Our Adoption Requirements

Our firm has certain requirements of the adopting couple. We are looking for friendly outgoing couples who: are willing to share pictures and/or videos; have good communication skills; are able to deal with emotional ups and downs; can handle unexpected birth mother expenses; and are willing to trust us and our judgment and the judgment of our local doctors during stressful times. Though 90% of our adoptions are closed, in some instances the birth mother will request a couple that will consider an open adoption. Based on 25 years experience, I have come to realize that it is important to have a wide variety of adopting couples because the success of an adoption depends on a proper matching of adopting parents with the birth mother. Even though a couple may be very impressive, they might not fit into the program because we have an overabundance of couples with similar qualities and adoption preferences. Most birth mothers are not structured people and dealing with them requires a great deal of flexibility. Our office can only work with flexible and understanding adopting parents. This requirement cannot be overstated.

In addition to our firm's requirements, the State of Arkansas requires that the adopting parents' fingerprints be cleared by the State Police of Arkansas and the FBI if they have been a resident for less than six years. This procedure takes two to three months and costs approximately $100.00. Our office assists in this procedure for Arkansas residents. Residents of other states will need assistance from their home-study provider. The State of Arkansas requires a home study for the adopting couple. You may select an approved agency, psychiatrist, psychologist, or a licensed social worker to do the required home study.