Infant Adoptions
Infant adoptions typically occur when the birth mother makes arrangements for adoption before birth. An infant adoption involving the birth mother choosing the parents is known as a private adoption.
Adoptions in which prospective parents adopt a child out of state care or foster care are public adoptions. Typically, infant adoptions in Wisconsin are pre-planned. These plans usually involve the birth mother, the prospective parents, and a Wisconsin adoption attorney.
How long do infant adoptions take?
The typical time frame for baby adoption in Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, Waukesha, and neighboring communities is six months to two years. This includes the time required for the home study and the brief period after placement in which the birth mother may change her mind. However, the time involved depends on the specifics of your case, including whether you want to negotiate an open or a closed adoption and whether the biological father contests the adoption process. A good adoption attorney will help you avoid potential pitfalls and speed the process along.
What is a home study? Do I really need one?
In a home study, a licensed social worker visits you and your family in your home to determine whether you and your home are prepared for an adopted child. The information the social worker collects goes into a dossier about your family. This dossier is typically used to help match you or your family to a potential adoption.
What are the costs involved with an infant adoption?
The Wisconsin Adoption Information Center lists the typical cost of a domestic infant adoption at $12,00-$25,000 and a private adoption at $10,000-$30,000 and offers some suggestions as to how to make a baby adoption in affordable for prospective parents. Private adoptions tend to be more expensive than adoptions from foster care.
Where do I begin the process?
Do your research and choose a local Wisconsin adoption agency with a history of successful infant adoptions to work with you to find a birth mother and to conduct the home study. Then consult seasoned Wisconsin adoptions attorneys with a long track record of guiding prospective parents through the infant adoption process.
Contact Stephen Hayes, Elizabeth Neary, or Molly Jasmer directly for an introductory adoption conference and avail yourself of their decades of experience in adoption law. Or, fill out the below form.