Whom does Catholic Charities serve?
Do we have to be Catholic to receive services from Catholic Charities?
How much does it cost to adopt an infant through Catholic Charities?
If we’re interested in adopting, where do we begin?
What kinds of adoptions are facilitated by Catholic Charities?
Is an agency placement the only kind of placement Catholic Charities facilitates?
What is open adoption?
Can a birthparent stop an adoption that has already been initiated?
What is the timeline for receiving placement?
Do most birthparents select the adoptive family, or does the agency?
What are the legal risks in adoption?
Why choose Catholic Charities?

Whom does Catholic Charities serve?
Catholic Charities serves 11 counties through the Fort Wayne office—Adams, Allen, Fulton, DeKalb, Huntington, Miami, Steuben, Whitley, Noble, Wabash, and Wells—and five counties through the South Bend office: Elkhart, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Marshall, and St. Joseph. The agency is also able to provide assisted services to adoptive families and birthparents throughout the state of Indiana.

Do we have to be Catholic to receive services from Catholic Charities?
No. Services are available to everyone.

How much does it cost to adopt an infant through Catholic Charities?
Fees are paid as services are rendered. (Consult an adoption specialist for details.) The flat fee for placement is $6,000, excluding medical costs. (Fees subject to change.) If the birthparent has no insurance and you choose to help, there will be additional costs. For the Special Needs Adoption Program, no placement fee is charged.

If we’re interested in adopting, where do we begin?
If you’re interested in adopting through Catholic Charities, the first step is to attend an information meeting during which you’ll learn about the various types of adoption, the application process, training requirements, and other related issues. Although we encourage all applicants to attend a meeting, attendance by only one applicant per household is required.

In the Fort Wayne area, meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at Catholic Charities, 315 East Washington Boulevard. Pre-registration is not required. Simply arrive by 9:55 and check in with the receptionist. Childcare is not available. Parking is available in our lot on the corner of Lafayette and Washington boulevards and in the metered lot on the corner of Washington and Barr streets.

The schedule for informational meetings in Fort Wayne for the remainder of 2008 is:

• August 7
• September 4
• October 2
• November 6
• December 4

If you live in the South Bend area, please call our West Region office at (574) 234-3111 or (800) 686-3112. We’ll be happy to speak to you about your situation and how we can help.

What kinds of adoption are facilitated by Catholic Charities?
Catholic Charities will facilitate the kind of adoption experience birthparents are seeking. Many adoptions have some form of ongoing communication. If a birthparent declines, or isn’t in a position to select or meet the adoptive family, Catholic Charities will assist as needed.

Is an agency placement the only kind of placement Catholic Charities facilitates?
No. Our program has five categories: agency placement, assisted private placement, assisted interstate, assisted international, and special needs adoptions.

What is open adoption?
An open adoption allows for the exchange of identifying information between the adoptive family and the birth family before placement occurs, as well as ongoing contact afterward according to the wishes of both parties.

Prior to the 1980s, nearly all adoptions were “closed,” meaning that the circumstances of birth and the identities of biological parents were unavailable to either the child or the adoptive parents. Since that time, there has been a move toward openness in adoption. Adoptees wanted to know their origins, and laws were passed aiding their cause.

More recently, Indiana established its Adoption History Registry, which makes it possible for information to be shared between adult adoptees and birthparents, if each demonstrates a willingness to contact the other.

The level of openness in any adoption varies according to the desires of the biological and adoptive parents, and may change over time. Openness levels include:

Closed, or confidential
Minimal non-identifying information is shared at or around the time of placement, with no direct contact between the adoptive parents and the birthparents.

Semi-open
No direct contact occurs between the adoptive parents and the birthparents. Identifying information is not shared. The agency acts as intermediary to pass letters, gifts, photos, etc., between the parents.

Open, or fully disclosed
Birthparents play a major role in the selection of the adoptive parents. All identifying information is fully disclosed between the adoptive and biological families. Contact is maintained between the parents—and possibly members of the extended family—through phone calls, letters, and/or direct meetings.

Can a birthparent stop an adoption that has already been initiated?
Yes. Until consents are signed for adoption after the birth of a child, birthparents may change the plan for their child and decide to parent.

What is the timeline for receiving placement?
Although Catholic Charities does not guarantee placements, most couples receive a placement within one to three years after their home study is approved. Many factors influence the waiting period, some of which are beyond anyone’s control. For example, factors may include the number of birthmothers considering adoption through Catholic Charities, a couple’s personal preferences, or the level of openness the family wants.

In most cases, do the birthparents select the adoptive family, or does the agency?
Yes, most birthparents select the adoptive couple themselves. The small number who don’t choose a specific couple usually provide the agency adoption specialist with guidelines to select an appropriate family.

What are the legal risks in adoption?
Once a decree of adoption is filed, the State of Indiana will not consider any argument to revoke a placement.

Why choose Catholic Charities?
There are many reasons:

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