If you are looking to start or build a family, and you’re either having difficulties conceiving or you just want to give a good home to a child in need, you’ve probably given a lot of thought to the domestic adoption process. At the same time, though, you may have heard a lot of rumors or misinformation about the availability of children, the costs or the time it takes to complete the process. This blog looks at some of the most common misconceptions about domestic adoption.

It Takes a Long Time to Finally Get a Child

You’ll often hear stories of couples who waited “years” before they were finally able to have a family through adoption. Though every situation is different and takes a different amount of time, the average domestic adoption usually takes between 8 and 15 months. Compare that to an international adoption, which averages 12-14 months, and there’s not much difference. The timeline for a domestic adoption includes the time it takes to complete a home study, as well as any time required to obtain court or state approval.

Domestic Adoptions Are Expensive

Undoubtedly, there are costs associated with a domestic adoption, unless you are adopting a child through a state foster care program. You may have the expense of traveling and living in another state until court approval for the adoption is obtained, but you won’t have the costs of foreign travel associated with international adoptions. There are ways, however, to defray and subsidize the costs, including tax credits and grants.

There Aren’t Enough Potential Adoptees for All the Parents Who Want to Adopt

Officials estimate that there are more than 100,000 children currently in foster care who are eligible for adoption. A big part of the problem is that most adoptive parents want infants, and only want to be paired with biological mothers who are pregnant, so that they can take the infant home from the hospital.

Contact Our Office

To set up an appointment, call us in Haddonfield at 856-429-5005 or in Woodbury at 856-845-2555. We can also be reached in Philadelphia at 215-563-2150 or by e-mail. For clients with personal injury or workers’ compensation claims, we offer a free initial consultation, and will represent you on a contingency basis, only charging attorney fees if we recover compensation for you.

Our offices are open weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Weekend and evening appointments may be arranged upon request. We will also come to your home or the hospital, if necessary.