Infant Adoption

What is Risk in Adoption?

The word "risk" has multiple meanings when talking about the spectrum of adoption.

• It can be used to refer to a "child at risk," meaning a child in danger of developing more severe health, emotional, or behavioral challenges or entanglements with the legal system.
• It can be used to refer to a "legal risk placement," which is the placement of a child in a prospective adoptive home before relinquishment papers have been signed or before parental rights have been terminated, which can apply to both infant and older child adoption.

However, in the context of this article focused on domestic newborn adoption, where pre-birth and pre-adoption contact between expectant or biological parents and those adopting is a common occurrence, risk can be a concern long before placement in the home or the signing of any papers.

Definition: "Risk" in newborn infant adoption is the chance that the adoption will not move forward through to finalization."

What Events Do Adopting Parents See as Risks?

1. After an initial decision to place a child for adoption, expectant or biological parents subsequently choose to parent;
2. After choosing prospective adoptive parents, the expectant or biological parents change their minds and choose others;
3. Consents to the adoption that are required by law cannot be obtained;
4. The baby's biological father is not notified correctly as prescribed by law and he subsequently challenges the adoption proceedings;
5. The baby does not survive.

While all the listed events (and possibly others) present a risk that may result in an adoption not reaching finalization, the most common perceived risk by those hoping to adopt is the first.

Hopeful adoptive parents who have experienced a failed adoption often share the depression, grief, and even anger they feel:

"...then a week before the baby was to arrive, she decided to parent the child. What heartache. We have never felt so much pain and anger. We are not angry at her by any means, just at the situation."

What Increases or Decreases Risk?

Many believe that the key to an adoption plan with the best chance of a positive outcome for adopting parents is to be found in reforming adoption practices. The "best outcome" doesn’t necessarily mean that the adoption will finalize, but rather that if it does not finalize, adopting parents will not be totally devastated emotionally and perhaps financially.

• No financial involvement. Some believe that if adopting parents do not provide any financial support to expectant or biological parents, either pre- or post-adoption, there would be no danger of expectant or biological parents feeling "obligated" because they accepted funds, and no danger of adopting parents believing that the adoption is virtually certain because the money was accepted.
• No pre-relinquishment placement. Some suggest that placement in the home of adopting parents not be allowed until all consents, relinquishments, or terminations of parental rights have been signed. This means the child would spend the interim period either with biological family or in some kind of substitute care. (It should be noted that in some states, even after relinquishment papers have been signed, placing parents are allowed a period of time during which they can decide not to proceed.)
• Better input from professionals. Many feel that adoption professionals need to do a lot more in the area of giving hopeful adoptive parents accurate and realistic information, as well as better counseling.

Can Risk Be Avoided?

The short answer is "no." With few exceptions, everything we do in life involves a degree of risk, but when we know what to look for, what researchers and professionals have identified as "risk factors," we can better evaluate any situation, including an adoption.

• Ask questions. If you don't ask everything you want to know, your agency, attorney, or social worker may "assume" you know all the answers.
• Take advantage of pre-adoption education opportunities. Pre-adoption education is an important part of the adoption process and should not be taken for granted.
• Talk with experienced adoptive parents. The "been-there-done-that" group can provide you with lessons learned the hard way.

Of course it may not be easy to bring this degree of logic into something as emotional as creating a family without help, so with the input of experts, we've created an interactive questionnaire of 20 questions designed to explore attitudes and situational responses for the adopting and placing families. Of course these indicators don't tell the whole story and high risk values may not mean the adoption won't go smoothly – or they might.

Additional Resources:

• Take our free online Risk Assessment
• If you've experienced a failed placement, join our support forum.

Credits: by Nancy S. Ashe