Adoption Eligibility
1. The adoptive couple must be a legally married heterosexual husband and wife who have a stable marriage. The adoptive couple must be married for a minimum of two years. Divorce is permitted by a maximum of three between the couple.
2. The adoptive couple must each be of the Christian faith. Although there is no specific denominational requirements, the couple must each concur with the tenets outlined in our organization's Charter of Faith. HopeFull Connections is a Christian agency and our main criteria is to place children into Christian families.
3. Couples must be at least 25 years old. If an international adoption, requirements for the country the prospective adoptive parents wish to adopt from may include lower and upper age limits of adoptive parents as well as number of years in age difference between the prospective adoptive parents and the child they will be adopting. The age of the adoptive parents should be such that it could be reasonable expected for them to raise a child to maturity.
4. The adoptive couple must submit a proof of employment and have a good employment record.
5. The adoptive couple needs be financially secure. The couple's income and full financial status will be evaluated as part of the adoption process. Some foreign countries have specific requirements regarding annual income.
6. The adoptive couple must be in good physical, mental, and emotional health. If health problems exist, they must be under control and not be a condition that would affect the ability to parent an adopted child.
7. The adoptive couple should have come to some resolution about their infertility issues, if this is a reason for adoption.
8. The adoptive couple must each consent to Criminal History and Central Registry Background Check and FBI fingerprint check. USCIS excludes HopeFull Connections Adoption Services from working with persons who are convicted felons, have child abuse complaints files against them, or who have continuing problems with drug and/or alcohol abuse.
9. HopeFull Connections does not limit to the number of children in a family, but should the adoptive couple become pregnant during the adoption process they will be required to suspend the process until their child is six months old. If an international adoption, the foreign country may set the limit of number of children in the family.
10. The adoptive couple must be open to issues surrounding adoption and willing to educate themselves on these issues. A minimum of 10 training hours are required.
11. The adoptive couple must be aware that adoption takes time, patience and perseverance and be understanding of the complexities involved. If an international adoption, they must understand that the systems in place must be followed to maintain credibility with foreign governments and any attempt to circumvent the process may only jeopardize the mission of the organization and the future of children still waiting for a forever family.
12. The adoptive couple should desire to parent a child regardless of where that child was born and the circumstances of birth, be willing to provide a nurturing and loving home, and provide the opportunity for a future based on security and development of individual potential. They should be able to appreciate the heritage of a child from another country and be willing to become knowledgeable about their child's country of birth.
13. The adoptive couple should be aware of life-long issues inherent in adoption and willing to seek assistance from resources outside of the family to meet the psychological development, medical and educational needs of an adopted child.
14. The Board of Directors reserves the right to accept or reject any application based upon what it determines is in the best interest of the children and the mission of this agency.
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