4 Things to Expect During Your 2nd or 3rd Adoption

This isn’t your first rodeo. If you’ve adopted once (or even twice) before, you have the benefit of insider knowledge and firsthand experience. But, welcoming a new child into your family via adoption is always going to be a different experience each time — the people and relationships involved are unique.

But first: Congratulations! Taking the first steps toward welcoming a new child into your life is always worth celebrating.

But, what can you expect from this new adoption journey in comparison to your last experience? While there’s a lot that will be familiar to you, you can expect a few differences. Here are 4 things to keep in mind as you begin this new adoption process:

1. Each Adoption is Unique

This is especially true if you’ve changed agencies, if you’re pursuing a different type of adoption, or are selected by different birth parents.

However, even if you’re working with the same adoption agency and home study provider — or you’re even adopting from the same birth parents; that doesn’t mean things will be exactly the same as your last adoption. Each pregnancy experience and child is as unique as the people involved in your adoption journey! Be ready to roll with that uniqueness.

2. Things May Be Faster

One benefit you’ll likely enjoy: An expedited adoption process.

Unless your child’s birth mother has approached you and asked you to adopt your child’s new sibling, you’ll still have to wait to be matched with prospective birth parents. That wait will always vary, and will always be tough.

However, the screening and home study processes may be a little easier this time around, especially if you’re working with the professionals who completed your last adoption. Your agency and home study provider will likely have some of your information and documents on file, so the preliminary steps may be as simple as reviewing that paperwork to make sure everything is still accurate and up-to-date.

3. It May Cost Less

If you’re working with the same adoption agency and home study provider, your overall adoption process may cost less than your first adoption. This is typically because there is less administrative work for these professionals if they already have your preliminary documents on file. So, because they won’t need to repeat some of the same steps, these professionals sometimes offer a discounted rate for families who adopt through them again.

The financial support that each individual pregnant woman will need will still vary, so keep this in mind. You’ll also still need to be cleared to adopt, and a home study professional will need to visit your home again to make things are still going well. But, this time there may be a few less steps, which saves you a bit of money.

4. You’ll Feel More Confident

Adoption is never easy. And, there will always be unknowns. However, this time, you have the benefit of firsthand knowledge and experience.

When you were completing your first adoption journey, you probably felt a little clueless and very nervous. The nerves will be always be there, no matter how many times you adopt, but now you have a firm grasp on the process and what to expect.

So, as you prepare to take on a new adoption journey, you can look forward to some of the same experiences — as well as the new aspects of this next journey (and the unique child you’ll welcome)! If you’re ready to get started, contact a licensed adoption agency now.