Birth Parent Concerns
Choosing adoption for their child is already a brave decision in itself. Deciding to do so in an uncertain time is courageous but can also be intimidating and overwhelming. Concerns for health, safety, and stability are at the top of the list for birth parents.
Who is allowed in the hospital with them? What if the baby gets sick? What if they get sick?
Will the adoptive family have more stability and security than the birth family? Will the loss of income or benefits affect their ability to provide for the new baby?
With Unemployment rates hitting the highest levels they ever have, are people even still applying to adopt?
How to know they choose the right family if they can’t meet them?
Adoptive Family Concerns
The concerns of adoptive families are just as valid and expansive in quantity. Choosing to bring another child into their home during such an unprecedented time is daunting. But for many, adopting is their only hope for building their family.
Are any agencies open to help birth families decide with all the lockdowns and shelter in place orders?
Approval for adoption usually mandates training classes and counseling to achieve licensure in most states. How will they get these mandatory classes and counseling if most businesses are closed?
Courts everywhere have closed. How long will the legal proceedings last in an adoption case?
Luckily for parents on both sides of the spectrum, permanency for children in need is a top priority to the departments responsible for their safety. Throughout the pandemic, evolution and fundamental change have happened in nearly every facet of our existence. Courts have gone virtual, finalizing over 1,000 adoptions just through the Dave Thomas Foundation since March 2020. It’s not just the courts going virtual either. Adoptive parents can do almost all of the training virtually, and social workers can do counseling and interviews with birth families via zoom as well.
The times have changed drastically, and although the future is still uncertain, one thing remains true. Children in America require permanency. With the help of technology, they are still receiving the services they need to get them there, now sometimes even faster than before.