Domestic Infant Adoption
In a domestic infant adoption handled by 
Catholic Family Center, the birth parents are encouraged to actively participate in the selection of the adoptive parents. Birth parents may ask to meet the adoptive parents and may also request that the adoptive parents share letters or pictures of the children.
The amount of future contact is agreed upon by birth and adoptive parents on a case-by-case basis. Your comfort level with openness to the birth family will be explored. Placement can occur any time after the home study is completed.
In the case of private adoptions in which adoptive parents have already found a child to adopt, we work closely with the adoptive parents’ attorneys, and if requested, provide pre-adoptive counseling to the birth parents.
Older/Special Needs Children
Special needs children are children in foster care who have become legally freed for adoption. Photo listings and Internet sites are used to recruit waiting and approved adoptive families.
Social workers from Catholic Family Center become advocates for adoptive parents by sending home studies to agencies that have custody and guardianship of these children. The custodial agency then selects families based upon the needs and best interests of the children as well as the families’ requests.
International Adoption Program
Catholic Family Center plays a cooperative role in international adoptions.
The first step is to complete a home study specifically for international adoptions. When the home study is completed, it is sent directly to the family’s international agency and to United States Immigration for approval. Any additional forms required to receive United States Immigration approval are also completed.
We act as liaisons and advocates for applicants during this process with the international agency which the adoptive parents have selected. Catholic Family Center shares all knowledge obtained about the child and assists adoptive parents throughout the adoption process.
Once the family is matched with a child, the adopting family usually travels to the child’s country of origin to meet the child and bring the child back to the United States. After the child arrives in the United States, CFC provided post-placement service for a minimum of 3 months or as long as required by the country of origin.
- If adoption legalization takes place in the country of origin, adoptive parents may re-legalize in the United States or accept the foreign legalization.
- If adoption is not legalized in the country of origin, CFC will assist in legalization here.
- It is most important that the child become a citizen of the US. CFC will advise adoptive parents on this process.
For more information, call Children, Youth and Family Services at (585) 262-7126.
