Becoming a Birthparent

Being unsure of your future can be intimidating. If you're expecting and not sure you're ready to raise a child, it might be unnerving as well. Only you can make decisions for yourself and your baby. You want to make the right decisions.

To make sound decisions, you need to talk it out with someone who:

• is experienced in pregnancy counseling

• knows the available programs and services

• listens attentively

• guides you without influencing your decision

Once you know the facts and discover which options are available to you, your choices become clearer. If you decide to become a full-time parent, we offer parenting programs as well.

There are many reasons why a birthparent may not be ready or able to raise a child. Children need to be cared for 24/7, year after year. They need a stable home and a family to support them emotionally and financially. Adoption is a good way for mothers to give their children a comfortable, happy life with a family that is not only ready, but is actively seeking a child to love and raise as their own.

Adoptive parents are carefully screened through personal interviews, home visits, and background checks before being approved for placement as adoptive parents. They are then given the opportunity to be considered by the birthparent for selection. We take great care to ensure that these families are among the most loving and caring people in Maine, and that their homes are safe, warm, and loving places for children.

By making the loving choice to give life to your child, you’ve become a mother.  

Choosing to enrich the life of a family by giving them an opportunity to have a child is a wonderful gift of love, hope and kindness

 

Choosing an Adoption Plan

Making the decision to place a child for adoption is difficult. It takes maturity and clear thinking to take the first step. You have sought out the advice and information of others, but it's ultimately your decision.

At the next step, you'll have company! It starts with plain talk. We sit down and talk about your situation, your preferences, and your plans. We give you information and discuss your options for adoption. If you decide to go with adoption, we'll help you put together an adoption plan the way you would like to see it take place. We will handle the arrangements and the paperwork for you.

As the birth mother, you are in control of the adoption plan. We will help you throughout this time with counseling, information, and support that clarify your options and make your decisions a little easier. Should your priorities change, we'll work with you to adapt your plan.

 

 

The Adoption Process

The adoption plan starts with the screening process. You may be presented with profiles from up to five families. These profiles give you personal information to help you choose the right family for your child.

If you choose, you'll have the opportunity to meet with the couples who want so much to become parents. This may make it easier for you to choose the right couple for your child.

We also plan with you the hospital stay, the delivery, who will be there, how things will happen. You might choose to receive updates from the family on the child's development and well being through Saint Andre Home.

From screening the adoptive parents to the baby's trip home, we help you plan every step of the way. Adoption is a loving, life-giving choice. We can help you plan for the best possible future. 

 

Choosing the Right Adoption Agency

You've discussed things thoroughly, weighed all the issues, and you've decided the time is right to start or extend your family. You are resolved not to be discouraged by stories of long and costly processes. 

Saint Andre Home, Inc. was founded
on the belief that human life is sacred
and must be respected, preserved, protected and loved from the moment of conception.
Since 1940, Saint Andre's has been helping children find loving homes. It is with this goal in mind that the Adoption program continues to work with families desiring to adopt children from within Maine, throughout the U.S., and around the world.

The adoption process can be complicated and time-consuming. But adoption is not just about time and money. It's a personal investment. This is why choosing an adoption professional - whether it's an agency or a lawyer - is paramount in avoiding unnecessary delays and emotional stress.

Saint Andre's has a licensed, professional staff that works with all parties involved in order to make the adoption process as smooth as possible. As you conduct your own research, you’ll discover the exemplary reputation with which Saint Andre Home has been blessed.

Learn about your options and discuss ways to handle the costs involved with adopting a child.

Visit this link to find agencies that are licensed to operate in Maine. If an agency does not appear on this list, contact the Office of Licensing and Community Services to verify that they are licensed adoption agencies.

Decide what type of adoption is best for your family, and make a list of agencies that suit your needs.

Investigate the agencies thoroughly before choosing one:

• Ask about the qualifications and experience levels of their staff.
• Inquire about their fees and schedules.
• When you are serious about an agency, ask for references from previous families. The ideal references are from parents whose adoption was finalized at least three years prior. This gives you the opportunity to ask them about the post adoption service.

 

Domestic Infant Adoption

In a domestic adoption, the newborns and infants are born in Maine to birthparents seeking a permanent, stable, and loving home for their baby. The birthparents who come to Saint Andre's are given the option to select an adoptive couple from a list of eligible couples.

This relationship gives both the birthparents and the adoptive parents the sense of cooperation, confidence and trust, which will lead to a happier, healthier child.

Adoptive Parent Eligibility

• Maine resident
• Married at least one year
• Actively practicing in a faith community
• Both parents must be over 22 years of age: 
  maximum age will be assessed at Inquiry.
• The family may have other children

Adoption Process

State law regulates the adoption process. 
The steps are:

1. application,
2. qualification,
3. dossier (including a home study),
4. selection,
5. placement,
6. and post placement.

For a more detailed explanation, see the Domestic Adoption Process (PDF) or feel free to contact us for more information.

Adoption Fees

Total Cost for domestic adoption is $11,000. This amount is spread over four payments. Once the adoption is finalized, the majority of the adoption costs may be offset by the adoption tax credit. Ask your tax consultant about the adoption tax credit information below.*

 

Interstate Adoption Network Services

In an Interstate adoption, the child is born and the birthparents sign the relinquishment in a different state ("sending state") from which the adoptive parents reside ("receiving state"). Saint Andre Home works with an agency in the sending/receiving state to ensure that the adoption requirements from both states are met.

Adoption Eligibility

Eligibility requirements differ widely among agencies. Factors that may affect waiting time are the desired child's age, race, and health.

Adoption Process

The process in most states is similar to our domestic adoption process. There may be differences depending on the state and the agency involved. We will work with the sending state to ensure that all requirements are met. Saint Andre's will perform the home study and post placement.

Adoption Fees

With the exception of the home study and post placement fees, the cost will vary depending on the sending state's agency.

Home study: $1,400

Post Placement: $250 per visit

 

 

International Adoption

International adoption has become more popular in recent years as an alternative to domestic adoption. We have come to respect the culture of other countries, learning to make room in our lives for both differences and similarities.

Saint Andre partners with other agencies in international adoptions. We handle home studies and help the new parents to adjust to their new role.

 

Eligibility for International Adoption

Eligibility requirements differ greatly among the various countries involved. Much like domestic adoptions, the factors that affect waiting time depend on the country and the child chosen.

International Adoption Process

As with eligibility requirements, the international adoption process varies widely from country to country. But in general, there are some common requirements:

• Documents
  • Marriage license,
  • birth certificates,
  • physician's letters of good health,
  • financial statements,
  • employer(s)' letter confirming position, salary, and length of employment,
  • letters of recommendation from friends and associates, police records, child abuse clearance, and psychological evaluations.
• Home study
• Legal process in a foreign court
• Immigration and Naturalization Services
• Post placement

 

Cultural Integration

We will give you information on the country's culture. If we have a family who has adopted a child from the country you have chosen, you may want to get together with them to talk about their experience and ask questions about the culture or the process.

 

International Adoption Fees

The costs of most international adoption average between $20,000 and $30,000 - depending on the country involved. The fees for our services are the same as for interstate adoption ($1,400 for home study and $250 per post placement visit)

For more information on international adoption, call us at (207) 282-3351 or contact us here.

 

Adoption Resources

There is a myriad of information on adoption in books, magazines and on the Web. Here are just a few suggestions:

Suggested Reading:

Is Adoption For You by Christine Adamec

This book consists of 12 chapters incorporating all the questions (100 or more) prospective adoptive parents should ask themselves and others before making such a critical decision. While many of the answers to these questions will be found here, this book's greatest value is in showing couples how to find the answers to some of the most important questions within themselves. There are few writers in the United States with better qualifications than Chris Adamec: Not only is Chris an adoptive mother herself, she publishes a monthly newsletter on adoption affairs and writes a monthly column for National Adoption Reports; she also is the author of three books on adoption.

Raising Adopted Children  by Melina Lois Ruskai

In this completely revised and updated edition of Raising Adopted Children, Lois Melina, editor of Adopted Children newsletter and the mother of two children by adoption, draws on the latest research in psychology,sociology, and medicine to guide parents through all stages of their child's development. Melina addresses the pressing adoption issues of today, such as open adoption, international adoption, and transracial adoption, and answers parents' most frequently asked questions, such as:

• How will my child "bond" or form attachments to me?
• When and how should I tell my child that he was adopted?
• What should schools be told about my child?
• Will adoption make adolescent upheavals more complicated?

Up-to-date, sensitive, and clear, Raising Adopted Children is the definitive resource for all adoptive parents and concerned professionals.

Adoptive Families Magazine

Adoptive Families, the award-winning national adoption magazine, is the leading adoption information source for families before, during, and after adoption.

Internet Reading:

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Resources on all aspects of domestic and intercountry adoption, with a focus on adoption from the U.S. foster care system. Includes information for adoption professionals, adopted adults, expectant parents considering adoption, birth parents and relatives, and prospective and adoptive parents on a broad range of adoption topics.  

Tax Credit Information:

US Dept of Treasury, IRS, Adoption Tax Credit

 

Adoption Frequently Asked Questions

 

General History or Update Information

A background history can be requested by adopted persons at age 18 without adoptive parental consent and before age 18 with parental consent. This does not include names and addresses. 

Referral Assistance to the Maine State Adoption Reunion Registry

Those who are seeking to meet their birth mother or birth child are informed of the Maine State Adoption Reunion Registry and encouraged to register. We will provide the information and registration form.

Post Adoption Support Services

We will offer emotional support to those requesting services while protecting the privacy of the parties involved.

Seeking Mutual Consents for a Meeting

There are three requirements for requesting a meeting.

• The person requesting the meeting must show proof that he or she is registered with the Maine Adoption Reunion Registry.
  
  
• The adoptee must be an adult (18 years or older).
  
  
• A notarized, written consent of the parties is required prior to sharing information.

Facilitating the Meeting

When a meeting is agreed upon by an adult adoptee and his or her birth mother, a social worker shall facilitate and be present at the initial meeting.

Providing Follow-up

The social worker will make a follow-up contact to offer assistance and support. Adult adoptees, birth families, and adoptive families are encouraged to provide feedback to Saint Andre's and to seek support services.

Post Adoption

Record Review Services:   

In conducting a search for you, we start by focusing on the records we have on file at the agency. Our staff will search our internal file systems, retrieve and review all records pertaining to your case, and prepare a written summary of all the non-identifying medical and social information contained in your file. Our staff will pay particular attention to any specific questions you raised in your inquiry.

Active Search Services:    $50 flat rate

Our active search services require much more time and effort and are more costly. If you contract for an active search, our staff will complete the passive review before actively pursuing contact with the party you are seeking.

If contact can be established, more information will be requested, including (but not limited to) a current update, more detailed medical information, a description of life history to date, possible exchange of photographs, and possible exchange of letters.

It is important to note that Saint Andre Home will protect the confidentiality of all parties involved in a post adoption search activity, unless there are other mutually agreed conditions in writing. If the parties agree to a reunion, Saint Andre Home will act as a facilitating agent if requested to do so by both parties.

Family Counseling:  $50/hr.

Fees for services relating to family counseling, disrupted adoption, or other hourly services will be billed at the rate of $50 per hour, with an initial $100 retainer .