The adoption process, both pre- and post-placement, can be challenging in many ways, so our goal is to prepare families to enter adoption equipped to handle both the joys and difficulties. Our program does have specific qualifications. We encourage you to sign up for a webinar or call us to discuss these qualifications further.

Lifeline offers a webinar for prospective applicants to learn about how our program works and our heart from birth parent ministry. After attending the webinar, you will be sent a link to the Lifeline application.

A home study consists of several face-to-face interviews where we get to know your family and spend some time in education and preparation for the adoption process. Topics of discussion include your motivation to adopt, your childhood, your current marriage and family dynamics, parenting philosophies, etc. We will also collect supporting documentation including medical forms, background clearances, birth and marriage certificates, etc. There is also an emphasis on adoption education and we spend time discussing your understanding of various topics such as transracial adoption, birth parent ministry, attachment parenting, and more.

We first provide options counseling and education. We want a woman in an unplanned pregnancy to freely weigh the pros and cons of each of her options. Often this means she will choose parenting as she gets connected to resources. If she chooses adoption, we help her think through what she desires in a family, in hospital time, and in an open relationship with her child’s family. We support her through pregnancy, birth, and for a lifetime post-placement.

Lifeline includes a flat agency fee that goes toward our birth mother services. This fee will not be altered based on the varying needs of an expectant mother that you may be matched with.

Because birth parents choose the family, it’s hard to say exactly how long it will take for your family. Most families wait about 2-4 years after home study approval, but some will wait more and some will wait less. This usually is determined by how open the adoptive families are in their preferences.

Lifeline assists expectant mothers, who would like to make an adoption plan, in thinking through what they want in a family for their child and what type of relationship they desire with this family. If your family matches a mother’s desires, we will send you a brief summary of the birth mother’s information and your family will then determine if you would like your family profile to be shown. If you accept, the birth mother will receive a profile book with pictures and information on your family to help her determine the family that most fits her desires. Occasionally a birth parent will request additional information or a phone call before making her decision.

That depends on when we are connected with the birth mother. Sometimes women call us right after they find out they are pregnant, but other times they call us from the hospital after giving birth. We typically don’t show profiles to birth mothers until their third trimester. Families receive info summaries of expectant mothers once they have a completed home study and education courses. This ensures that, if the family were to be chosen, they could accept a placement into their home immediately.

The amount of personal information shared between two parties varies, but an open adoption means that both parties desire communication and a relationship with one another, and they are intentional in seeking that out. Many different types of relationships can be called “open.” For some, it is exchanging phone numbers and scheduling regular visits, and for others it is exchanging frequent updates and pictures through the facilitation of Lifeline.

We require that all families be willing to meet the birth mother (before placement) and are willing to have an annual visit with the birth mother with the child present, as well as sending letters and pictures of the child for the first 13 years of their life through Lifeline. These are our minimum requirements. Even if the birth mother desires a closed adoption, we keep your letters and pictures in case she ever decides she wants to see them.

We have had many adoptions where the birth mother regularly (1-3 times per year) visits and has direct communication with their child and/or the adoptive parents. These relationships often mirror a relationship with a close extended family member. You will know the level of openness she desires before saying yes to having your profile shown so you can know if you are able to honor her requests.

Most adoptive parents go home with the baby directly from the hospital. We do have interim care providers available if the baby does not go home directly from the hospital. These are things your social worker will talk with you about on a case-by-case basis.