Shore Adoption Services, Inc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Domestic Questions

Q. Is Shore Adoption Services able to provide adoption services for out-of-state residents?

A. Shore Adoption Services is only licensed to complete homestudies, a requirement for adopting a child, for residents of Virginia. The state of Virginia does not allow adoptive parents who are not Virginia residents to adopt children from within the state. Shore Adoption can work with anyone residing in Virginia who hopes to adopt. Single parents and families who already have children by birth or adoption are welcome in our program.

Q. What type of adoptions are there, and how do they compare to one another?

A. There are three types of adoptions in Virginia: parental placement, international adoption and agency placement. You decide which is right for you and best fits your individual circumstances.

You may:

Plan to adopt an infant of similar race/ethnicity/cultural heritage
Plan to adopt a child already known to you
Plan to adopt a relative
Plan to adopt from another country

Parental Placement is when the adoptive parents and birth parents seek each other out. By law, identifying information is shared. It is for this reason that this is sometimes called "Open Adoption". However, any decision to maintain contact after the adoption occurs is totally the legal decision of the adoptive parents.

International adoptions are facilitated by specialized agencies. The agency or their representative matched the child with the adoptive parents. Typically, by its nature, an international adoption is a closed adoption, and there is limited information about the chile available.

Agency placements is typically a closed adoption. The agency matches the birth parents to the adoptive parents, and no identifying information os shared. There ar fees charged for the home study, plus an additional placement fee when a child is placed in a home.

At Shore Adoption Services, we specialize in parental placements and can assist you with international adoptions or agency placements

Q. Where do we start?

A. The adoption process begins with a confidential consultation at Shore Adoption Services, with one of our adoption experts. Because you are creating your own adoption plan, you decide how much additional support you want from us. Most clients who are new to adoption feel more confident when they have ongoing support and professional guidance through the adoption process

Q. When should a home study begin, and what does the home study entail?

A. A home study should begin as soon as you have made the decision to pursue adoption. You cannot gain legal custody until you have completed the home study.

Required by law, a home study must be done by a state designated or licensed agency, like Shore Adoption Services. A home study is comprised of: a series of interviews, one of which will be in your home; completion of an autobiography; background checks; submission and review of other required paperwork. The goal of the home study is to confirm that you are morally, financially, emotionally and physically able to parent a child to adulthood.

Q. What are the minimum and maximum costs of adopting a child?

A. The cost can range anywhere from $5,000 to over $20,000 depending on the type of adoption you choose. International adoptions are usually the most expensive because there can be several agencies involved, as well as international travel expenses to the country of the child's birth.

In Virginia, all adoption agency fees are reviewed and approved in court, resulting in a Usual and Customary Rate (UCR). Attorney fees are additional. An attorney experienced in adoption is usually the best choice.

Q. When can we expect placement of an adoptive child in our home?

A. Placement may occur anywhere from one day to three years from the time you begin the process. At Shore Adoption Services, our average length of time for a placement is approximately 1 1/2 years for both parental placements and international adoptions.

Q. What are the legal timeframes for parental placements?

A. The birth parent(s) can go to court when the child is ten days old. In court, birth parent(s) consent to the adoption. Then follows an additional 15 days in which consent can be revoked. Often, the birth father can terminate his rights without going to court.

Q. Will the child be covered by my health insurance?

A. Under most major medical policies (including the military), the child will be covered at the time of birth.

International Questions

Q. What are the advantageous of adopting internationally?

A. There are two big advantages to international adoptions. First, there are no legal risks in terms of worrying about a birth mother trying to reclaim her child. This puts many families at ease. Second, the waiting time for a child is often shorter and the time table is more predictable.

Q. What are the risks of adopting internationally?

A. Families may get little or no medical history on the birth family, and although medical information is provided on the child, it can sometimes be incomplete or unreliable. Some countries will change their adoption program without notice, leaving families scrambling to meet new requirements.

Q. Which countries have adoption programs?

A. The most popular programs are China, Russia and Korea. Other countries that have programs are Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Columbia, Guatemala, Chile, and Mexico.

Q. What are the characteristics of the children?

A. Boys and girls of all ages and races are available for adoption. There are healthy children as well as those with special needs.

Q. What are the requirements?

A. All countries have their own requirements for prospective adoptive families. See our Director of International Programs for specific details. In addition, most countries will allow single-parent adoptions.

Q. Is travel necessary?

A. In most cases, yes. Depending on the country, families can expect their stay in the country to be from one week to six weeks. The average stay is one to two weeks. Korea and Romania will escort your child to the U.S.A.

Q. What is a "source agency"?

A. A source agency is the adoption agency that works directly with foreign countries. Since there are no agencies in the Tidewater area that work directly with foreign countries, families need to choose a source agency. Shore Adoption Services will provide you with a list of reputable agencies that have foreign programs. At no time will families need to travel to the source agency.

Q. What services will Shore Adoption Services provide?

A. Shore Adoption Services conducts home studies for families who want to pursue an international adoption. We also help families with I.N.S. paperwork and provide free notary service.

Q. How does the process work?

A. First, a family must begin a home study. You will also gather documents that your source agency requires, such as birth certificates and a marriage license. Once your home study is complete and all of your documents have been gathered, you will submit your paperwork (referred to as a dossier) to your source agency. Shore Adoption Services will help guide you through this paperwork maze, which can sometimes be overwhelming.

Q. How does the child referral process work?

A. Once your source agency has your dossier, you will be matched with a child. This process can be as short as two weeks and as long as 18 months, depending on the country. You will receive a picture of the child, a medical history, and sometimes even a video. Shore Adoption Services highly recommends that you send this information to a reputable medical staff that has experience working with children who live in orphanages. They can evaluate your referral and give you their opinion as to the health of your referred child. Once you accept a referral, you can expect to travel within two months to meet and adopt your child.

Q. How much does this type of adoption cost?

A. Families spend anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000 in an international adoption, depending on the country. The average cost is about $18,000. The biggest factor that pertains to cost is the length of travel.

Military Questions

Q. Will our mobile lifestyle allow us to be considered for adoption?

A. YES!

Q. I am only stationed here for three years. Will we be able to adopt in that amount of time?

A. If you choose parental placement adoption or international adoption, most adoptions occur within two years.

Q. Can I adopt if I have sea duty or am deployed?

A. Shore Adoption recognizes and supports the need to serve your country, and is flexible to accommodate this reality.

Q. How does the military support adoption?

A. There is a parental leave policy for which you may qualify when your child arrives. The military also has a partial reimbursement program for some of the adoption expenses.


	Frequently Asked Questions Domestic Questions Q. Is Shore Adoption Services able to provide adoption services for out-of-state residents? A. Shore Adoption Services is only licensed to complete homestudies, a requirement for adopting a child, for residents of Virginia. The state of Virginia does not allow adoptive parents who are not Virginia residents to adopt children from within the state. Shore Adoption can work with anyone residing in Virginia who hopes to adopt. Single parents and families who already have children by birth or adoption are welcome in our program. Q. What type of adoptions are there, and how do they compare to one another? A. There are three types of adoptions in Virginia: parental placement, international adoption and agency placement. You decide which is right for you and best fits your individual circumstances. You may: Plan to adopt an infant of similar race/ethnicity/cultural heritage Plan to adopt a child already known to you Plan to adopt a relative Plan to adopt from another country Parental Placement is when the adoptive parents and birth parents seek each other out. By law, identifying information is shared. It is for this reason that this is sometimes called "Open Adoption". However, any decision to maintain contact after the adoption occurs is totally the legal decision of the adoptive parents. International adoptions are facilitated by specialized agencies. The agency or their representative matched the child with the adoptive parents. Typically, by its nature, an international adoption is a closed adoption, and there is limited information about the chile available. Agency placements is typically a closed adoption. The agency matches the birth parents to the adoptive parents, and no identifying information os shared. There ar fees charged for the home study, plus an additional placement fee when a child is placed in a home. At Shore Adoption Services, we specialize in parental placements and can assist you with international adoptions or agency placements Q. Where do we start? A. The adoption process begins with a confidential consultation at Shore Adoption Services, with one of our adoption experts. Because you are creating your own adoption plan, you decide how much additional support you want from us. Most clients who are new to adoption feel more confident when they have ongoing support and professional guidance through the adoption process Q. When should a home study begin, and what does the home study entail? A. A home study should begin as soon as you have made the decision to pursue adoption. You cannot gain legal custody until you have completed the home study. Required by law, a home study must be done by a state designated or licensed agency, like Shore Adoption Services. A home study is comprised of: a series of interviews, one of which will be in your home; completion of an autobiography; background checks; submission and review of other required paperwork. The goal of the home study is to confirm that you are morally, financially, emotionally and physically able to parent a child to adulthood. Q. What are the minimum and maximum costs of adopting a child? A. The cost can range anywhere from $5,000 to over $20,000 depending on the type of adoption you choose. International adoptions are usually the most expensive because there can be several agencies involved, as well as international travel expenses to the country of the child's birth. In Virginia, all adoption agency fees are reviewed and approved in court, resulting in a Usual and Customary Rate (UCR). Attorney fees are additional. An attorney experienced in adoption is usually the best choice. Q. When can we expect placement of an adoptive child in our home? A. Placement may occur anywhere from one day to three years from the time you begin the process. At Shore Adoption Services, our average length of time for a placement is approximately 1 1/2 years for both parental placements and international adoptions. Q. What are the legal timeframes for parental placements? A. The birth parent(s) can go to court when the child is ten days old. In court, birth parent(s) consent to the adoption. Then follows an additional 15 days in which consent can be revoked. Often, the birth father can terminate his rights without going to court. Q. Will the child be covered by my health insurance? A. Under most major medical policies (including the military), the child will be covered at the time of birth. International Questions Q. What are the advantageous of adopting internationally? A. There are two big advantages to international adoptions. First, there are no legal risks in terms of worrying about a birth mother trying to reclaim her child. This puts many families at ease. Second, the waiting time for a child is often shorter and the time table is more predictable. Q. What are the risks of adopting internationally? A. Families may get little or no medical history on the birth family, and although medical information is provided on the child, it can sometimes be incomplete or unreliable. Some countries will change their adoption program without notice, leaving families scrambling to meet new requirements. Q. Which countries have adoption programs? A. The most popular programs are China, Russia and Korea. Other countries that have programs are Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Columbia, Guatemala, Chile, and Mexico. Q. What are the characteristics of the children? A. Boys and girls of all ages and races are available for adoption. There are healthy children as well as those with special needs. Q. What are the requirements? A. All countries have their own requirements for prospective adoptive families. See our Director of International Programs for specific details. In addition, most countries will allow single-parent adoptions. Q. Is travel necessary? A. In most cases, yes. Depending on the country, families can expect their stay in the country to be from one week to six weeks. The average stay is one to two weeks. Korea and Romania will escort your child to the U.S.A. Q. What is a "source agency"? A. A source agency is the adoption agency that works directly with foreign countries. Since there are no agencies in the Tidewater area that work directly with foreign countries, families need to choose a source agency. Shore Adoption Services will provide you with a list of reputable agencies that have foreign programs. At no time will families need to travel to the source agency. Q. What services will Shore Adoption Services provide? A. Shore Adoption Services conducts home studies for families who want to pursue an international adoption. We also help families with I.N.S. paperwork and provide free notary service. Q. How does the process work? A. First, a family must begin a home study. You will also gather documents that your source agency requires, such as birth certificates and a marriage license. Once your home study is complete and all of your documents have been gathered, you will submit your paperwork (referred to as a dossier) to your source agency. Shore Adoption Services will help guide you through this paperwork maze, which can sometimes be overwhelming. Q. How does the child referral process work? A. Once your source agency has your dossier, you will be matched with a child. This process can be as short as two weeks and as long as 18 months, depending on the country. You will receive a picture of the child, a medical history, and sometimes even a video. Shore Adoption Services highly recommends that you send this information to a reputable medical staff that has experience working with children who live in orphanages. They can evaluate your referral and give you their opinion as to the health of your referred child. Once you accept a referral, you can expect to travel within two months to meet and adopt your child. Q. How much does this type of adoption cost? A. Families spend anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000 in an international adoption, depending on the country. The average cost is about $18,000. The biggest factor that pertains to cost is the length of travel. Military Questions Q. Will our mobile lifestyle allow us to be considered for adoption? A. YES! Q. I am only stationed here for three years. Will we be able to adopt in that amount of time? A. If you choose parental placement adoption or international adoption, most adoptions occur within two years. Q. Can I adopt if I have sea duty or am deployed? A. Shore Adoption recognizes and supports the need to serve your country, and is flexible to accommodate this reality. Q. How does the military support adoption? A. There is a parental leave policy for which you may qualify when your child arrives. The military also has a partial reimbursement program for some of the adoption expenses.