Adoption is life-changing.
If you dream of becoming a parent, you should have the opportunity to see that dream become a reality. Whether you have chosen adoption out of necessity or a sense of calling, it can be a beautiful way to start or grow a family.
For more than 25 years of work, we have seen the joy that adopting a baby can bring to a family and to a child. The moment a newborn is placed in their parents’ arms for the first time — the laughter, tears and pure emotion — is indescribable. At Gillespie Law Group, LLC, formerly Genie Miller Gillespie, Attorney at Law, we’re driven by the thought of this moment each day as we support our clients throughout their infant adoption processes.
In order to reach that moment, you’ll need some help. That’s where adoption professionals like Gillespie Law Group step in. We are here to support you. We believe in you and will work tirelessly to make your adoption a success. If you’re considering adopting a newborn baby in Illinois, you can contact us today for a free consultation.
In the meantime, a better understanding of the domestic infant adoption process will be useful to you. Here’s how the infant adoption process works and how we can serve you as you begin your journey to becoming a family.
The Infant Adoption Process
Each infant adoption process is unique, but all follow the same general steps. This process involves meeting many requirements, following laws and understanding regulations. That’s why families need to work with a legal team like Gillespie Law Group.
These are the important steps you take during the Illinois infant adoption process and the things we can do to serve you along the way.
Step 1: Choose an adoption professional. Your first step is one of the most important decisions you’ll make throughout the entire infant adoption process. A good adoption professional, like an adoption agency or adoption attorney, can make your time smooth and peaceful, while a lower-quality professional can add stress to an already challenging process. Some professionals adhere to strict licensing requirements, while others do not. There are professionals with decades of experience, and there are also newer ones.
We can help you understand which type of adoption professional is best for you when you are adopting a baby. If you need to work with an adoption attorney for your adoption, we would be happy to help. On the other hand, you may need to work with both an agency and an attorney for your infant adoption in Illinois. We have been working with adoption agencies for more than 25 years, and we know what a good agency looks like.
Step 2: Become an active waiting family. Once you’ve decided who to work with and how to adopt a baby in IL, you’ll begin working toward becoming an “active family,” which means your adoptive family profile can be shown to prospective expectant mothers. In order to do this, you’ll need to do things like complete an adoptive family profile and the home study for adoption. A good agency will help you do these things. Sometimes, it can be good to work with a legal expert, as well.
For example, each state has different home study requirements. Since we have been serving adoptive families in Illinois for more than 25 years, we know the Illinois home study requirements better than anyone.
Step 3: Receive an adoption opportunity. When you adopt a baby in the U.S., prospective birth mothers typically look at several adoptive family profiles and choose the one they hope will be best for their baby. When your profile is chosen, your adoption professional will contact you with the new adoption opportunity. Congratulations, this is one of the best moments of your life! We love to hear the joy in the voices of hopeful adoptive parents when they call to tell us they’ve been matched with a potential birth mother.
Step 4: Prepare for placement. Now that you’ve been selected by a prospective birth mother, things are going to kick into high gear. At this point, there’s a lot of preparation, legal paperwork and other requirements when you adopt a newborn. We work heavily with families preparing for placement to ensure that everything is done according to state laws. As an example, each state has different laws about financial assistance for the expectant mother. Covering an expense without consulting a professional could result in a violation of state law that jeopardizes that adoption finalization. If you’re not crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s at this point, it could come back to bite you later on. That’s where our legal expertise and adoption experience come in to help you.
Step 5: Be placed with your baby. The moment a child is placed in their parents’ arms for the first time is beautiful beyond words. It’s the reason for everything we do. The passion keeps us going. It’s moments like this that make all of the paperwork worth it.
The long nights making sure everything is in order and the early mornings working on adoption requirements — it’s all for this. The beauty of newborn adoption is truly amazing.
Step 6: Finalize your adoption. While you focus on the beauty of adoption, we’ll get to work on the legal side of things. There’s a lot to do in an infant adoption between placement and finalization, which is when a judge issues your final decree of adoption. Whether it’s an Illinois adoption or an interstate adoption, we will ensure all of the necessary paperwork is processed, all procedures are adhered to and requirements are met.
Step 7: Move Forward with Confidence. The moment you receive your final decree of adoption is, in some ways, the end of your domestic infant adoption journey. In many other ways, it is only the beginning. While some professionals may drop you off at the doorstep of life and wish you luck, we stay with you even after finalization is complete.
Why? Because we truly care.
We are proud to continue serving our families as they adjust to their new lives. Parenting can be challenging, and adoptive parents may encounter unique obstacles. We know that with the right resources and encouragement, you can tackle any problems and experience the joy of parenthood.
Let’s Talk Today
Are you interested in pursuing domestic infant adoption? Do you have more questions about adopting a baby in Illinois? Are you currently in the middle of the adoption process and realizing you need an attorney?
Whatever your situation is, we would be happy to talk. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Call 312-332-6339 at any time. Don’t worry; there’s no pressure. It’s all about helping you find the best future for your family.
Genie Miller Gillespie and Gillespie Law Group, LLC believe in family and we support adoption. Over more than 25 years, we’ve helped create thousands of families, and we would be honored to serve you.