encyclopedia of adoption

waiting period

The time a family spends waiting to adopt a child, from the point of application to the time of placement.

Many families may state that they have waited years and years when they are actually considering the time from when they first thought about adopting a child until when the child came to them. Although numerous couples do wait years for their child, it is only reasonable to consider the waiting from the point in time when they actually took action to adopt the child by formally applying to an agency or retaining an attorney.

Studies have revealed that the most stressful time for adopting parents is that period spent in searching for an appropriate adoption agency or attorney and subsequently being accepted as a prospective parent. (See HOME STUDY.)

Although the waiting time after approval of the home study is also stressful, it is less anxiety-provoking than the time before approval because the family believes they will eventually be chosen for a child and they have done everything possible to make the adoption happen.

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