total estimated amount of your adoption fees, as well as expenses and costs, which will be deposited into the agency escrow account.
- When the baby is born, you will sign a temporary custody placement agreement allowing the baby to leave the hospital with you. The placement agreement should be emailed to your insurance company to ensure that the baby will have medical coverage. Federal law generally requires that insurance companies cover an adopted child from the date of placement. However, you should check with your insurance provider to confirm coverage.
- DeColores Adoptions obtains Birth Parents Relinquishment of Parental Rights
- Undergo a six-month evaluation by DeColores Adoptions until Finalization is obtained which includes the Post-Placement Adoptive Screening.
Step 4 - find a baby available for adoption
Once you have completed your home study, APQ, and Adoption Profiles, as well as all of the other items on the list, you will then be considered “active” with DeColores Adoptions and ready to adopt. This means that your adoption profiles will be shown to birth mothers who match up with your preferences, and the waiting begins. This can be a very difficult time for many adoptive families, as you already feel like you have waited so long, and now you must wait longer still to be chosen by a birth mother. It will happen. It’s all in God’s timing…
When a pregnant mother chooses you to adopt her baby, you will have time to develop a relationship with her. We recommend getting to know her and being as involved as you can during the remainder of her pregnancy.
Finalize your adoption
The adoption process will be finalized in the courthouse where the judge will review the adoption to ensure everything is legally and ethically correct before giving you your final decree of adoption. After the finalization hearing has taken place and you have received your final decree of adoption, your child will be a legal and permanent member of your family!
For more information about adoption
For more information about adoption with DeColores Adoptions, please give us a call at 337-855-7398 or email us at decoladopt@aol.com for an information packet.