Infant Adoption

Couples come to the idea of adoption through many roads.

Some feel called while many have walked the difficult road of infertility, miscarriages, and loss.  We understand and believe that both grief and hope are inherent in the adoption process and want to help couples process all the emotions of that and the options that are available to them in adoption.

We offer comprehensive adoption services including pre-placement training, home study services, mediation of openness, and post-adoption support that encompasses ongoing events, counseling, and resources.  Open adoptions may be a new concept for families exploring adoption and we want to help families understand the why and the how of openness.  We also recognize families often have questions and concerns about the financial risk of adoption.

Our staff are ready to help you process all of these questions and more and walk with you as you look to create or grow your family through adoption.

Contact us today to schedule a free agency orientation.  If you are ready to apply, click the link below for access to our required application documents.

Process

We know the adoption process can be daunting and you’ll have many questions.  Check out our step-by-step guide below.  We are happy to offer a free agency orientation as well to help you understand the steps of the process.

• Application: Complete application documents.
• Training: Once approved, attend required pre-placement training,
• Home Study: Complete home study paperwork, background checks, and interviews.
• Waiting Begins: Become a waiting family.
• Chosen: Be chosen by a birth family and matched for placement.
• Baby is here!: Baby will come home with you from the hospital.
• Legal Process: Birth parents’ rights are voluntarily relinquished to DPA.  DPA retains custody.
• Post Placement: DPA conducts post-placement visits with your family.
• Finalization: Court held to finalize adoption and transfer custody to you as the forever parents!

We often have questions about the timeline of adoption for families.  This can be a difficult question to answer as there are many factors that impact it.  See below for an outline of the timelines.  Phase 2 has variable wait times as we do not show profiles to expectant parents based on who has waited the longest, but based on best fit in terms of their preferences and history along with those of the adoptive families.  Some people wait only a couple of weeks and others wait a couple of years. 

Phase 1: The Logistics
(3-6 months)
1. Application Complete
2. Training
3. Home Study
4. Waiting Begins

Phase 2: The Wait
(variable)
5. Chosen
6. Baby is here!

Phase 3: The Final Pieces
(6 months)
7. Legal Process
8. Post Placement
9. Finalization

https://dpaok.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Adoption-Process-Timeline-850.jpg

Frequently Asked Questions

“What are your requirements for adoptive families?” 

• Married, man and wife, for a minimum of two years if it is the first marriage for both and for five years if either has been married previously.
• Minimum 21 years of age and no older than 45 at the time off application.
• No more than two biological children in the home.
• All prospective adoptive parents must be actively involved in a Christ-centered church of their choosing.

“How long will we have to wait for a baby?” 

This is a difficult question to answer in some respects.  Please see our timeline graphic for more information.  Adoption will take a year at a minimum from start to finish, but can often take longer depending on how long families wait to be chosen.

“What is the cost?” 

The national average for a domestic infant adoption is about $40,000. Adoptions through DPA cost an average of $21-24,000. These fees include medical and legal costs as well as the agency services. You are also covering the costs of all services provided to your birth family as they are never asked for payment for any service. Fees are billed throughout the process and are not due in one lump sum. Please see the DPA Fee Agreement in the application documents for a breakdown of fees.

“Do you place with couples from out-of-state?” 

Yes! We are licensed in every state but Arkansas. Out-of-state families must be willing to come to Oklahoma for pre-placement training and when their child is born at a minimum. The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) laws will apply and families will need to prepare for a longer stay in Oklahoma after the birth.

“Can we choose our child’s gender?” 

We do not permit gender preference. Many of our expectant parents do not choose to find out their baby’s gender, or it is undetermined. 

“What preferences are we allowed to state?” 

You are able to state the age of child you are open to as well as whether you would take twins. You may also preference the racial background of the child and prenatal exposures you may be open to. Please see the Information on Child You Wish to Adopt page in the application documents for more information on what preferences adoptive parents state.

“What is an open adoption?” 

We love this question! Open adoption means that there is some form of contact or relationship between the birth and adoptive family after placement.  Adoptions can range from closed to semi-open to fully open.  We believe openness is in the best interest of all parties as it gives adoptees access to information about their heritage and birth family and allows for more people that love the child to be part of their lives.  It is not co-parenting and does not mean that the birth family has daily contact.  Below is a brief description of the range of options available.

• A closed or confidential adoption means there is no exchange of identifying information and you do not meet the birth family. Closed adoptions are very rare and are facilitated at the request of the birth family only.
• A semi-open adoption means you stay connected with your birth family with the agency as a mediator. This arrangement involves the exchange of pictures, emails or letters, and often involves visits.
• An open adoption involves ongoing contact and visits with the birth family without the agency as a mediator. This type of relationship usually evolves over time, typically beginning as a semi-open adoption.

Meet Our Adoption Team

Catherine Howe, CCLS
Adoptive Parent Supervisor

Bethany Gower, BS
Remote Adoption Specialist 

Brittany Herndon, LMSW
Adoption Specialist