Start Your Journey
Looking to adopt a child into your family?
Once you have made the decision to adopt, your next step is to select an adoption provider. Choosing an adoption agency is an important decision. An agency like Adoption Alliance can provide guidance, preparation and support throughout the adoption process.
An agency can also help you to coordinate with all parties, manage your adoption plan and inform you on what to expect throughout the process.
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Our Services
What Sets Us Apart
Because every adoption is unique, Adoption Alliance staff personalizes each adoption plan. The professionals at Adoption Alliance take into consideration the individual circumstances and concerns of all parties. We understand that everyone has different life experiences and situations, which makes every adoption entirely different. Adoption Alliance strives to make your adoption experience a positive, rewarding one.
Adoption Alliance provides a range of services including:
- Adoption planning assistance
- Assistance in locating a birth mother
- Adoptive parent profile assistance
- Home study referral
- Post‐placement referral
- Coordination of all necessary legal services (relinquishments and finalizations) Interstate Compact for the
- Placement of Children (ICPC) submission, when applicable
- Agency monitoring of birth mother pregnancy, which includes:
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- Disbursement of financial assistance based the birth mother’s needs
- Arrangement and follow up on medical appointments
- Request on medical records from all appointments
- Providing appropriate counseling to birth parents
- Preparation of a hospital plan for the birth
Step By Step
Our Adoption Process
Adoption Alliance believes well‐informed adoptive parents will make the best decisions for their families. Let the experienced staff at Adoption Alliance help your dream of a family become a reality through domestic adoption.
1. Information & Application
Please review the agency info and application packet. If you have questions, ask. To apply for adoption, fill out Adoption Alliance application and all supporting documents (Adoptive Parent Agreement, Fee Schedule, etc.) and submit it with the required documents and a $250 non-refundable fee to our San Antonio office. We’ll get in touch once we receive your paperwork.
2. Texas Background Check
We’ll review your agency application and documents and handle a Texas Online Background Check for you. All applicants, no matter where they live, need Texas background clearances. After submitting the online check, we’ll reach out to you for the next steps. If you’re in Texas, we’ll send instructions for scheduling electronic fingerprinting.
3. Acceptance as Clients
Once the agency application has been approved and State of Texas Background Checks have been completed, the adoptive parents will be notified regarding their acceptance as clients. The non-refundable Client Acceptance Fee is due at this time.
4. Home Study
If you haven’t started your home study process yet, it’s time to begin. If you need a social worker referral, we can help. Your social worker will schedule a visit, help you with background checks in your home state (including FBI checks), and prepare your home study. You’ll also need to provide reference letters and medical reports for all household members to your social worker, and we’ll need copies for our records. If your social worker doesn’t have the required forms, we can provide them. For New York residents, we’ll assist with New York clearances, and for Texas residents, we’ll assist with Texas clearances.
5. Approval as “Parents in Waiting” & Profile
Adoptive Parent Profile and “Parents in Waiting” Approval: Upon receiving your Client Acceptance Fee, our Profile Specialist will guide you through the process of creating your vital adoption profile. This service includes professional digital profile creation, printing and binding of 10 hard copies, and adding your profile to our website. Once your home study, supporting documents, and profile are approved by the agency, we’ll email you an approval letter and request the non-refundable Parents in Waiting Fee.
6. Parents in Waiting Fee
Once the agency has received your Parents in Waiting Fee, an agency staff member will contact you for an introduction call. At this time, your profile will be added to our website and laminated hard copies of your profile will be prepared. You will begin receiving emails from our Director of Case Management regarding possible case opportunities as they become available. Please remember that the birth parents select the adoptive parents for their child; the agency does not make the selection unless directed to do so by the birth parents.
7. The Wait & Selection
Waiting can be tough, but it’s all worth it in the end! To ensure you’re ready for potential adoption opportunities, remember to keep your home study updated annually and maintain current background clearances from your home state.
Selection Process: When a birth family chooses you, an agency caseworker will get in touch. You’ll receive all available information about the case, such as the Genetic, Social & Medical History of the Birth Parent(s) and prenatal records. To move forward, you’ll need to sign and return a commitment letter within a specific timeframe, usually within 24 hours. At this point, you’ll also need to pay the remaining Agency Fee (minus your deposits).
8. The Match
The agency caseworker will assist you throughout the remaining adoption process and maintain contact with you regarding pertinent case details. She will help arrange a phone call and/or meeting with the birth parent(s) if applicable. The caseworker will also maintain contact with the birth parent(s) on a weekly basis. You will receive updated prenatal records as we receive them. You will be asked to review the records and sign an acknowledgement receipt.
9. Delivery & Placement
The birth parent(s) may or may not want the adoptive parents there for the birth, but it’s usually requested. So, plan to be at the hospital as soon as possible. We won’t be there for the birth, but we’ll check in with the birth mother afterward and work with the hospital’s social worker.
Relinquishment/Placement: Our caseworker will meet with the birth mother before relinquishment, and we’ll schedule a time for it. In Texas, the birth mother can’t sign until 48 hours after the birth. Once she does, we’ll handle placement paperwork with you right away. The baby will then be discharged to the agency or the adoptive parents.
Interstate Compact
The adoptive parents must remain in the baby’s birth State until they receive Interstate Compact approval to return home with the child. The ICPC process is typically 7-10 business days. The agency has no control over this process.
Post-Placement
Texas law mandates a 6-month supervisory period before finalizing an adoption. You must schedule post-placement visits in your home with your home study social worker. The social worker should promptly send post-placement reports to our agency. During this period, adoptive parents should send 6 monthly reports, including photos, progress updates, and pediatrician reports. These reports may be shared with birth parents upon request. Additional information is available in your placement paperwork.
Finalization
Once Adoption Alliance has received the post-placement visit reports from your social worker, the 2 pediatric reports and the 6 monthly reports from you, your file will be prepared for finalization. All finalizations are done by written deposition and you will not appear in person. You will receive the certified copies of the adoption decree once the judge has signed them.
Working with Adoption Alliance
Adoption Alliance is a 501(c)(3), not‐for‐profit, charitable organization founded in 1989. The agency received its provisional license in January 1989 and its permanent license on January 13, 1990.
Licensing & Process
We are licensed in Texas, New York, and Connecticut. We are also authorized to place children in most other states. Because every adoption is unique, Adoption Alliance staff personalizes each adoption plan.
The professionals at Adoption Alliance take into consideration the individual circumstances and concerns of all parties of an adoption plan. We understand that everyone has different life experiences and situations, which makes every adoption situation entirely different.
Adoption Alliance strives to make your adoption experience a positive, rewarding one. Working with an experienced and professional agency provides valuable services for both adoptive and birth parents.
The agency works with adoptive parents living throughout the continental United States. Our goal is to build happy, functioning families and to assist all parties through the adoption process with professional, caring guidance.
Adoption Counseling
Adoption Counseling for the birth parent(s) and their families is perhaps the most important service we provide.
It is generally recognized that young women who receive counseling during their pregnancies are more apt to follow through with their adoption decision. In addition, you will be provided with the background and health information of the birth mother (and the birth father if available).
Adoption Alliance employs a hard‐working, knowledgeable, and caring staff with many years of experience in adoption. We know there will be many questions throughout the adoption process and our staff welcomes any and all inquiries concerning the agency, its policies or the rules and regulations governing adoptions in Texas.
Contact Us
Do you have questions?
Adoptive Parents
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of adoptions do you do?
All of our adoptions are domestic and the majority are semi-open. Although, we can do fully open adoptions if both parties agree to it. Adoption Alliance’s goal is to assist all parties of an adoption plan with the best services to meeting everyone’s needs.
Is there an age requirement for adoptive parents and their children?
Adoptive parents must be between the ages of 25-50 years old at the time of application. Families with children under the age of 2 years old are not eligible to apply until the child has reached age 2.
Can a single parent or same-sex couple adopt?
Yes, non-traditional families can adopt through our agency.
How long is the average wait to adopt a child?
The average wait time will vary, as it is the birth mother who selects the adoptive family for her child. An adoptive family may positively affect their waiting period by being flexible and open to different situations; such as race of child, prenatal exposure to alcohol or drugs, etc. Please discuss the situations you may be comfortable with.
Can adoptive parents create their own profile?
No. The agency has specific guidelines for our profiles. The agency’s Profile Specialist will create a beautiful profile with your input. This service is included as a part of the agency fee.
Are adoptive parents able to talk to and meet the birth parents?
In most cases, the birth parents do want to talk to the adoptive parents during the pregnancy, as well as meet them. Some birth mothers may request an open adoption to include annual visits following placement. Others may be comfortable with a semi-open adoption in which photos/updates are shared following placement. Once the child is placed with the adoptive parents, the adoptive parents send pictures and letters for the birth parents through the agency. This is done once per month for the first six months and annually on the child’s birth date through 18 years of age.
What are the birth parent relinquishment laws in Texas?
The birth mother cannot sign a relinquishment document until 48 hours after the birth in Texas. An unmarried birth father can sign prior to the birth, but his parental rights cannot be terminated until after the birth. A husband must also wait until 48 hours after the birth to sign a relinquishment document in the State of Texas. Once the relinquishment document is signed, it is irrevocable.
What if the birth parents decide to parent before the relinquishment is signed?
The adoptive parents agency fee will be transferred to a new case and their profile will be made available for consideration for potential new case opportunities.
What happens if we decide not to adopt through your agency and we have already retained you? What will we lose?
Any agency fee that has already been paid at the time of your decision, because all fees are non-refundable once paid.
Is the Home Study included in the agency fee?
No. The Home Study is a separate cost.
Will the agency accept a Home Study from another home study provider?
The Home Study must be reviewed by the agency to make sure it addresses all Texas requirements. If not, a brief addendum or Home Study update may be required. Some states require for a Home Study to be completed by a licensed agency versus a private social worker.
How long is the Home Study valid in Texas?
In Texas, the Home Study must be updated every twelve months from the date of the last home visit.
What happens after we are approved as Parents in Waiting?
You will receive an approval letter via email and a request for the non-refundable Parents in Waiting Fee. Once the agency receives funds, a member of the agency staff will conduct an introduction call with you. At this time, your profile will be added to our website and hard copies of your profile are prepared for presentation to birth parents. All active Adoptive Parents in Waiting will begin receiving emails when the agency has a birth mother to match with a waiting family. The birth mother’s essential information will be provided within the email and her de-identified Genetic, Social & Medical History form will be attached. The case details may not match the preferences selected in your Adoptive Parent Preference form. However, each case will be presented as an opportunity to have your profile considered. We understand that some of our clients’ preferences can change in time and with additional research. Therefore, we want to give our families the ability to consider each case. Clients are asked not to contact the caseworker to obtain further details as all pertinent information will be provided in the email. The information presented is only for Adoption Alliance Families in Waiting. Adoptive parents will have a given time frame (typically 24 hours or less) to reply to the email to indicate that they would like to have their profile presented in the given situation. This time should be used to conduct research and determine if you have a comfort level committing to the case if selected. There is no need to reply regarding cases which you are not interested in having your profile presented. Adoptive parents should check their email regularly due to the necessary short timeframe of a response. Also, please note that your profile may not be presented if your profile does not match the birth mother’s preferences. The family who is selected by the birth mother will be contacted by the agency caseworker.
What information is provided to adoptive parents upon selection by a birth mother?
The adoptive parents will receive all available information regarding the case. This may include the birth parent(s) Genetic, Social & Medical History form(s), prenatal records if applicable and available pertaining specifically to the case presented. A photo of the birth mother may or may not be available and should not be expected in order to make a decision regarding the case. Adoptive parents are given 24 hours to make a commitment to the case or the agency must contact the birth parents’ second choice for an adoptive family. In most cases, prenatal records may not be immediately available as the agency must request the records. Obtaining medical records typically takes several weeks.
Does the agency do a drug screen on the birth mother?
The agency will request that the birth mother’s OB order a tox screen. However, we cannot guarantee that the doctor will comply with our request. Unless there is reason to believe the birth mother is using drugs during the pregnancy, only one drug screen is requested. Drug screen results are typically not available at the time the case is presented to the adoptive parents as the agency must request the tox screen.
Do most of the birth mothers have Medicaid?
Most of the birth mothers are eligible for Medicaid. The agency will assist them with this as much as possible.
What is the adoption law related to absent birth fathers in your state?
We must address a birth father’s parental rights; even if the birth father is “unknown”. Specific methods will be addressed on a case by case basis. It is very common that few details are known regarding the birth father of the child. Adoptive families should be aware of this and have a comfort level with this type of circumstance.