Domestic Infant Adoption

The Catholic Charities Domestic Infant Adoption Program has three components:

• Caucasian Heritage
• Multiracial Heritage (parents of two different races)
• Minority Heritage (parents of minority races)

For all of these programs we believe in an open adoption philosophy. We define open adoption as ongoing communication in the form of letters, pictures, visits and phone contact between the child and his/her birth and adoptive families throughout the child’s life. Some characteristics of the open adoption process include:

• Intensive education regarding open adoption which includes but is not limited to legalities, time frames, birth parent grief, adoptive parent transitions, external and family support.
• Preparing a profile and video to assist the birthparents in making a choice about their child’s adoptive family.
• Once the birth parent chooses a family, meeting and developing a relationship with the child’s birth parents.
• Post adoption support to assist with the ongoing relationship between all of the child’s significant family members.

We recognize that for many prospective adoptive parents the notion of openness in adoption may be new or concerning, however when fear or concern are replaced with understanding and knowledge we have seen how child centered decisions can be truly embraced.

Required Reading List: Catholic Charities strongly believes in assisting you in making informed decisions regarding your adoption options. Once you meet with your adoption specialist and begin to prepare for your orientation and homestudy, you will be asked to read Adoption Without Fear by James L. Gritter or Adoption is a Family Affair by Patricia Irwin Johnson. Books are available through your local library or bookstore. If you cannot find a book, please contact your adoption specialist.

*It should be noted that in our experience there is a strong preference for birthparents to place with married couples. Single individuals wishing to adopt through our Domestic Adoption Program usually experience a lengthy wait. Please also note that we may not be able to provide assistance through the Adoption Program if you live outside of the Diocese of Peoria.

International Adoption

There are many children in other countries who need a family. Catholic Charities assists families desiring to adopt these children by teaming with an international agency of your choosing to provide comprehensive homestudy preparation and post placement services. We provide international homestudies and post placement supervision ONLY. Our area of expertise includes the following:

• Providing high quality, professional homestudy and post placement service which may include clarifying concerns surrounding international adoptions, international adoption education as well as supporting you and your family throughout the international adoption process.
• Providing comprehensive homestudy assessment and essential documentation required to complete the international adoption homestudy.
• Presenting your international adoption agency, the State of Illinois and the appropriate federal agencies with a completed document of homestudy and when necessary updates.
• Supervising your post placement period with regular visits to assist with the adoptive transition and then providing documentation to your international agency, State of Illinois and the appropriate federal agencies.

Families adopting internationally must be aware of the following information:

• Eligibility requirements vary depending on the Country from which you are adopting and the agency you choose as your international agency.
• For a child to immigrate to the United States, he/she must meet the definition of an orphan.
• One or both parents may need to travel to the child’s country.
• Post placement visit requirements vary from country to country and international agency to international agency. Once you identify a country and an international agency, your adoption specialist will discuss your specific requirements.

Catholic Charities has received accreditation from both the Council on Accreditation and HAGUE.We provide both homestudy and post placement services necessary to complete an international adoption. We are also a member of the Joint Council on International Children Services.

Internation Adoption Workshop: Per the requirement of HAGUE all individuals desiring to adoption internationally must completed 10 hours of adoption education and training on topics pertinent to the international adoption process. These workshops are held quarterly so that you will be able to meet the requirement in a timely manner.

Catholic Charities has partnered with many different international placing agencies to bring children home from:

Russia • Ethiopia • Kazastan • China • Guatemala

Columbia • Korea • Vitenam • Hatie • Ukraine

* This list is not inclusive.

Waiting Child Adoption

Catholic Charities understands there are children right here in the United States who need a forever family. In fact according to the Administration for Children and Families, there are 293,000 children in the United States entering foster care each year. Of those 130,000 children are available for adoption. Approximately 42% of these waiting children are older than 9 and most are children of color, sibling groups and teenagers.

Our Adopt Waiting Children program is designed to help families prepare to adopt older waiting children. By teaming with foster care professionals both within and outside of Catholic Charities, we hope to bring together children who are legally free for adoption with families who are ready to provide a safe, loving and permanent home. We know that these children present specific challenges but we passionately believe each child is entitled to his or her own family no matter what their age.

As a prospective adoptive parent, Catholic Charities will support you every step of the way. You will receive:

• Training surrounding the realities of children who experience foster care. This includes developing an understanding of the child’s journey through foster care as well as legalities, time frames, resources and mandates regarding the foster to adopt experience.
  • Comprehensive education regarding the joys and challenges of adopting a waiting child. This covers the adoption process, preparing your family for a new member, finding a good fit, attachment and bonding, the transition and adjustment period and preparing you for the lifelong commitment of being a parent.
  • Information on how the State and Federal initiatives to find homes for children can assist you in your adoption journey including information on the required Foster Care Pride classes.

Recommended Reading LIst: As you begin your journey in the Adopt Waiting Children program you may find reading the following books helpful: Parenting Your Adopted Older Child by Brenda McCreight or Telling the Truth to Your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past by Betsy Keefer & Jayne E. Schooler.

Additionally, prospective adoptive parents will be encouraged to attend ongoing adoption training events and adoption support groups.

Post Adoption Services

Adoption is not a one time event but an experience that lasts a life time. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Peoria is committed to assisting our adoption clients during every facet of their adoption journey. It begins with the pre adoption process then moves to the placement and post adoption supervision period. Then when all is said and done, we are still here waiting and willing to assist you and your family as your adoption experience unfolds.

• Counseling Services-The Catholic Charities Adoption Program extends a lifelong commitment to all members of the adoption triad. Post adoption services include ongoing birthparent support groups and individual/family counseling for birthparents through our Women’s Counseling and Support Services (WCSS) program.

Our Adoption program offers life long individual/family counseling for the adoptee and the adoptive families. Counseling services are available upon request. Ongoing support groups provide guidance and training for parents raising adopted children while special events such as the Birth Mother’s Day, National Adoption Month Potluck and Annual Adoption Picnic provide community support for the entire adoptive triad.

• Continuing Correspondence- Catholic Charities recognized the value and importance of ongoing contact between adoptive and birth families. While today we promote the open adoption process, we continue to recognize and respect past mutual agreements for correspondence to be handled by the agency. Therefore, the agency will assist with continuing correspondence between birth families and adoptive families who do not participate in an open adoption arrangement. The agency acts as an intermediate in forwarding correspondence including photographs, unopened and uncensored between the adoptive family and the birth family.

• Adoption History, Search, and Reunion- Catholic Charities furnishes an adoptee and/or adoptive parents with all known non-identifying medical and social information requested. Non-identifying social/medical information is limited to what the agency has on file. In most cases this is information that was provided at the time of the adoptee’s birth. In the event that current medical information is needed but is not available through our records, an Adoption Search can be requested.

  In accordance with the Illinois Adoption Act, an adoptee must be 21 years of age before the agency can conduct a search on their behalf. If the adoptee is under 21, the adoptive parent(s) must request the search. Birthparents may request a search for the adoptee once the adoptee reaches the age of 21 years. When the search effort is successful and upon mutual consent, the agency is available to assist with initial correspondence and a reunion between the parties.