Adoption Services

We are a full-service adoption agency, and will walk with you every step of the way.

Adoption Services

Adoption & Beyond is a full-service child-placing agency providing comprehensive services to families during the adoption process and beyond. Listed here you will find the various services that we provide to assist your family through the adoption process.

Free Adoption Consultations

Adoption & Beyond understands how difficult it can be to choose the right agency to guide you through your adoption process. It is for this reason Adoption & Beyond offers free office consultations. During an in-person consultation, we will take an in-depth look at each of the adoption avenues available in order for you to determine which options(s) are right for your family and how Adoption & Beyond can assist you with each opportunity.  Complete the Adoptive Family Consultation form here to schedule a free consultation.

Home Study Services and Post-Placement/Post-Adoption Services

HOME STUDY SERVICES

Adoption & Beyond is available to perform domestic, international, private and embryo adoptive home study assessments. An approved home study is required in order to adopt a child. A home study is a comprehensive evaluation of your family life and home environment.

At the first meeting, an adoption professional will meet informally with you to get to know you and to go over the information necessary for the home study process. The paperwork involves sharing your personal background, financial stability, and other relevant information required by your state of residence. Upon completion of the home study paperwork, a home visit and attending an adoption educational workshop, the home study report is written and prepared for submission to the appropriate authorities.

POST-PLACEMENT/POST-ADOPTION SERVICES

There are post-placement/post-adoption visits required once a child is placed in your home. During the post-placement/post-adoption process, we offer advice and guidance as you transition your child into your home. Each state and country has its own guidelines regarding the number of post-placement/post-adoption visits needed.

View the Home Study and Post-Placement Adoption Fee Schedule here.

Adoption Avenues

To some, adoption may sound fairly straightforward, but it includes several avenues for prospective adoptive parents to discover. Adoption & Beyond works with many types of adoptions to provide the best fit for each family we meet.

Agency Domestic Adoption

An Agency Domestic Adoption occurs when Adoption & Beyond, Inc. (Agency) matches prospective birth parents who are considering an adoption plan for their child with prospective adoptive parents looking to adopt a child as a way to grow their forever family. The prospective birth parents select a family based on a detailed family profile created by the prospective adoptive parents. Our program is based on the concept of open adoption in which birth and adoptive families meet, choose each other and create an ongoing relationship that benefits the child.

Parents’ Ages: 25-57

Residence: Prospective adoptive family must live in Kansas or Missouri for Adoption & Beyond, Inc. to complete family’s adoptive home study.

Marriage Status (if applicable): Married at least one (1) year

Financial Stability: Families must be able to show that they have sufficient income to financially provide for their family and an additional child. They must also make reasonable provisions for future financial stability, such as having life and medical insurances. A family’s income and full financial status will be evaluated as part of the adoptive home study process.

Medical History: Families must be in good mental and physical health with normal life expectancy as determined by the family’s physician. Families must be able to care for a child.

Prior Criminal History: A criminal background check will be conducted for both open and closed records for each household member age 17 and older. All arrests or convictions must be documented in the adoptive home study report. Therefore, any criminal history should be discussed with the Agency prior to applying for services.    

Age of Children: Newborn

Gender Specific: No

Open Adoptions: Yes, there is normally communication between the birth and adoptive family before and after placement.

Travel: Agency normally only provides services to adoptive and birth families who reside in Kansas or Missouri. Therefore, travel is within these states.

Processing Time: Wait time is unpredictable; however, most families adopt within two (2) years.

Typical Cost: $30,000

Adoption & Beyond’s Role: To provide a domestic adoptive home study, agency placement, and post-placement services.

Adoption & Beyond Fees: Click Here To Visit Most Up-To-Date Fee Schedule

Learn How to Reduce or Eliminate Your Adoption Expenses: Click Here to Visit Financial Assistance Page

Adoption Consultants

Adoption Consultants on behalf of prospective adoptive families, search for potential adoptive opportunities by networking with a number of domestic adoption agencies and/or attorneys. Since consultants provide networking throughout the country, the adoption could happen anywhere in the United States. Prospective adoptive parent(s) will decide if they would like to have their family profile shown to a specific prospective birth parent. Once chosen a match meeting typically occurs over the phone.

Parents’ Ages: 25-60

Residence: Prospective adoptive family must live in Kansas or Missouri for Adoption & Beyond, Inc. (Agency) to complete family’s adoptive home study.

Marriage Status (if applicable): Married at least one (1) year

Financial Stability: Families must be able to show that they have sufficient income to financially provide for their family and an additional child. They must also make reasonable provisions for future financial stability, such as having life and medical insurances. A family’s income and full financial status will be evaluated as part of the adoptive home study process.

Medical History: Families must be in good mental and physical health with normal life expectancy as determined by the family’s physician. Families must be able to care for a child.

Prior Criminal History: A criminal background check will be conducted for both open and closed records for each household member age 17 and older. All arrests or convictions must be documented in the adoptive home study report.  Therefore, any criminal history should be discussed with Agency prior to applying for services.    

Age of Children: Newborn (occasionally a toddler)

Gender Specific: Yes

Open Adoptions: Yes, there is normally communication between the birth and adoptive families before and after placement.

Travel: Yes, most of the time the adoption process will occur in another state.

Processing Time: Wait time is unpredictable.  However, most families adopt within one year.

Typical Cost: $37,000 to $47,000

Adoption & Beyond’s Role: To provide a domestic adoptive home study and post-placement services.

Adoption & Beyond Fees: Click Here To Visit Most Up-To-Date Fee Schedule

Learn How to Reduce or Eliminate Your Adoption Expenses: Click Here to Visit Financial Assistance Page

Private Adoption

A Private Adoption occurs when a family locates a prospective birth mother considering adoption through their own networking. Self-networking efforts can be in the form of posting the adoption wishes on-line, paid advertising, or close friends or family spreading the word that a family is looking to adopt. Once a family locates a prospective birth mother in Kansas or Missouri, Adoption & Beyond, Inc. (Agency) can assist families with their private adoption by providing both the prospective birth family and the prospective adoptive family with adoption services, education and guidance.

Parents’ Ages: 25+

Residence: Prospective birth parents must live in Kansas or Missouri for Adoption & Beyond, Inc. to assist in a private adoption.

Marriage Status (if applicable): Married at least one (1) year

Financial Stability: Families must be able to show that they have sufficient income to financially provide for their family an additional child. They must also make reasonable provisions for future financial stability, such as having life and medical insurances. A family’s income and full financial status will be evaluated as part of the adoptive home study process.

Medical History: Families must be in good mental and physical health with normal life expectancy as determined by the family’s physician. Families must be able to care for a child.

Prior Criminal History: A criminal background check will be conducted for both open and closed records for each household member age 17 and older. All arrests or convictions must be documented in the adoptive home study report.  Therefore, any criminal history should be discussed with Agency prior to applying for services.    

Age of Children: Newborn

Gender Specific: No

Open Adoptions: Yes, there is normally communication between the birth and adoptive families before and after placement.

Travel: Depends on location where adoption occurs

Processing Time: Wait time is unknown

Typical Cost: Approx. $9,000 to $14,000; depending on complexity of the individual case.

Adoption & Beyond’s Role: To provide a domestic adoptive home study and any required post-placement report and/or providing both the prospective birth and adoptive family with adoption services, education and guidance.

Adoption & Beyond Fees: Click Here To Visit Most Up-To-Date Fee Schedule

Learn How to Reduce or Eliminate Your Adoption Expenses: Click Here to Visit Financial Assistance Page

 

Embryo Adoptions

This type of adoption occurs when a genetic family has remaining embryos from previous in-vitro fertilization treatments that they wish to place for adoption. Prospective adoptive parents may adopt frozen embryos in hopes they will be able to carry and give birth to their adopted child. The number of embryos available depends on how many embryos a particular donating family has available. Hopefully once the embryo(s) are thawed, there will be at least one embryo available for transfer.

Parents’ Ages: 25-45 years old

Residence: Prospective adoptive family must live in Kansas or Missouri for Adoption & Beyond, Inc. (Agency) to complete family’s adoptive home study.

Marriage Status: Married at least three (3) years

Financial Stability: Families must be able to show that they have sufficient income to financially provide for their family and an additional child. They must also make reasonable provisions for future financial stability, such as having life and medical insurances. A family’s income and full financial status will be evaluated as part of the adoptive home study process.

Medical History: Families must be in good mental and physical health with normal life expectancy as determined by the family’s physician. Families must be able to care for a child, and the prospective adoptive mother must have the ability to carry a baby to term. Some embryo adoption programs have additional health requirements.

 Prior Criminal History: A criminal background check will be conducted for both open and closed records for each household member age 17 and older. All arrests or convictions must be documented in the adoptive home study report.  Therefore, any criminal history should be discussed with Agency prior to applying for services.

Age of Children: Newborns

Gender Specific: No

Open Adoptions: Yes, there is normally communication between the genetic and adoptive families before and after birth.

Travel: Possible, there are two (2) National Embryo Adoption Programs. For one program the embryo(s) are shipped to family’s local infertility doctor for the embryo transfer procedure. For the other program, family travels to Knoxville, Tennessee twice; first time for an exam and trial transfer, and second time for the embryo transfer procedure.

Processing Time: Wait time is about 8-10 months before an embryo transfer occurs.

Typical Cost: Approx. $10,000 to $17,000

Adoption & Beyond’s Role: To provide a domestic adoptive home study and if requested a post-placement (post-birth) report.

 Adoption & Beyond Fees: Click Here To Visit Most Up-To-Date Fee Schedule

Learn How to Reduce or Eliminate Your Adoption Expenses: Click Here to Visit Financial Assistance Page

International Adoption

An International Adoption occurs when a family adopts a child from outside the United States. Adoption & Beyond, Inc. (Agency) is able to guide families in selecting which international placing agency (a.k.a. Primary Provider) that will best match their family’s dynamics. We network with a number of international agencies who have programs in many different countries. Adoption & Beyond works closely with a family’s selected international placing agency in order to serve as the local liaison to complete the adoptive home study process and to provide post-placement/post-adoption services and support.

Parents’ Ages: 25+ Depends on international country

Residence: Prospective adoptive family must live in Kansas or Missouri for Adoption & Beyond, Inc. to complete family’s adoptive home study.

Marriage Status (if applicable): Married at least one (1) year

Financial Stability: Families must be able to show that they have sufficient income to financially provide for their family and an additional child. They must also make reasonable provisions for future financial stability, such as having life and medical insurances. A family’s income and full financial status will be evaluated as part of the adoptive home study process.

Medical History: Families must be in good mental and physical health with normal life expectancy as determined by the family’s physician. Families must be able to care for a child. Some international countries have additional health requirements.

Prior Criminal History: A criminal background check will be conducted for both open and closed records for each household member age 17 and older. All arrests or convictions must be documented in the adoptive home study report.  Therefore, any criminal history should be discussed with Agency prior to applying for services.    

Age of Children: 1 to 17 years old

Gender Specific: Yes

Open Adoptions: No, there is normally no communication between the birth and adoptive families before or after placement.

Travel: Depends on the international country, either one or both adoptive parent(s) must travel to the county for the adoption process and to bring the child back to the United States.

Processing Time: Wait time depends on the International Country and can range from 12-24 months.

Typical Cost: Depends on the International Agency and Country; it can range from $21,000 to $47,000.

Adoption & Beyond’s Role: To provide an international adoptive home study and post-placement/post-adoption services and support.

Adoption & Beyond Fees: Click Here To Visit Most Up-To-Date Fee Schedule

Learn How to Reduce or Eliminate Your Adoption Expenses: Click Here to Visit Financial Assistance Page

Foster Care Adoption

Children in the foster care system have been removed from the home for various reasons—abuse and neglect and/or alcohol and drug exposure. The primary focus for these children is re-integration into their birth family’s home. However, placing a child back into their original home is not always in the child’s best interest. Your local public child welfare agency can work with you to identify children who are waiting for homes. Typically they are older children, sibling groups or children with specific medical or mental health issues. Prospective adoptive parents must attend thirty (30) hours of training through a state foster care agency before qualifying for a Foster Care Adoption.

Parents’ Ages: 25+

Residence: Prospective adoptive family must live in Kansas or Missouri for Adoption & Beyond, Inc. (Agency) to complete family’s adoptive home study.

Marriage Status (if applicable): Married at least one (1) year

Financial Stability: Families must be able to show that they have sufficient income to financially provide for their family and an additional child or children. They must also make reasonable provisions for future financial stability, such as having life and medical insurances. A family’s income and full financial status will be evaluated as part of the adoptive home study process.

Medical History: Families must be in good mental and physical health with normal life expectancy as determined by the family’s physician. Families must be able to care for a child or children.

Prior Criminal History: A criminal background check will be conducted for both open and closed records for each household member age 17 and older. All arrests or convictions must be documented in the adoptive home study report. Therefore, any criminal history should be discussed with Agency prior to applying for services.    

Age of Children: Newborn to 18 years old

Gender Specific: Yes

Open Adoptions: Sometimes, depending on the birth family’s current life circumstances.

Travel: Depends on location where adoption occurs

Processing Time: Wait time is unknown. The state foster care agency decides which family is approved to adopt a specific child.

Typical Cost: Minimal expenses because of state adoption assistance programs

Adoption & Beyond’s Role: On rare occasions Adoption & Beyond, Inc., provides a domestic adoptive home study, but only after a family has completed the thirty (30) hours of MAPPS or STARS training provided through a state foster care agency.

Adoption & Beyond Fees: Click Here To Visit Most Up-To-Date Fee Schedule

Learn How to Reduce or Eliminate Your Adoption Expenses: Click Here to Visit Financial Assistance Page

Interested in learning more about The Ultimate Guide to Adopting a Child?  Check out our entire guide here.

Interested In Learning More About Adoption?

Request An Adoption Infomation Packet.