Who are the children?

The children are usually newborn to 6 months at placement and are of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.

Most often they come into our care directly from the hospital, although there are times when they may come into our care weeks or months after birth. Most are healthy, but some have known exposure to drugs and/or alcohol in utero. A child may have special medical needs. Some of the children have complicated legal situations.

What qualities best serve parents?

Experience tells us that families that thrive are most likely to be ones in which the parents are open and accepting, people who can, without preconceived expectations, take pleasure in the miracle of watching a child grow and develop.

Adoptive families also benefit when parents have an understanding and accepting attitude toward the child's birth parents.

What kind of information will I/we have?

Barker tries to provide prospective parents with as much information as possible about the child they may adopt.

You will be given as much social and medical history as possible from the birth parents. Information about both the birth mother’s and birth father’s background and family history is self-reported and is dependent on their knowledge of their own family’s information.

You will receive any available information on the prenatal care the birth mother receives and hospital records for the birth mother and the child. You also will receive information on the care provided to the child while in Barker’s custody.

How long will I/we have to wait?

Waits vary, depending upon the size and make-up of the pool of applicants, as well as the needs of the children who come into our care. Additionally, in Domestic adoption, birth parents often choose to be involved in the selection of adoptive parents.

Our mission is to find the right family for each child: for that reason, families do not receive a child on a first-come, first-served basis.

The more flexible a family is in regard to their placement, the higher likelihood of a shorter waiting period. For most families in recent months, the duration between the completion of the home study and placement of a child has been 12 to 24 months, but, there are no guarantees or predictable waiting times in domestic adoption.

Families who have waited more than a year for a placement sometimes want to discuss their options in Barker's strong international programs.

Will I/we meet the birth parents and/or foster parents?

Under most circumstances, you will meet with your child’s birth parent(s) prior to placement. The meeting usually takes place at the Barker office and is facilitated by the Director of the Domestic Program and a Birth Parent Counselor.

Additionally, the adoptive family and birth parent(s) can meet again prior to placement if both parties would like to. The opportunity to meet with your child’s birth parent(s) is an invaluable experience.

When a child has been cared for by one of Barker’s foster families, the adoptive parents will have the opportunity to meet with the foster parents and learn about their child’s care. Our foster parents are always ready and happy to help adoptive parents prepare to bring their child home.

Eligibility

The Program Overview chart will provide key information to answer many of your questions. However, if you need any additional information, please don’t hesitate to contact the Domestic Program staff.

We encourage prospective parents to be as flexible as possible in considering potential adoption situations while at the same time assessing the risks and not pushing themselves beyond what they can handle.

Because our mission is to place children who need families, we ask that applicants not specify a gender preference. There may be occasions when a preference can be accommodated but we cannot justify delaying placement of a child based on gender.