Adoptions From The Heart Harrisburg Has Moved To A New Office

The team at Adoptions From The Heart is proud to announce that they have moved to a new location in Harrisburg, PA. The new address is now:

Adoptions From The Heart
5630 Linglestown Rd #3012, 
Harrisburg, PA 17112

Services Offered At AFTH Harrisburg

 Over the past several decades Adoptions From The Heart has helped to build more than 6,000 families through domestic adoption. The agency offers assistance to both birth parents and adoptive parents, as well as a lifetime of support for adoptees. 

Services Offered To Prospective Parents 

 Our adoption professionals take the time to educate each prospective parent about domestic adoption. We can assist with home study services, provide counseling, can provide connections to legal and financial resources, and access to our prospective parent database. 

Services Offered To Birth Parents

Adoptions From The Heart helps birth mothers get the medical care that they and their child need, provides counseling services, can assist with helping to find a place to live, and helps to connect birth mothers with approved waiting families. 

To take your first steps on this amazing journey, contact our Harrisburg office today.

Adoptions From The Heart Has A New Location In Pittsburgh

The experienced adoption professionals at Adoptions From The Heart Pittsburgh are pleased to announce that the local office has moved to a new address:

Adoptions From The Heart
116 E Pittsburgh St,
Greensburg, PA 15601

The team will provide the same services as before to both pregnant women and prospective parents.

Adoptions From The Heart: Helping Build Pittsburgh Families Through Domestic Adoption 

 Adoptions From The Heart seeks to connect birth parents and adoptive parents through domestic adoption.

The agency assists birth mothers by:

• obtaining medical care for both mother and child
• providing a connection to legal assistance 
• providing supportive counseling for as long as is needed 
• giving access to a database of waiting prospective parents 

Prospective parents will find that they will be able to:

• find assistance with home study services
• create an online profile for birth parents to review
• connect with legal and financial resources 
• join a support group 

To learn more about additional services that are offered to both parties, contact our Pittsburgh adoption team today. 

Everything You Need To Know About Kinship Care

What Is Kinship Care?

Kinship care, in its most basic form, is an arrangement in which a child who has gone into the custody of the state can be cared for by one of the child's relatives.

According to New York City Caregiver, to be considered a candidate for kinship care you must be one of the following:

• aunts
• brothers
• sisters
• great aunts
• cousins
• grandparents
• husbands and wives of the aforementioned respectively

Why Kinship Care?

Generally, when a parent loses custody of their child, the state will try to eventually reunite the child with his or her parent. The goal of the state isn't to separate the family for more than necessary.

For situations where it looks like the parent will be able to eventually regain custody, or for the state agency to determine its next plan for the child, kinship care allows the child's family to step in and care for the child privately on a temporary basis.

The Pros and Cons of Kinship Care

The Pros

• Keeps the child with family members
• Gives the child more stability
• Allows grandparents or other relatives to continue being part of the child's life
• Eligibility for kinship care isn't too strenuous once the familial relationship status is met

The Cons

• Kinship care amounts to temporary physical custody
• Major decisions can't be made without the consent of the state or the agency with legal custody
• Foster care payments aren't available to kinship care providers

Is Kinship Care the Right Option For Me?

As with any question related to custody arrangements for children who have been taken from their homes, the answer here is that it depends.

If it appears that the parent will soon meet the requirements for custody, kinship care might be a quick and easy final solution.

On the other hand, if you want to care for the child permanently, you may have to consider using kinship care as a stepping stone to formal adoption or guardianship.

Contact us to find out more about your options if you're considering the adoption of a relative.

To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:

Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)
1225 S Main St #207
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 853-6533

Philadelphia, PA
30 Hampstead Cir
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-7200

Allentown, PA
2212 Union Blvd
Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 432-2384   
 

8 Steps To Adopting A Special Needs Child

If you can't have a child, adopting a special needs child can be a good way to go. The procedure can be long, but once the adoption is final, you'll have a unique new addition to your family.

8 Important Adoption Steps

1. Look for a legitimate special needs adoption agency

Most orphanages and adoption centers only allow applications from adoption agencies they recognize.

2. Find out what you need to do

Once you've found a legitimate adoption agency, find out more about the adoption process, such as how much time and money is involved.

3. Get your application folder together

You'll need to submit the following documents:

• criminal background check
• certified copies of health documents
• a cover letter
• tax documents that show your yearly income
• the number of people in your family
• pictures of your family and home

A certified notary will also need to authenticate them.

4. Fill out the application

You'll also need to complete an application where you state the age of the child you want to adopt, as well as their health status and gender.

5. Wait for a referral

After the adoption agency approves your application, they may send you a referral that includes the child's picture and a brief introduction letter. If you want more information, you can contact the adoption agency. Once you've found out what you need to know, you can give them your answer.

6. Travel to the location to finish the adoption

If you're adopting a child that lives in another state or country, you may have to travel to the location to finish the process.

7. Get an exit permit

Once you've met the child and have gotten to know them, you'll have to get an exit permit for them.

8. Complete more paperwork

Once the adoption is final, there may be more paperwork. If you're adopting internationally, you may have to get them a passport and immigrant visa.

The procedure is long but worth it.

To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:

Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)
1225 S Main St #207
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 853-6533

Philadelphia, PA
30 Hampstead Cir
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-7200

Allentown, PA
2212 Union Blvd
Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 432-2384   

Unplanned Pregnancy And Adoption As An Option

Dealing with an unplanned pregnancy can be scary and you may feel like you are alone. Maybe you don't have the financial resources to care for a baby at this point in your life. You may not be emotionally mature enough to be a parent right now. But, you still want to have the baby and do what is best for the baby. One option you should consider is adoption.

Why Adoption Is A Good Option

You no doubt want to do what is right for your baby. You want him or her to have a good life and to be happy. Perhaps, you are not at a point in your life right now where you can provide a loving, nurturing home for your child that would allow him or her to thrive.

One of the greatest acts of love that a mother in your position can do is to give her baby up for adoption to a loving and financially secure family that will provide a stable home for the child. There are so many wonderful couples who want nothing more than to have children but are unable to do so. But, when you choose adoption, your baby receives a good home and a loving couple gets to experience the joy of having a child. With some agencies like AdoptionsFromTheHeart, you can select the family you want for your baby, which brings up the next point.

You Are Involved In The Adoption Process

Maybe you're thinking about adoption, but you are afraid of what type of family your child will go to. This is why it is essential that you understand the adoption process and your part in it. You can be relieved to know that you do not have to blindly place your baby with a family of which you have no knowledge. Once you start the adoption process, you can review prospective adoptive families and possibly meet and interview them. You can then select the family that you feel most comfortable with.

To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:

Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)
1225 S Main St #207
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 853-6533

Philadelphia, PA
30 Hampstead Cir
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-7200

Allentown, PA
2212 Union Blvd
Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 432-2384  

Adoption Across Racial And Cultural Lines

Although transracial adoption is becoming more common, many adoptive parents and couples are wanting children to look like them. Couples may find it an easier transition for the child to adjust when the physical features of their new child somehow are similar to theirs. However, in transracial adoptions, the reality is the skin color, hair color and texture, and eye color will differ dramatically which, unfortunately, can make it challenging for families. Even though ethnicity and culture matter, parents should not be banned from adopting children who come from a different culture.

 

Can You Be Stopped From Adopting In Another Country?

These days, most countries allow multi-racial adoption and allow the adoptive parents to take the child away from their home to the parents country. However, there are a few countries that have strict rules about allowing parents to adopt from a different country and take them abroad, especially if the child has to leave their home and go back to the adoptive parents country where everything is unfamiliar to them.

 

 Adoptive Parents Must Be Equipped

 AdoptionsFromTheHeart recognizes that a lot of families adopt across racial and cultural boundaries and international adoption would be ideal for those families who choose that option. In such circumstances, it helps to have support across the board to be able to raise children in an environment that is color-blind and helps them transition to becoming American. There are many resources that help families adopting across racial and cultural boundaries that help them navigate the challenges that arise with these types of adoptions.

Unlike past years, these days it has become much easier for parents to adopt a child or children. Whether the child comes from a different culture, race, religion, or ethnicity, minority children and orphans need a loving home with caring parents.

To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:

Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)
1225 S Main St #207
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 853-6533

Philadelphia, PA
30 Hampstead Cir
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-7200

Allentown, PA
2212 Union Blvd
Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 432-2384  

Changes In International Adoption Rates

For many years, it has been a popular trend for Americans to adopt a child outside of the United States. This has been especially so for celebrities. However, there has been a drop in the rates of international adoption recently. In fact, over the last decade, there has been a 70% drop in the number of international adoptions by American citizens. There are several reasons why this is occurring. No, it's not because there has been a rise in the adoption of American children. It is also not because it is no longer an "in thing" to adopt a baby from another country.

Popular Countries Are Now Off Limits

In the past, it was very popular to adopt a child from Vietnam, Guatemala, and Cambodia. However, there have been some questions regarding there being corruption within those countries' adoption practices. As a result, the United States has now banned Americans from adopting children from these once very popular countries. Unfortunately, this means that those wishing to adopt will have to seek out children from other countries. Or, they will have to focus on adopting a child within the United States.

Stricter International Laws

As a result of the Hague Convention, countries must comply with strict adoption laws and openly communicate with not only the United States, but other countries in order to prevent the potential selling, trafficking, and abduction of foreign children.

The United States joined the Hague Convention in 2008 in an effort to reduce these horrible crimes against children. In addition, it reduces the number of illegally adopted children entering the United States. As a result, fewer children are put in danger. Foreign adoptions are also more closely monitored than they ever were before. Agencies such as AdoptionsFromTheHeart offer home studies for adoptions from these countries.

Foreign Policies Restricting Americans from Adopting

Some countries have placed restrictions on Americans being able to adopt children from their country. For example, Russia has banned Americans from adopting a Russian child and bringing the child into the United States. Some countries are doing it because they dislike Americans. However, other countries are enforcing the ban because they are encouraging adoptions within their own countries.

To learn more about adoptions, contact our Adoptions From The Heart offices in:

Greensburg, PA (Pittsburgh)
1225 S Main St #207
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724) 853-6533

Philadelphia, PA
30 Hampstead Cir
Wynnewood, PA 19096
(610) 642-7200

Allentown, PA
2212 Union Blvd
Allentown, PA 18109
(610) 432-2384