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GENERAL FAQs
BIRTHPARENT FAQs
HOME STUDY FAQs
DOMESTIC ADOPTION FAQs
INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION FAQs
EMBRYO/SNOWFLAKES ADOPTION FAQs
FOSTER CARE AND FOST-ADOPT FAQs
General FAQs
Click on the question to read the answer.
What services does Nightlight(NCA) offer?
Nightlight is licensed to provide the following services:
• Domestic and International Adoption Home studies and Post-Placement/Adoption Supervision and Reports
• Domestic Adoptions: Agency Adoptions or Independent or Designated Adoptions (more information below)
• International Adoptions: Direct programs in Bulgaria, China, Haiti, Hong Kong, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Nicaragua, Panama, Romania, Taiwan, Uganda, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.
• Snowflakes® Embryo Adoptions
• Birthparent counseling
Is Nightlight a non-profit agency?
What is your licensure information?
Nightlight Christian Adoptions has been licensed by the California State Department of Social Services since 1959. Nightlight’s Home study services are available to families California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
What is Nightlight’s Statement of Faith?
We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. We believe He died on the cross a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures and arose bodily from the dead, and that He ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of God He is now our Lord and Savior. We believe that the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God and the final authority for all Christian faith and life.
What if we are not Christians; will you still work with us?
What does it mean to be a Christian?
Christians are utterly convinced of the unwavering love and goodness of God. We believe that God is for us, and that His love endures forever. God’s love is self-evident in the fact that He created the universe, gave us life and continues to bless us with all good things.
Christians have come to grips with our own wretchedness. We recognize our thoughts are sometimes evil, our intentions can be selfish and our actions are often hurtful. We neither deny our corrupt nature, nor do we try to overcome it with self-improvement. Instead, we embrace or wretchedness and admit with resignation that there is nothing we can do on our own to escape it.
The Bible teaches that because God is perfectly just, He cannot overlook wrong-doing. God’s justice demands punishment or payment for sin. Christians accept the fact that even our own death could not right all of the wrongs we have committed. We affirm every new day is a gift from God which exceeds the grace we deserve.
God knew the sinfulness of humankind was of such a great degree that He could never expect people to pay the price on their own. And God’s love is so great that he could not expect all his people to endure the consequences. But His justice is so great that he could not overlook our sin. So God took drastic measures. Sin demanded a sacrifice, for without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sins. The sacrifice had to be human, in order to serve in our place. And the sacrifice had to be of infinite value, in order to pay the price for an infinite number of people who have sinned countless times. The only solution, therefore, was for God to pay the price himself, in human form. God became a man, in the form of Jesus. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the price for the sins of all people: past, present, and future.
Christians have asked Jesus to forgive their sin. They ask God to change their hearts and help them to sin no more. But this is not just a form of self-determination or self-improvement. Christians recognize that the only hope of true repentance is for our “old self” to die, just as Jesus died on the cross. And a “new self” must come to life, just as Jesus did at the resurrection. This death of the old self, and life of the new self, is symbolized in baptism. That is why the Bible says “we have been crucified with Christ.”
If you want to become a Christian, think and pray about this verse, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10.9 NIV).
Birthparent FAQs
Click on the question to read the answer.
What are the ages of children that you place through Nightlight?
What kind of criteria should I consider when selecting a family for my child?
A few of the concerns you might have when selecting an adoptive family who will love and parent your child are:
- marital status and length of marriage
- any previous marriages
- age of parents
- any other children in home
- employment status of parents
- financial stability
- religion
- compatible personalities and arrangement for ongoing contact
If you would like to look at the profiles of couples who have already completed a home study and are ready to provide a loving home to a child, view our Adopting Parent Profiles.
What if I’m matched with an adoptive family through another source?
When does California, Colorado, Missouri, South Carolina and Oklahoma law say the relinquishment can be signed?
Oklahoma-A birthmother must give her relinquishment in court. That typically happens two to four days after discharge from the hospital.
How long do birthparents have to change their mind?
What is Special Baby Care?
What rights does the child’s father have under California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas law?
In most states, the child’s father will generally fall into one of two categories: presumed or alleged. A presumed father is a man who is married to the mother or who has actively exercised his parental rights though the pregnancy. His rights are the same as the mother.
An alleged father has fewer rights, but must be notified of the adoption plan. It is important to discuss the rights of a birthfather with the agency or your attorney.
Missouri-All birth fathers must be contacted and informed of the pregnancy and adoption plan. If no identifying information is available, the birth father is considered a putative or unknown person. Even though contact may not be possible, his rights still can be terminated.
Oklahoma – All birth fathers must be contacted and informed of the pregnancy and adoption. A hearing is held to terminate his rights and he is given notice either personally or through publication if the Court is satisfied that he cannot be found.
Laws regarding the rights of birth fathers vary from state to state. Please contact us for more details.
Why choose open adoption?
What is the adoption triad?
What varying degrees of contact are available in open adoption?
Home Study FAQs
Click on the question to read the answer.
What is an adoption home study?
How can we find a local agency to do our home study?
If you live in California, Colorado, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia, and South Carolina, Nightlight Christian Adoptions will perform your home study. If you are not in these areas and are unfamiliar with agencies in your area, you may contact our office and we will provide you with a list of agencies in your state (if available) that other families have worked with. You may have difficulty finding an agency to do a home study for embryo adoption, as some agencies are unaware of it or do not yet feel comfortable educating parents about adopting embryos. For purposes of the Snowflakes Program, we require the same home study you would have for a traditional, domestic adoption, including an open adoption and adoptive parenting education component. Most state agencies/social services departments do not complete pre-placement home studies, and the ones who do most often will not provide a copy to an outside agency. For these reasons we ask you to work with a private, licensed adoption agency. If an agency you are working with would like more information on the program, please contact your adoption worker and we will be happy to provide them with information.
Is there anything specific the home study needs to include in order to fulfill your requirements?
Yes! It is imperative that the adoption agency with whom you are working provide a formal educational component regarding raising adopted children. Generally speaking, if you are working with a licensed agency, they will usually have some type of educational component incorporated into their home study process (i.e. adoption classes, required reading, etc.). You should check with your social worker prior to beginning your home study to ensure that he or she is familiar with the guidelines listed below. Regardless of with whom you are working, the educational component should address those lifelong issues involved with raising adopted children, the level of desired communication between genetic and adoptive parents, and how to explain to your child the complex nature of his or her conception in age-appropriate terms. You should also ask your social worker to help you explore how the embryo adoption home study may be different from a traditional domestic adoption. Nightlight does provide Snowflakes Family Evaluation home studies for our embryo adopting parents. It is only valid for embryo adoption and is available in all 50 states and internationally.
We have a completed home study; can we ask our home study agency to forward you a copy?
Will our home study need to be updated?
Domestic Adoption FAQs
Click on the question to read the answer.
Is Nightlight Christian Adoptions a non-profit agency?
Is Nightlight Hague Accredited? State Licensed?
Nightlight provides Post-Adoption and Birthparent counseling services, as well as Adoption Home Studies in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas.
Does Nightlight assist with out-of-state adoptions?
What is domestic adoption?
What are the different types of domestic adoption?
• Agency – Nightlight matches a family with a birth mother, provides counseling to the birth parents and case management to the adoptive family, assists with the relinquishments of parental rights for the birth parents, places the child in the home, provides post-placement supervision, and prepares the court report.
• Designated Adoption – In a designated adoption, the same services as an Agency adoption are provided with the exception being that an adoptive family is matched with a birth mother from a source outside of the agency, such as an attorney, church members, or friends.
• Independent Adoption – describes an adoption situation where a family is matched through another resource and does not need full agency services in order to complete their adoption. In an independent adoption Nightlight only prepares the home study; works with the placing agency and consultant to coordinate ICPC and the required documentation for ICPC; provides post-placement support and supervision; and prepares the court report to finalize the adoption if necessary. In some states, this service also includes a birth parent background report be prepared for the court.
What is the benefit of an agency adoption versus a designated or independent adoption?
Approximately how long does it usually take to adopt domestically?
Will Nightlight allow us to pursue a domestic and international adoption simultaneously?
While you are in the initial phase of an international adoption, you could be presented to a birthmother. If you are considering this option, you will complete an international adoption home study as well as a domestic home study. It is a relatively simple process to convert an international home study into a domestic home study.
What is the adoption process?
Adoption Home study: The home study is an evaluation and education process required by the State to determine your preparedness to parent through adoption. A home study consists of three components: paperwork, education and interviews with a social worker.
Match/Identification of birthparent: Once your home study is complete and you have been approved to adopt, your profile will be shown to birthparents. Our social worker will work with both the birthparents and the adopting parents to find the best possible match for everyone involved.
Relinquishment and Placement: Details are specific to the state in which your child is born. Refer to the Domestic Adoption Information Packet for California, Colorado, Kentucky, Missouri, Oklahoma, Georgia, or South Carolina for details specific to those states.
Post Placement: Details are specific to the state where you choose to finalize the adoption.
Finalization: Details are specific to the state where you choose to finalize the adoption.
If we are matched with a birth mother from out of state, how many times will we be required to travel to our child’s birth state?
If you are matched with a birth mother who is living in another state, you may not be required to travel to the birth mother’s state prior to the birth. However, some birth mothers request a face-to-face meeting with the adoptive parents prior to placement, if possible. We also believe it is best practice for the adoptive family and the birth family to meet prior to birth in order to build a bond and reassure the birth mother that she has made the right choice. This will help her in following through in her adoption plan. You will be required to travel to your child’s birth state for the placement, and must remain in your child’s birth state until the interstate compact coordinators in both your state of residence and your child’s birth state have approved the placement (usually up to 14 business days). After approval, you will then be allowed to take your child home with you and in most cases, finalize your adoption in your home state.
In South Carolina, families may be asked to travel to South Carolina up to 3 times. 1) To meet your birth mother and possibly to attend the “Unusual and Exceptional” hearing. Legally in SC, when a child is placed outside the state, a judge
must grant the adoption at this hearing. This is usually just a formality as a birth mother has the right to choose the family
that she wishes to adopt her child. This hearing typically occurs prior to the birth of your child, but in the case of a very
fast match and birth, this could occur after placement. 2) You will be required to travel to SC for the birth and placement
of your child. 3) South Carolina requires that finalization must occur in SC, therefore, you will travel again for your
finalization hearing
Can we be undergoing fertility treatments while in the adoption process?
Only after this important step can are you ready to begin the adoption process. Please talk to your social worker if you have any concerns about this requirement.
What if we become pregnant during the adoption process?
If you become pregnant, please let us know immediately. We can put your file on hold if you will be adopting in the next year or so. If you already are matched with a child and have been emotionally connected to that child, we are not going to stop the adoption. Our goal is that every child be in a fully functional family in which the family has the resources to care for each child.
If you do become pregnant and you do not have a referral of a child, please contact us after the birth of your child and we can discuss your adoption plans. We believe it is best if each child enters the family at least one year after the other.
What if we are not Christians?
If you have any additional questions that were not addressed, please send us a message using our contact form or give us a call.
Open Adoption
What varying degrees of contact are available in open adoption?
What is your agency’s philosophy about open and closed adoptions?
may not be appropriate. If after discussing the possibility of open adoption, you strongly feel that you would like to have a closed adoption, you may want to work with another agency.
Why choose open adoption?
The Matching Process for Domestic Adoption
When does Nightlight begin matching us with a birth mother?
What criteria is a birth mother considering when selecting a family for her child?
What parameters may an adoptive couple set before their profile is shown to a birth mother?
Do you allow adoptive couples to specify the sex of the infant they wish to adopt?
Will you notify us when you are showing our profile?
We will do our best to help a birthparent get to know you through e-mail or phone calls; however you will need to be prepared to travel to her state of residence if she would like to meet you before the baby is born.
What happens when a birthparent chooses to meet us?
What if we are matched with a birth mother through another source?
Questions about the Birthparents
How do birth mothers come to Nightlight?
What age are the children placed for adoption?
Does the birth mother have a counselor that she works with?
How much counseling does the birth mother receive prior to and following the child’s birth?
Are birth mothers drug/alcohol tested before they are matched with prospective adoptive parents?
Are we given the birthparent’s medical/general background information? If so, when do we receive it?
Will we be at the hospital when the baby is born?
What is expected of us at the hospital?
Do we bring our birthparent a gift?
At what point can we bring the baby home?
If we are completing an Interstate Adoption how long will we need to stay in the receiving state?
You will need to stay in your child’s birth state generally up to 14 business days from the time of your child’s placement until the Interstate Compact paperwork has been approved by both states (your child’s birth state and your state of residence). During this time, if your family does not meet the foster care requirements of your child’s birth state, your baby may be placed in an approved home for cradle care, where you will be able to visit and care for your baby on a daily basis. Cradle care expenses will be the responsibility of the adoptive parents. If your family meets the foster care requirements of your child’s birth state, then your child will remain with you at your hotel. When the approval is received from the Interstate Compact Coordinators from both states, you are then able to take your baby with you and return home
How long does the birth mother/ birth father have to decided to parent the child/ “change their mind”?
This time frame depends upon the state laws where your child is born and the birth mother resides. Please see previous
state-by-state explanation. In most states once the birth mother/birth father has signed the voluntary petition to terminate parental rights, they can decide to parent the child/”change their mind” any time before those rights are officially terminated by a judge in court. This time period can vary depending upon the court system, but typically ranges from between one and four months. During this time period, if the birth parent decides to withdraw the petition to terminate their rights, our agency would consider the birth parents’ situation and discuss with the adoptive parents before determining what is in the best interest of the child, and whether it would be appropriate to pursue an involuntary termination of parental rights. In the event that the decision is made to pursue an involuntary termination of parental rights, the additional legal costs are the responsibility of the adoptive family. In a situation where the birth parent decides to parent, and the agency and adoptive family are pursuing an involuntary termination of parental rights, it is the decision of the judge to determine what is in the best interest of the child.
What are our responsibilities after we take the baby home?
Expenses and Financing
What would you estimate the cost for the adoption to be?
Depending upon the state where you reside, the fees for our services range as low as from $1,500 for a home study to $25,000 for an agency adoption (see the Agreement for Adoption Services). With the exception of a finalization in CA, you will also need to hire an attorney for the finalization of your adoption. An attorney for finalizing will typically cost between $1,500 and $3,000. In general, depending upon the individual characteristics of your adoption, your total cost will probably be between $25,000 and $30,000.
If we are completing an Interstate Adoption how long will we need to stay in the receiving state?
You will need to stay in your child’s birth state generally up to 14 business days from the time of your child’s placement until the Interstate Compact paperwork has been approved by both states (your child’s birth state and your state of residence). During this time, if your family does not meet the foster care requirements of your child’s birth state, your baby may be placed in an approved home for cradle care, where you will be able to visit and care for your baby on a daily basis. Cradle care expenses will be the responsibility of the adoptive parents. If your family meets the foster care requirements of your child’s birth state, then your child will remain with you at your hotel. When the approval is received from the Interstate Compact Coordinators from both states, you are then able to take your baby with you and return home
What are “Program Fees”?
Why are fees non-refundable once paid?
What birth mother expenses are not covered by Nightlight?
Do my program fees cover attorney expenses?
Is there financial assistance available?
Tax Credit
Great news: An adoption tax credit is available. For details regarding this year’s tax credit please follow the link below. https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.htmlEmployee Benefits
Many companies are beginning to offer adoption benefits to their employees. The company may reimburse some of the adoption expenses paid by the employee, or they may offer paid adoption leave. Check with your Human Resources department to see if your company provides adoption benefits.
– Adoption Friendly Workplace, www.adoptionfriendlyworkplace.org, part of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption provides a free tool kit to help companies/employees establish an adoption friendly workplace at their current place of employment.Crowd FundingAdoption Bridge, www.adoptonbridge.org, is a crowd funding site where you can put up a family profile and then share it with friends and family who want to donate toward your adoption. Adoption Bridge has the lowest fee to you the adoptive parent which allows you to keep more of the funds raised for your adoption. Adoption Grants, Loans or other forms of assistance various organizations offer financial assistance to adoptive families via adoption grants, loans or other assistance. Please contact each organization to find out about their services and what their qualifications and requirements are.GRANTS:
– Cade Foundation, www.cadefoundation.org, provides up to $10,000 to needy infertile families to assist with the costs associated with infertility treatment or domestic adoption.
– Gift of Adoption Fund, www.giftofadoption.org, awards grants based upon the needs of the waiting child and to pre-approved adopting parents who demonstrate an unusual degree of financial hardship.
– God’s Grace Adoption Ministry, www.ggam.org, provides grants or assistance in fundraising to Christian families adopting orphaned children.
– Kingdom Kids Adoption Ministries’ Adoption Fundraising Program, www.kingdomkidsadoption.org, helps families raise finances for adoption through our adoption fundraising/grant program.
– America’s Christian Credit Union, https://www.americaschristiancu.com/personal/loans/adoption-loans.html, offers adoption loans.
– National Adoption Foundation, www.nafadopt.org, provides direct grants, loans and a National Adoption Foundation Credit Card.
– Show Hope, www.showhope.org, provides grants to Christian families adopting domestically or internationally and encourages involvement from your church family in your adoption.
– Lifesong for Orphans, http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/adGrantLoans.html, is also a Christian organization that provides both grants and no interest loans to adoptive families.LOANS
– A Child Waits Foundation, www.achildwaits.org, provides low interest loans to parents who might not otherwise be able to afford to adopt.
– The ABBA Fund,www.abbafund.org, provides interest-free covenant loans to Christian couples who are called by God to expand their families through adoption, often including embryo adoption.
– Hebrew Free Loan Association, www.hflasf.org, provides interest free loans to Jewish families living in Northern California who are adopting domestically or internationally.OTHER RESOURCES FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE– A Mother’s Love, www.amotherslovefundraising.com, assists families in fundraising for adoption and infertility costs.
– Child Welfare Information Gateway has information on funding adoption, www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/adoptive/funding.cfm.
– National Endowment for Financial Education (NEFE), has a guide called “How to Make Adoption an Affordable Option” which can be accessed at www.nefe.org/adoption.
– National Military Family Association, http://www.nmfa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=reus_adoptionintro, provides information and links to Adoption Resources for Military Families, including the Adoption Reimbursement Program.
International Adoption FAQs
What are the basic steps in the international adoption process?
- Adoption Home study: The home study is an evaluation and education process required by the State to determine your preparedness to parent through adoption. A home study consists of three components: paperwork, education and interviews with a social worker. Nightlight requires that any family adopting through one of our international programs have their home study completed by a Hague accredited agency, even if the adoption is from a non-Hague country. If there is no Hague accredited agency in your area, please contact Nightlight to discuss your options.
- Dossier: The documents required by the foreign government to allow you to adopt a child from the country. These documents typically must be notarized and finalized with an apostille.
- Referral: Based on the information you submit in your dossier, the foreign government will issue you an official referral of a child(ren) for adoption. Depending upon the country you are adopting from, you will either travel to the country to receive the referral and meet the child or you will receive information on the child including pictures and medicals prior to travel.
- Post-Adoption: You will register your child’s passport with the embassy and provide Post-Adoption reports completed by your social worker along with pictures of your child for a period of time after your adoption, as specified by each individual country.
How much does it cost to adopt?
What other services does Nightlight provide for families adopting internationally?
We provide pre-adoption education and post-adoption services. In the event of a disruption or dissolution of an adoption, we will help you in making the best choice for your family and the child. The policy regarding this situation is in our International Adoption Programs Booklet. (Contact Us to request a copy)
What if we have not decided which country we will adopt from?
Many families who truly seek to make a difference in the life of an orphan find it challenging to decide on a country program. Some of the questions you need to ask yourself are the following:
- From what programs are we qualified to adopt?
- Age of child desired?
- Race/ethnicity of child considered?
- Other factors we are considering? (e.g., special needs, orphan status of child)
- Financing an adoption: What can we afford?
- Timeframe to adopt?
- Support systems and resources we have?
Please talk to us and download the educational resources we provide to get more information to make the best decision.
If you are seeking a very young child and want to adopt within the next year or so, then you will want to consider special needs waiting children from Bulgaria or India. If you are open to a couple year’s wait, but insist on a child under 6 years old, we suggest Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Albania, or Samoa. Older children are available from all of our country programs.
How long does it usually take to adopt internationally?
Will Nightlight allow us to pursue a domestic and international adoption simultaneously?
We recognize that sometimes it is difficult to decide what type of adoption you are being called to pursue in building your family. If you feel that you are open to a domestic adoption while pursuing an international adoption, please let us know. While you are in the initial phase of an international adoption, you could be presented to a birthmother. If you are considering this option, you will complete an international adoption home study as well as a domestic home study. It is a relatively simple process to convert an international home study into a domestic home study.
This option is usually for those who may be waiting a longer time for a referral of a child. Such a situation may include a family who is gathering their paperwork for Ukraine while having their portfolio shown to birthmothers.
The further along you are in the international adoption process, the less practical and more emotionally and financially difficult it is to be matched with a birthmother. Once you receive a referral of your child from overseas, we cannot allow you to be matched with a birthmother, as we want you to have plenty of time to bond with the child you are adopting.
If you are client in one of our international programs, for a fee of $2,000, we can assist to have your current international home study formatted to a domestic home study, provide you with domestic adoption education, guide you in completing a portfolio to show to a birthmother, and place your profile on our domestic website.
We cannot guarantee that you will be matched with a birthmother, but you can know that while you are working on the paperwork and awaiting a referral of a child, you could possibly be matched with a birthmother. If you are matched with a birthmother, your file in the other country will need to be put on hold.
What do you recommend we do to help prepare ourselves for an international adoption?
Learn your child’s language (or at least a few basic words and phrases) to make your child’s transition into your family easier and help you communicate with your child during the first few months as he/she is learning English. Learn about your child’s country and culture so that you can ensure they do not lose their rich cultural heritage. Attend support groups and events through the agency or in your area and talk with other families who have adopted children internationally.
You may want to begin your child’s Lifebook; please refer to our Seminars & Events page for information on upcoming classes.
What type of information on number of placements and children waiting is available to us?
Nightlight Christian Adoptions makes available the following information, upon request by clients or prospective clients:
- The number of international adoptive placements by Nightlight Christian Adoptions, listed by country for each of the prior three calendar years; and the number of those adoptions which have been disrupted or dissolved.
- The number of families who applied to adopt internationally through Nightlight Christian Adoptions for each of the three prior calendar years.
- The number of children eligible for adoption and awaiting an adoptive placement referral through Nightlight Christian Adoptions.
In accordance with Hague Standard 96.36 (a), Nightlight Christian Adoptions confirms that it prohibits its employees and agency from giving money or other consideration, directly or indirectly to a child’s parent(s), other individual(s) or an entity as payment for the child or as an inducement to release the child.
If permitted or required by the child’s country of origin, an agency may remit reasonable payments for activities related to the adoption proceedings, pre-birth and birth medical costs, the care of the child, the care of the birthmother while pregnant and immediately following birth of the child, or the provision of child welfare and child protection services generally. Permitted or required contributions shall not be remitted as payment for the child or as an inducement to release the child.
Is Nightlight Christian Adoptions a non-profit agency?
Is Nightlight Hague Accredited? State Licensed?
Does Nightlight assist with out-of-state adoptions?
What if we are not Christians?
What are the different countries you work with?
Can we be undergoing fertility treatments while in the adoption process?
What if we become pregnant during the adoption process?
What do you recommend we do to help prepare ourselves for an international adoption?
What type of information on number of placements and children waiting is available to us?
Nightlight Christian Adoptions makes available the following information, upon request by clients or prospective clients:
- Adoptions, listed by country for each of the prior three calendar years; and the number of those adoptions which have been disrupted or dissolved.
- The number of families who applied to adopt internationally through Nightlight Christian Adoptions for each of the three prior calendar years.
- The number of children eligible for adoption and awaiting an adoptive placement referral through Nightlight Christian Adoptions.
International Adoption Expenses
What would you estimate the cost for international adoption to be?
Is any portion of my fees tax deductible?
What is the cost to adopt a second child?
Are we required to take large sums of American currency with us or does Nightlight wire the money?
Do companies offer Employee Benefits?
Many companies are beginning to offer Adoption Benefits to their employees. The company may reimburse some of the adoption expenses paid by the employee, or they may offer paid adoption leave. Check with your Human Resources department to see if your company provides adoption benefits.
What is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(2010)?
This Act provides a refundable tax credit (not a deduction) of up to $13,170 per adopted child and applies to both domestic and international adoptions. Adopting families with combined incomes of $182,520 or less can qualify for the full credit. Families earning a combined income of $222,520 or more do not qualify for the credit. Additional information on the tax benefit is available from CCAI, In Focus: The Adoption Tax Credit. If you have questions as to what fees and expenses can be applied towards the tax benefit, please contact your tax preparer or the IRS directly.
Are my only other expenses my travel, accommodations, home study, CIS, Embassy fees?
Embryo Adoption FAQs
Why Choose the Snowflakes® Program?
Snowflakes Embryo Adoption is uniquely child-centered. The program was established in 1997 to address the problem created by medical science of remaining frozen embryos in storage. There are now over 1,000,000 embryos in frozen storage in the U.S. Of course, some of those embryos remain frozen to help the families who created them have more children in their own family. Some will be donated to science and some will simply be thawed and discarded. But as more couples with remaining embryos are made aware of their ability to choose a family for their remaining embryos, through an adoption model, they are excited for the opportunity to give their embryos a chance to live in an adoptive family.
Donated Embryos are not Disbursed Among Multiple Families
We are child-centered and we do our best to keep siblings together. Adoption professionals agree that keeping siblings together is a paramount value. Whether children are adopted from another country, through foster care, or domestic placement, we always work diligently to place all siblings into one adopting family. Nightlight extends this family value to embryo child adoption. Our Snowflakes team provides matching services that take into consideration the preferences of both the donor and the adopting families and then places all of the donor’s embryos into that adoptive family’s care.
Since our program encourages open adoption, communication between matched families will be mutually agreed upon between them. Clearly, limiting the number of families in which full genetic siblings exist is a benefit to all. The more families involved, the more difficult it becomes to establish and maintain relationships. It should be noted that some programs charge additional fees to keep the sibling set of embryos together or even charge individual fees for each embryo received. Nightlight values keeping a single donor’s embryos together and charges no additional fees.
Fertility Clinics – working with clinics throughout the United States
Snowflakes has partnered with clinics in the U.S. for adopting families to have their Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET) treatment. This covers the majority of regional areas in the U.S. making travel simple and fast. Most adopters choose to work with the Snowflakes preferred partner clinic that is nearest to them for convenience, but you may also have the opportunity to travel to the clinic that created the embryos. The majority of our partner clinics are comfortable allowing patients to complete medical prep at another clinic if they are a significant distance from the family. This can include ultrasounds, medications, blood work, and follow up visits.
While we understand you may already have a relationship with a specific clinic, our team has found that by working with specific clinics we are able to get you to your goal of pregnancy and childbirth more quickly. You may still be able to work with your current doctor for medical preparation.
How is “embryo adoption” through Nightlight different from “embryo donation” that clinics offer?
Clinic embryo donation programs are primarily anonymous in their administration. Personal information about the donor family is not provided and only rudimentary medical information. There is no contact between the families before or after the birth, even through an intermediary. The clinic is required to keep records of the donation for seven years and additional information about the donor family is typically not released, even in the event of a medical emergency. Embryos are be donated directly to the clinic and the clinic determines who receives them. If a donor family has a large number of embryos, they may be given to multiple families [e.g.: If 10 embryos are donated anonymously, 4 are given to family A; 3 are given to family B; and 3 are given to family C]. This means that there could be fully related genetic siblings in several families, living within a reasonably close geographic proximity and none of them would be known by the other.
Snowflakes provides the same safeguards that the traditional adoption process offers, allowing you access to important information about the genetic family that can help your child answer their questions about their origins. You also have the opportunity to have a relationship with your child’s genetic family. Whether you exchange pictures and letters, have telephone conversations, or choose to meet the genetic family, you will know that you have access to information about your child’s history. Nightlight is available to facilitate communication between the families and is also available to educate and work with you about how to talk to your child(ren) about their unique conception and adoption-related issues. While this isn’t the solution for everyone, we believe that families who prefer an adoption model should have access to it.
Who would want to participate in Snowflakes?
Why would genetic parents choose Snowflakes instead of embryo donation?
Why would we choose embryo adoption instead of embryo donation?
You would have a chance to have knowledge regarding your child’s genetic history. Whether you exchange pictures and letters, have telephone conversations, or choose to meet the placing family, you will know that you have access to information about your child’s history. Nightlight is available to facilitate communication between the families and is also available to educate and work with you about how to talk to your child(ren) about their unique conception and adoption-related issues.
Why would we choose embryo adoption instead of traditional adoption of a newborn?
The most obvious difference between an embryo adoption and a traditional domestic adoption is the pregnancy experience.
Adoptive moms are able to experience the joys (and challenges!) of pregnancy and labor. You also have the peace of mind of knowing you control the pre-natal environment of your baby.
Although an embryo adoption allows more control in some ways, it provides less in other ways. You cannot choose the gender of the child as you might in an international or older child adoption, and you cannot change your mind and choose not accept the baby for whatever reason after he or she is born. In addition, because up to three embryos are transferred at once, you might have twins or triplets. Embryo adoption can also be more difficult emotionally than traditional adoption, since there is no guarantee that in the end you will have a child.
How many embryo adoptions has Nightlight completed?
Does Nightlight encourage the creation and freezing of embryos?
What countries do you work with?
Program Criteria for Embryo Adoption
What are the basic requirements for an adopting family?
Is there an age limit?
Can couples who do not have an infertility diagnosis adopt embryos?
Does Snowflakes handle out-of-state embryo adoptions?
Can you work with families living in another country?
Can single women adopt through Snowflakes?
The Legality of Embryo Adoption
What legal processes are followed with embryo adoption?
How is embryo adoption different from traditional adoption concerning risk?
Placing parents and traditional birthparents are in very different situations. A woman placing her born child for adoption may be unprepared for the emotions she will feel upon her child’s birth and therefore may change her mind and choose to parent her baby. In embryo adoption, the placing parents are typically more mature, have an established family with children born from this set of embryos, understand the demands of parenting a child or children and are purposefully choosing to give their remaining embryos the opportunity to be born through placement with an adopting family.
Our experience indicates that if the placing family has doubts about placing their embryos, they will place their file on hold before ever being matched with an adoptive family. Once they are matched, the placing family transfers their ownership rights by signing a relinquishment prior to the embryos being shipped to your clinic. The placing parents have 3 business days from the date they sign the relinquishment in which to change their minds and notify the agency. In our years of placing embryos, this has never happened.
Under what circumstances can the placing family’s relinquishment be revoked?
When the families finalize the contract to adopt the embryos, the adopting family becomes their legal owners with the understanding that they will use those embryos for family building. If after one year, the adopting family has not scheduled their first frozen embryo transfer (FET) the placing family has the option to revoke the contract and place their embryos with a different adopting family who plans to transfer the embryos in a timelier manner. If unforeseen life or medical circumstances cause a delay in your ability to schedule a transfer, this period of one year may be extended with the placing family’s approval.
If the adopting family has remaining embryos which they do not plan to use in a frozen embryo transfer pregnancy attempt, the ownership of the embryos will be determined by contract and returned to Snowflakes for placement with another adopting family.
After a child is born through this embryo adoption, can the placing family ever change their mind and get legal custody?
The Embryo Adoption Process
What are the basic steps involved in adopting embryos?
In the application phase you will complete your application, agency agreements, a home study, and your family profile. You will also provide paperwork completed by your doctor verifying your ability to carry. It is at this time you will also establish care with the Snowflakes preferred partner clinic of your choice.
One of our staff contacts you to discuss your preferences for the match.
We set to work to find a match for you based on both your criteria and the criteria of the genetic family. Your profile is sent to a genetic family. If they select you, you receive their Family Profile, medical health history, and embryo information for consideration. We will also send the embryology report to your fertility doctor for review.
The Embryo Adoption Agreement is signed and notarized designating the adoption of the embryos from the family you have selected.
Snowflakes schedules a travel date for your embryos and they will be sent to the Snowflakes partner clinic of your choice. Alternatively, if you are traveling to your embryos, your travel arrangements can be made at this time.
Once the embryos arrive at your clinic you will begin preparing for the frozen embryo transfer. If all goes well about 9 months later you will be giving birth to your adopted child.
May our home study be used for a domestic adoption if we decide to switch from embryo adoption?
The Matching Process
How are placing and adopting families matched?
It is a mutual selection matching process. Both placing and adopting families provide Nightlight with information about themselves and indicate what type of family they are looking for. The placing family indicates their preferences for the following: adoptive family’s age, length of marriage, number of children, income, work/childcare plans, religion, prior marriages, and ethnicity as well as their desire for future contact. When we have an adopting family on file who matches those criteria, their Family Profile is sent to the placing family for consideration/selection. If the adopting family is selected by the placing family, the placing family’s Family Profile and medical information are sent to the adopting family for consideration/selection.
What information do we receive on the placing family?
Adoptive parents receive a Family Profile including some autobiographical information and generally a few pictures. You also receive three generations of medical health history on the placing family, as well as information about the embryos. If an egg donor or sperm donor was used, you will receive any information the placing parents received when they selected their donor. This may include autobiographical information, health information, and possibly pictures. While doctors may suggest you seek a certain grade/stage of embryo to adopt, we have seen embryos deemed “excellent” not achieve pregnancy, and embryos deemed “poor quality” born nine months later as healthy babies. The embryo grade and quality cannot guarantee or prevent a pregnancy. Your doctor and embryologist will receive the information about the embryos and their stage of development so they know how to adequately culture and care for them during your frozen embryo transfer.
Does this type of adoption have to be open adoption?
Open adoption encompasses a wide spectrum of contact. It does not mean that you meet, exchange last names or other identifying information, but does mean that families select each other through a letter, biographies, and photos. In most cases, you will know each other’s first names and state of residence. This information is shared at a minimum to give you enough information to protect children from meeting and marrying. By virtue of having this information about the other family, all our adoptions are considered open. Whether you want more contact (via e-mail, phone, photos or letters, sent either directly or through the agency) or less contact, we will match you with a like-minded family. You may also want to look into adoption support groups in your area or go online to talk to families who are currently in an open adoption, as most couples are apprehensive when considering open adoption and become more comfortable as they become educated about what it means to your child, your family and your child’s genetic family. You may also choose to be connected with someone who has been through embryo adoption and is willing to talk with other families about their experiences. If you are interested in this option, please contact our office.
Why choose open adoption?
The purpose of open adoption is to provide security for your child as they grow and begin to ask questions about their heritage and genetic origins. It provides answers for them, minimizing their loss of relationships by maintaining and celebrating their connections with all the important people in his or her life (especially in an embryo adoption where your child likely has full genetic siblings). It also serves to provide comfort and encourage the placing family with the knowledge that they have chosen a family for their embryos and will know the outcome of the adoption, including the peace that comes with knowing the child is happy and thriving; enjoying the life they hoped and prayed for.
Open adoption also empowers you in raising your child, by providing knowledge about your child’s genetic family and their family medical history. During the home study, you will learn of the many positive aspects of open adoption and your social worker will discuss with you the contact arrangement you are most comfortable with. It is very important that you be honest and open with your social worker about the type of relationship you envision with your placing family throughout the adoption and transfer process, after your child is born and throughout your child’s life.
May we be on a traditional adoption list AND work with embryo adoption?
How is embryo adoption different from traditional adoption concerning risk?
Placing parents differ from a “typical” traditional birthparent in several ways. A woman placing her born child for adoption may be unprepared for the emotions she will feel upon her child’s birth and therefore may choose to parent her baby. In an embryo adoption the placing parents are typically older, have a family, have been through the infertility process, understand the demands of parenting a child or children and fully understand that they cannot emotionally and/or financially add additional children to their family. Most placing families have had time to contemplate their options while their embryos are in storage before they contact us.
Is there any risk that the placing parents might change their minds?
There is no more risk than with any other adoption. In fact, our experience indicates that if they have doubts they will place their file on hold before ever being matched with an adoptive family. Once they are matched, the placing family transfers their ownership rights by signing a relinquishment prior to the embryos being shipped to your clinic. The placing family has three business days from the date they sign the relinquishment in which to change their minds and notify the agency. In our years of placing embryos, this has never happened.
Approximately how long does it take to get matched and get to the travel stage?
- The Application phase usually takes 1-4 months to complete and submit, depending on time required for your home study. Matching is usually 1-4 months. The more open you are, the less time you will wait.
- Legal document notarization and embryo travel coordination usually takes 2-4 months.
- In total, it can be between 5-13 months before the embryos travel to your clinic. Each adoption is unique! You will have a special story to share with your child or children!
How many embryos will we be matched with?
You will adopt all of the embryos that the placing family you are matched with has remaining. You might be matched with a placing family who has two or three embryos, or you might be matched with a family who has ten or twelve. Most frequently placing families have three, or four embryos to place for adoption. These may sound like small numbers, but with increased technology for freezing and thawing, more embryos are surviving the thaw process to be transferred. There is no maximum number of embryos a couple can adopt; you will adopt all the embryos a placing family has to place. When a baby is born, the adoption is complete. For example, if you are matched with a family with three embryos, become pregnant and deliver a baby (or two or three) your adoption would be complete and you would be able to adopt more embryos through a new adoption after your baby was home with you for nine months. (See Post Adoption section) Re-matching for $2,000 is an option for couples who do not have a baby through their initial match. Please note: You must notify us that you want to be matched with your next placing family within 12 months of your last frozen embryo transfer or your file will be closed due to inactivity.
Can the Adoptive Family specify an embryo gender to adopt?
Shipment of the Embryos
Are the embryos stored at and shipped from your facility?
When are the embryos shipped to our clinic?
Can we travel to our embryos?
You may be able to! If you are interested in traveling to your embryos we can help you explore that option. Some placing families will have already moved their embryos to a long term storage facility. If the embryos have already moved from their original clinic you will need to have them shipped to a preferred Snowflakes partner clinic.
How are the embryos shipped?
What if neither clinic has a dry shipper?
Are there any states that place restrictions on the shipping of embryos?
Frozen Embryo Transfer (FET)
How many embryos may be transferred per cycle?
If we become pregnant with multiples, may we selectively reduce the pregnancy?
What is the success rate for thawing and viability of embryos?
What is the likelihood of a multiple pregnancy with frozen embryo transfer?
What is the success rate of pregnancies among Snowflakes families who have had embryo transfers?
Post Adoption
What if we become pregnant and we still have embryos remaining?
How can we adopt more embryos after we have our first baby?
What if we do not become pregnant?
How many post adoption reports are required after the birth of our child(ren)?
How do we tell our child(ren) of his/her unique conception, adoption and birth?
“We adopted you as an embryo, which is a teeny baby, and the doctor put you in mommy’s womb!” is a pretty good start. There are two great books available: Our Wish for A Baby by Janice Grimes and Hope and Will Have A Baby by Iréné Celcer. Be sure to get the embryo donation/adoption versions! Snowflakes also has two versions of an embryo adoption “lifebook” which you can customize to reflect your child’s unique story. Additionally, one of our Snowflakes families has created a book and ordered through Pint Size Productions. There are versions for one child or two children. Let Snowflakes know if you are interested in ordering one! When your child is born we will send you information about how to talk with your children about how they came to be a part of your family. Overall, honesty and openness with your children from the very beginning is the best approach, as it helps create trust and a positive, comfortable atmosphere around their adoption. It also allows you to begin open communication with your child so s/he will feel comfortable directly talking to you and asking you questions about anything in life, not only adoption. If at any time you have questions about your child’s placing family, and you are not in direct contact with them, we are always here to be a liaison for you.
Program Fees
What would you estimate the entire cost for the adoption to be?
Snowflakes Program fee: $9,000
Home study agency fee: $1,500-3,500
Fertility clinic frozen embryo transfer fees: $3,500-6,000
TOTAL FEES: $13,500-17,000
What additional out-of-pocket expenses can we expect?
You may also have additional expenses involved in completing your homestudy (approx. $500, for fingerprinting, medicals, DMV records, CPR/First Aid classes, etc.) and clinic fees for any subsequent FETs. Check with your home study agency and clinic for an estimate of these fees.
What does the Snowflakes program fee cover?
Does the Snowflakes program fee include any of our medical expenses?
Is the frozen embryo transfer (FET) covered by medical insurance?
What are the costs to the placing parents?
Is the placing family reimbursed any of their infertility treatment costs?
Does the adopting family help pay for any of the storage fees owed by the placing parents?
Does Embryo Adoption qualify for the Adoption Tax Credit?
Is there any financial assistance available for Embryo Adoption?
We suggest you look into the following adoption assistance programs:
- Adoption Bridge AdoptionBridge is a crowd-funding website where you can tell your adoption story, post pictures, videos, and keep people informed about your adoption journey. All donations from your friends and family are tax-deductible and funds raised are sent to Nightlight towards your adoption process.
- Employee Benefits
- Adoption Grants, Loans and other forms of financial assistance
Various organizations offer financial assistance to adoptive families via adoption grants, loans or other assistance. Please contact each organization to find out about their services and what their qualifications and requirements are. For more details about these types of financial assistance, please visit the Funding section of our website.
Questions Regarding Clinics
How do I find a clinic that will work within the parameters of Snowflakes?
What should we ask when we are deciding which Snowflakes partner clinic to work with?
Ask the clinic how much it would cost for an “FET,” or frozen embryo transfer. They may also have costs for medication that you will want to keep in mind. Each of our partner clinics have already provided their requirements for staging, freezing method, and paperwork needed for them to receive embryos from our program. These details will be included in your matching preferences as we work to find the right set of embryos for your family. If you are more than an hour away from a clinic you may want to check if you can do remote monitoring through another fertility clinic that is closer to you. The majority of our Snowflakes partners will allow for this.
Does Nightlight handle the coordination of FDA Regulations?
What are the current requirements of the FDA for blood tests?
1. HIV 1 and 2
2. HTLV I/II
3. Hepatitis B surface antigen
4. Hepatitis B Core Antibody (IgG/IgM)
5. Hepatitis C Antibody
6. RPR (Syphilis)
7. CMV IgG/IgM
8. HIV/HCV/HBV NAT
9. Gonorrhea/Chlamydia culture
10. Blood typing
11. Rh factor
Questions for Families with Remaining Embryos interested in Donating
Why would we donate through an embryo adoption program instead of a clinic embryo donation program?
Does Nightlight encourage the creation and freezing of embryos?
What are the legal issues with embryo adoption?
Does the age of the embryos (date frozen) affect our ability to place them for adoption?
If we used Donor Egg or Sperm in the creation of our embryos can we place them through Snowflakes®?
Isn’t this just surrogacy?
No. In surrogacy, an agreement is made for a woman to carry a pregnancy for the benefit of the intended parents. In our program, the placing parents relinquish all rights to the child prior to the frozen embryo transfer. The child that the adoptive mother carries is the child that the adoptive couple will parent. When the adopting mother gives birth to the child her name, and the name of her husband, will be placed on the birth certificate at the hospital. The questions and answers above are just a few from our Placing Information Packet. Download the entire booklet for more information about Embryo Adoption.
Questions from Medical Professionals
Does Snowflakes comply with FDA regulations?
Who pays for the placing family’s required testing and screening?
Where are the embryos stored while the placing family is finding an adoptive couple? Who pays for that storage?
Are the placing parents reimbursed after they place their embryos for adoption?
Who handles the legal contracts between the families?
I’ve heard you only do open adoptions, what does that mean?
Foster Care and Fost-Adopt FAQs
How do children enter foster care?Children are placed in foster care because they have suffered from abuse, neglect, or abandonment by their families. The average age of a child in foster care is 8 years old. The average age that Nightlight places in adoptive homes is 5 years old, though we can work with children from birth-18 years old. These children come from every social, economic, and ethnic background. While in foster care, these children may live temporarily with a foster family, with extended family members, or in a Residential foster home. Simultaneously, a social worker works with the birth families in order to reunify children with their biological family. If the biological family cannot make progress on or completed a state-mandated treatment plan, it is determined that the biological parents cannot maintain a safe home for their children, the parental rights are legally terminated. From that point on, the social worker tries to find a loving and safe adoptive family for the child.Is there a likelihood the child will be removed from my home?
The parental right’s of many children in foster care are terminated before the child is even placed in a foster adoptive home. Termination of parental rights means that the biological parents do not have the ability to “pull a child back” by deciding to parent again. Caseworkers make a decision to place a child in an adoptive home because from everything they can foresee regarding this case over time, an adoptive home will be needed. Once the adoption of a child in foster care is finalized with a family, their adoptive parents are given the same rights and responsibilities to that child as if the child had been naturally born to them.
Approximately how long does it usually take to adopt through foster care?
The adoption process on average takes about one year. However the process is unique to each child and family and depends on a number of variables.
What is the adoption process?
Foster adoption consists of the following:
Home study: The home study is an evaluation and education process required by the State to determine your preparedness to parent through adoption. A home study consists of paperwork, education and interviews with a social worker. During this time, you also start training, as a certain number of hours are required before placement can occur.
Matching: Once your home study is complete and you have been approved to adopt, we will work with counties to find the best possible match based on the child’s needs and the family’s ability to meet those needs.
Transition: Your family will meet with the child for a period of time outside of your home. If these visits are running smoothly, then the child will be placed in your home.
Placement: The child is placed in your home for a minimum of six months before adoption can be finalized.
Finalization: The legal parental rights are transferred to you and you become the legal guardian of the child(s).
Will Nightlight allow us to pursue foster adoption and another adoption (domestic or international) simultaneously?
We recognize that sometimes it is difficult to decide what type of adoption you are being called to pursue in building your family, but in order to ensure that we are able to provide you with excellent support we ask that a decision regarding program is made before the home study is completed.
Can I only adopt children from Colorado?
No, Nightlight works with all 64 counties in Colorado and all counties in the United States. We are actively communicating with county workers and other states who share profiles of children needing placements with us. In turn, we share your family profile with them and by working collaboratively, we find a match.
What is the benefit of using a private agency such as Nightlight?
Nightlight is a licensed agency and our caseworkers have smaller caseloads which allow us to offer more individualized attention and support to each family we work with. Nightlight has been completing adoptions for over 50 years and we work with every county in the United States, including all 64 counties in Colorado. We have experience in utilizing Trust Based Relational Intervention, an evidence-based training developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross at the Texas Christian University Institute of Child Development. This family-based intervention is designed to meet the basic relationship and developmental needs of children and youth from “hard places,” as well as the needs of the adults who seek to help them heal, learn, and grow.
What would you estimate the cost of adoption to be?
In general, the cost of an agency foster adoption through Nightlight will be approximately $6,500-7,500. Please contact us for a breakdown of the program fees and for information on financial resources available to help reduce the cost of your adoption. Training costs are in addition to the foundational $6,500.
Is financial assistance available?
During the six months in which you are fostering the child before finalization, you may be eligible for a foster subsidy. This subsidy varies depending on the needs of the child and is used to cover the child’s expenses, which may include therapy, tutoring, lessons, etc. There is also a federal subsidy that can be applied before finalization of an adoption, which is based off of the needs of each specific child. Many companies are beginning to offer Adoption Benefits to their employees as well. Your company may reimburse some of the adoption expenses paid by the employee, or they may offer paid adoption leave. Check with your Human Resources department to see if your company provides adoption benefits. Please contact Nightlight for more information on available financial assistance.