Caritas Family Solutions

Adoption Services

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the Private Domestic Adoption Program at Caritas Family Solutions. We’re here to answer any questions you have as you consider growing your family through adoption.

How can we help you?

Caritas is an independent, accredited adoption agency, not affiliated with DCFS.

DOMESTIC ADOPTION OVERVIEW

Caritas Family Solutions has been serving individuals and families for over 75 years. Our mission is to create healthy relationships, loving homes, and strong communities which starts by providing the best possible support and experience for all individuals and families interested in adoption.

Adoption looks much diﬀerent than it did when we ﬁrst began providing services, and we are proud to provide modern and updated services to the families we serve.

In this guide, you will ﬁnd information regarding the adoption process. You will learn about the home study process, frequently asked questions, ﬁnancing, and fundraising for your adoption, and how we support expectant parents before, during, and after delivery.

Individualized Approach

With Caritas Family Solutions, you will have access to professional and caring individuals who provide emotional and ongoing support throughout the adoption process. A Master level Social Worker who is experienced in his or her ﬁeld will conduct your home study, and our expectant parents work with specialists who provide individualized care and support to women or couples making the diﬃcult decision to place their children for adoption.

Our Adoption Staff

Our adoption staﬀ is supervised by an adoption manager who has over 20 years of experience as an adoption professional, with over 10 years of them as a leader in the adoption community. Caritas staﬀ are trained adoption workers who are not only caring but desire to provide premier, along with ethical adoption services in Illinois.

Comprehensive Support

We are committed to providing expectant parents and families with ethical care that is personalized and supportive. We limit our waiting pre-adoptive families, so as not to overload the waiting list and the services provided. We understand adoption can be an overwhelming and sometimes confusing process, and we are here to guide you every step of the way.

• Marketing & advertising: We will assist you in creating your adoptive
parent proﬁle, presenting your proﬁle on our website, and we will use
numerous tools to reach potential expectant or birth parents.
• On-call support for birth parents: Our staﬀ is available to talk,
text, or chat with expectant parents or birth mothers who are considering adoption.
• Coordination & guidance for communication with expectant or birth parents: We will help coordinate communication and meetings between you and the expectant/birth parents.
• Guidance & support: We’re always here to talk, listen, and oﬀer assistance, advice, and encouragement at any stage of the process to our clients and the Southern Illinois community.

PREGNANCY OPTIONS COUNSELING

Pregnant or parenting and considering adoption as an option? You’re not alone. We’re here to help.

Learn more about our Pregnancy Options Counseling services.

Or for immediate assistance call or text our on-call number.

Melyssa.Frederick@caritasfamily.org

Call Or Text Anytime

618.744.7297

THE ADOPTION PROCESS

INFORMATIONAL MEETING

Conversation with Domestic Adoption Manager to learn about our program, services, eligibility guidelines, and fee information.

SUBMIT APPLICATION

Fill out and submit application to become an approved family in our Domestic Adoption Program.

COMPLETE HOMESTUDY

Begin home study process.

FAMILY PROFILE

Create family profile for website and print to present to potential birth parents.

WAITING AND READY TO BE MATCHED

Become a “waiting family” to be presented to potential expectant or birth parents.

MATCHED WITH EXPECTANT PARENTS

Be selected by expectant parents. Expectant parents may make their selection at any point in pregnancy or after the baby is born.

PLACEMENT

Baby is placed with your family, and birth parents sign voluntary termination of parental rights, no sooner than 72 hours following birth.

POST-PLACEMENT

Meet with your social worker for post-placement support and required home visits.

FINALIZATION

Attend ﬁnal court hearing. Baby’s name is changed and new birth certiﬁcate and Social Security card issued after ﬁnalization.

THE HOME STUDY EXPERIENCE

What is a home study?

A home study is required for every adoption. It is a detailed overview of your life, which includes background history, background checks, your ﬁnancial standing, parenting experiences and viewpoints, information about your home, attitudes regarding adoption, personal relationships, medical history, and more. The home study is used by the courts to ensure a safe and stable environment is available for an adoptive placement. Caritas uses the following type of home study procedure: Structured Analysis Family Evaluation (SAFE) is Consortium for Children’s standardized, uniformed home study methodology that is used to assess individuals applying to become an adoptive parent.

Who completes a home study?

At Caritas, our adoption staﬀ completes pre-adoptive family home studies. The home study is conﬁdential and only the Caritas adoption team, the lawyer and Judge, and the adoptive family are privy to it. The birth family does not see the home study, but instead views a non-identifying proﬁle album completed by the pre-adoptive family.

Can we use a home study completed by Caritas for an adoption with another agency?

Caritas approves of your using a home study with another agency, but you will need to ensure the agency you intend to work with will also accept Caritas home study for your adoption. Most agencies willingly accept another agency’s home study and the guidelines followed through Caritas are typically accepted without issue.

How long does it take?

A home study typically takes between 90 and 120 days to complete; however, the timeline is dependent on how quickly all required documentation is gathered and submitted and when home visits and interviews are scheduled.

Does a home study expire?

Yes. A home study expires after one year. Yearly updates are required if you wish to remain in the adoption process.

Can you explain the in-person meetings required for the home study?

Your home study will consist of up to four
in-person meetings:
Meeting #1:
A couple introduction
Meetings #2 and #3:
Individual interviews with each applicant, which are typically conducted in the home setting
Meeting #4:
A meeting in your home with all household members present

Does the home need to be child-proof at the time of the home study?

No, we realize the timing for placement can take time so having your home ready for a child is not necessary for an approved home study. There will be a safety check for working ﬁre and Carbon Monoxide detectors, along with a check of safety features related to water hazards near the home.

Thank you so much for everything you have done for us and all the hours you have put in to complete our adoption home study. You have been a blessing to us!

We had a positive and very efficient home study process. We would recommend them for home study services in the Metro East Illinois area!

I found out I had a brother that was placed for adoption when he was an infant. I reached out to Caritas where he was originally placed and spoke to Melyssa Frederick, completed the necessary paperwork and she explained all the steps to me. She was able to locate and contact my brother, who also wanted to be in contact with me. Melyssa arranged a phone call with permission between the two of us. I can't thank Melyssa and Caritas enough for what they did for me. I will finally am able to meet my brother in person!

My husband and I have been working with Melyssa at Caritas for just over a year and it has been the time that we have made the most progress in our adoption journey. We are hopeful that it will happen soon and have so much trust in her as we navigate this process. She communicates regularly and is so helpful every step of the way. We are grateful for her support and the care Caritas provides for both adoptive and waiting families.

FINANCING YOUR ADOPTION

At Caritas, we work to keep adoptions aﬀordable by using a sliding fee scale based on your family’s income. Even if Caritas does not act as your placing agency, we likely can help. We oﬀer an array of services, including home studies and post-placement visits, and can work collaboratively with whichever attorney or agency you select.

Below, we have also outlined a few ideas to manage the cost of adoption.

Fundraising Ideas

Some adoptive families choose to fundraise to cover adoption costs. Ideas for fundraising include: beneﬁt dinners, bake sales, garage sales, car washes, trivia nights, asking a family member for a loan, or selling t-shirts or coﬀee. Online fundraising platforms can also be helpful as friends and family may want to join you by ﬁnancially supporting your journey towards adoption.

Adoption Tax Credit

The Adoption Tax Credit was established in 1997 and applies to all types of adoption (except stepparent adoptions). The credit and how it applies changes, so we recommend always checking with a tax professional. Once the adoption is legally ﬁnalized, you can claim the qualiﬁed adoption expense. Additionally, adoptive parents may take the same dependence exemption on their income taxes for children and children placed with them for adoption as they would for their biological children.

Workplace Support

Many employers oﬀer adoption beneﬁts that possibly could be excluded from income if your employer has a written qualiﬁed adoption assistance program. Check with your employer to ﬁnd out if they oﬀer adoption beneﬁts.

Grants & Scholarships

Check out the many ways to ﬁnance an adoption:

https://adoptionﬁnancinginformation.com/
https://adoptioncouncil.org/article/adoption-ﬁnancial-resources/
https://bothhands.org/how-it-works/

FAMILIES WAITING TO ADOPT

There are so many loving families waiting to share their love and lives with a child.
Learn more about the wonderful families who are waiting to adopt through Caritas by visiting their Family Profile.

EXPECTANT PARENT SERVICES AND SUPPORT

At Caritas, we work to support women to ensure a healthy mom, healthy pregnancy, and healthy baby. In our Domestic Adoption Program, that means supporting an expectant parent or potential birth parent through emotional, ﬁnancial and resource support. Expectant parents may begin making an adoption plan at any point during their pregnancies. Sometimes expectant parents want to begin planning for an adoption very early on in pregnancy, and sometimes the planning doesn’t begin until after the baby is born. We oﬀer counseling support at all stages of pregnancy.

Support After Adoption

At Caritas, we are passionate about providing support to expectant parents. We understand adoption is a very diﬃcult decision and one that is not made hastily. It is common for birth parents to experience sorrow and grief following the placement of their child, even when they feel conﬁdent about their decision. That’s why we oﬀer individual post-adoption services to every expectant parent we work with as part of the adoption planning process.

A BIRTH MOTHER PUTS THE NEEDS OF HER CHILD ABOVE THE WANTS OF HER HEART.

Caritas is partnered with Nationwide agencies that put the ethics in adoption work with expectant parents and birth parents as their priority.

• Bravelove.org’s mission includes: changing the perception of adoption through honest, informative, and hopeful communication that conveys the heroism and bravery
a birth mother displays when she places her child with
a loving family through adoption.
https://www.bravelove.org/adoption_agencies

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

POST-ADOPTION INFORMATION

Post-Placement Supervision

After a child is formally placed in an approved adoptive home by Caritas or with another agency, the post-placement supervision period begins. The post-placement supervision period is a requirement in Illinois and lasts a minimum of
six months.

Your home study social worker will visit the child and family in their home at least three times within those six months – once within one month of placement; once midway through; and a ﬁnal visit within a month of the ﬁnalization court hearing. The focus of the visits is to ensure the child and family are making a positive adjustment to the placement, education, and support.

After the three visits have been completed, the Caritas social worker provides the ﬁnal reports to the attorney retained by the adoptive family so the documents can be ﬁled with the court and ﬁnalization can occur. The court will then schedule the date and time of the ﬁnalization.

Post-Adoption Services

After an adoption is ﬁnalized, Caritas provides services and referrals, as needed, for the life of the adopted child. These services can be requested by any former client (birth parent, adoptee, or adoptive parent) on an as-needed basis. Services provided include preparation of non-identifying social and medical background summaries, counseling, legal searches, sibling queries, and facilitating the exchange of information between parties per their consent and request.

When searches are requested, a formal service agreement is completed. A fee agreement is also completed, as applicable. For all adoptive families, Caritas maintains a list of referral resources to provide ongoing support for as long as necessary. These supports include but are not limited to: adoption-focused mental health counseling, support groups, and training opportunities.

Support and counseling services continue to be oﬀered to the birth family as well throughout this period and can continue for as long as the birth parent requests these services.

RESOURCES

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I am already working with another agency, can I work with Caritas, too?

We encourage families to work with other adoption agencies and are always happy to explore this option with you. We can provide services, such as a home study and post-placement supervision for families in the Southern Illinois region that do not want to be a part of the agency’s private adoption list.

How long does the adoption process take with Caritas?

There are no guarantees with adoption until finalization, and timing is very unpredictable. We find there is no such thing as an average wait time. The time an adoptive family waits for a match can be affected by any number of factors. According to a 2022 report from the National Council for Adoption, the data also points to the importance of appropriate expectations for people who are considering private infant adoption in the U.S. “They need to be prepared for longer wait times, and increasing costs, because the reality is that there are far more hopeful adoptive parents than there are infants being placed for adoption each year,” Hanlon advised. “As the report shows, that is a trend we’ve seen continue over the last several years and accelerate during the pandemic,” he added. See report: https://adoptioncouncil.org/press-release/new-re port-from-ncfa-shows-dramatic-decline-in-adopt ions-during-pandemic/

How do expectant parents select an adoptive family?

As you can imagine, selecting an adoptive family to raise your child is a very challenging decision. Some expectant / birth parents desire to select a family that can offer similar childhoods to their own. Others may be looking for an entirely different experience than the one they had. We aim to provide an array of adoptive families to meet whichever criteria the birth parents we work with desire, and we strive to provide adoptive families who reflect the diversity of the birth parents we serve.

Can I use Caritas to adopt a child through foster care?

At this time, Caritas does not have a program for adopting children through foster care. If a family desires to be a foster parent without the expectation to adopt, families can be referred to the Caritas foster care program.

How do you work with expectant parents?

We begin working with expectant parents (women and men considering adoption), or birth parents (those who are already parenting) at any point in which we are contacted, this includes through website inquiries, on-call support, and referrals from professionals. We attempt to connect with expectant or birth parents through online and social media advertising, and networking with adoption attorneys, social workers, physicians, pregnancy crisis centers, hospitals, churches, schools, and other adoption agencies. Our services to expectant parents are always free, educational, supportive, and non-coercive.

How many adoptions do you complete a year?

Caritas is a small local agency that completes less than 5 adoptions a year with an emphasis on growing the program. There is no limit to how many placements Caritas can complete and as we grow, we will add staff to meet that need.

What are your eligibility guidelines for adoption with the program?

We assist individuals of any ethnicity, race, and/or religion who reside in Southern Illinois. We follow the laws within the State of Illinois regarding adoption for all types of families including single parents, as well as families with other biological and/or adopted children. For agency-assisted domestic adoptions, Caritas requires you to be 25 years of age or older to the age of 55; if married, we require one year of marriage before making an application and one person must be a U.S. citizen. We are unable to serve families that are seeking a closed adoption; however, we accept families who are already working with an adoption agency, adoption professionals, or desire to work with another agency. We allow one adoption or placement at a time, unless the children are siblings, as we believe each child or sibling group should have 9 months between placements. We can assist with all types of adoptions and do not have the same eligibility criteria for the home study or post-placement process as those families that are seeking placement independently.

Do you require openness in the adoption process?

Caritas only accepts families into the program that are open to some level of openness in the adoption process. Each family will decide on the level that best meets the adoption placement needs and an openness contract will be drawn up and agreed upon at placement by all parties. The birth parents and adoptive parents will be comprehensively educated on ways to support open adoptions if it is chosen by the birth parents and is healthy for the adoption triad: birth parents, adoptive parents, and the adoptee.

More ways to help create
loving families

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