Of course you can! Vista Del Mar has many single clients.

Yes.

Absolutely. We have worked with many birth parents who specifically desire to relinquish their child to members of the LGBTQ+ community. The Adoptions and Foster Care programs have earned the HRC Seal of Innovation for being leaders in the field of building LGBTQ+ families.

All adoptions require a home study. The home study is a narrative that describes who you are and why you desire to adopt. It is a legal document that includes information gathered during interviews, medical information, fingerprint clearances, references, trainings and other related information. This report is also used to match you with your desired situation. You can tell us specifics such as age, gender, ethnicity and background factors that you are open to for your adoption.

The waiting time varies from family to family. Many of our families work with adoption attorneys and consultants that help speed up the process. Most of our families are in matches within 18 months after their home study has been approved.

Yes. Once your home study is completed, you will be assigned a social worker who will be there to guide you throughout the adoption process. Vista also offers expectant parents services, clinical case management during your match, and post adoption support after the placement.  

Vista Del Mar works closely with several leading adoption attorneys and consultants. In addition, we also reach out to local hospitals, universities, adoption professionals and maternity clinics to educate on current adoption practice and Vista’s philosophies and ethical approach. Vista assists in the placement of around 40 infants each year.

Once your home study is complete, it can be used to work with more than one adoption professional at a time. Families often do this to maximize their exposure. Our clients engage attorneys, consultants or agencies for the purpose of increasing their chances of being matched with an expectant mother. Adoptions at Vista can coordinate the efforts between other providers. Adoptions at Vista also offers you the option of pursuing more than one path to adoption. As one of a very select few agencies we offer domestic infant and international adoption services under the same roof. We also have a foster care program for families open to caring for children in need of all ages. You can learn about all three and pursue one or more of our programs concurrently.

There are strict laws that pertain to the relinquishment process and Vista Del Mar adheres to and supports those regulations. Birth parents must wait until discharge from the hospital before signing relinquishment paperwork. This is a very difficult decision for a birth parent to make, so it is important that they fully understand what they are signing. Once the relinquishment paperwork is acknowledged by the State, the birth parents cannot change their mind.

In most situations there will be additional costs associated with supporting the birth mother in her last trimester of pregnancy and 4 to 8 weeks after delivery. The expenses must be associated to the pregnancy and meet the guidelines of the state in which the relinquishment is occurring. It is illegal for a birth parent to request payment for the adoption. Vista can assist you in starting an expense account for birth parents and in determining legitimate expenses.

The Adoption Assistance Program (AAP) is a federal program of financial assistance available to all children adopted through the foster care system or for children adopted through an agency if the child meets certain criteria such as a medical condition that meets criteria for SSI approval. Children adopted through an independent adoption (meaning without an agency and solely through an attorney) are not eligible.

The adoptive child is eligible to receive AAP until age 18. In some cases, where the child has a mental or physical disability, he or she might receive AAP Program benefits until age 21. A child who qualifies for AAP benefits is also eligible for health care services through the Medi-Cal program. Medi-Cal can be used for most necessary medical services. When the adopting family has private medical insurance, Medi-Cal can be used as a supplemental plan.

An open adoption is when the expectant parents and the adoptive family have the opportunity to get to know each other and co-create an arrangement for having an ongoing relationship in the future. Since the longitudinal studies continue to affirm that children in open adoptions have the best outcomes in their socio-emotional development, 75% of domestic infant adoptions have openness arrangements. (Profiles in Adoption)  

A closed adoption is when both expectant parents and adoptive parents choose not to meet or share identifying information either before or after the baby is born. Only about 5 percent of adoptions are closed in the United States. This has been attributed to the unrealistic expectation of privacy in today’s technological world as well as nationwide practice shifts as the benefits of openness for all parties have become evident.  

On average Vista Del Mar completes 15-30 home studies during one year.

For an international adoption home study, there is a $500 non-refundable application fee. The home study fee is $2850. These fees do not include miscellaneous costs such as California Department of Justice live scan fingerprinting, medical appointments, home study notaries, immigration filings, immigration fingerprint clearances, placing agency fees and travel expenses.

The home study process, which entails completion of the required paperwork, education classes and three to four face-to-face contacts (dependent upon which country you are adopting from), takes between 8 and 12 weeks to complete.

In general you will need to provide documentation regarding employment, health, financial and criminal, child/abuse neglect and FBI clearances.

Depending on the circumstances, you may be able to adopt internationally. Since Adoptions at Vista Del Mar will be contracted to complete the home study, your placing agency will make the final determination regarding a past arrest or medical issue. Vista Del Mar is a full disclosure agency. All issues, related to but not limited arrests, medical issues, domestic partnerships and mental health issues will be disclosed in the home study narrative. Supporting documentation may be requested regarding these issues.

Once your home study has been completed, you will receive three packets:

• Packet 1 includes the notarized home study and agency licenses that have been requested by your placing agency;
• Packet 2 includes a notarized home study, a copy of Vista Del Mar’s agency license and a copy of your social worker’s license or master’s degree that will need to be filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; and
• Packet 3 includes a copy of your final home study for your files.
  Each packet is labeled with instructions as to what will need to be completed.

Time frames for obtaining the approval vary greatly. Currently it is taking 2-3 months for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to process the request and submit an approval.

If your placing agency and country requires post placement/post adoption supervision, Vista Del Mar will be able to provide this service. Depending on the country as well as the placing agency, post placement/post adoption visits will vary in terms of number of visits needed.

Re-adoption is the process where the adoption is put on record in the State of California Bureau of Vital Statistics. You will receive a California Amended Birth certificate and adopt-215 (adoption decree) indicating the re-adoption. The process of re-adoption requires one visit from a social worker, completion of a report and court documents preparation.

‍

AB-724

‍

Intercountry Adoptions Finalized in a Foreign Country

‍

This law requires the families that adoptions finalized abroad require them to re-adopt the child in their State of residence. Vista provides this service once you return home with your child.

Yes, the Adoption Program at Vista allows you to pursue both a domestic and international adoption at the same time. There may be some restrictions so please let us know if you would like more information about this option.

Foster parents are to provide children and youth with a safe, stable, nurturing and loving environment during a very difficult time in the child’s life, for as long as the child will be living there. Foster parents transport children to and from medical appointments, school functions and visits. Every child in foster care has a service plan that foster parents, Vista Del Mar staff, the county child welfare worker, and the child(if old enough) all develop together. Placement goals include permanency outcomes, community integration, meeting the medical and dental needs of the children, reducing and eliminating inappropriate behaviors, and supporting the child’s educational needs.

Children are between 0-21 years old and have usually been removed from families for reasons of physical and/or emotional abuse, neglect, maltreatment or family crisis.

Foster children may stay in care from a few days up to many months. In some cases, foster children might stay for years. The goal in every case is to work towards building a stable, permanent relationship. Possibilities include reunification with biological family, or adoption. Foster families may adopt their foster children if adoption becomes the child’s plan.

Foster and adoptive parents receive a monthly reimbursement determined by the child’s age and program placement. These funds reimburse foster parents for a portion of the cost of the foster child’s room, board, clothing, transportation and other incidentals. Foster parent reimbursements are not considered taxable income by the IRS or the state of CA.

Medi-Cal fully covers a foster child’s medical and dental care. Foster parents must keep every foster child current on all medical and dental appointments and vaccinations.

State regulations require that no more than two children of the same gender and within five years of age may share a room. Each child must have his or her own bed, closet space and dresser. A foster child may not share a room with an adult (18+) unless the child is under 2 years of age.

• Foster parents must be over the age of 21 and physically able to work with children.
• Foster parents must allow Vista to run criminal background and child abuse checks.
• Foster parents must also:

Have a stable home and income
Maintain a drug free environment
Be CPR and first aid certified
Complete all required training

We look for people who are able to:

• Provide a loving, nurturing, and safe family
• Help the child stay connected to supports that are in their best interests
• Provide children with opportunities to develop their interests
• Speak respectfully about the child’s birth family
• Help the child keep their relationships and possessions intact
• Help children heal, grow, succeed, and feel connected, safe, and loved
  Work as a member of the child’s team

Foster parents DO NOT have to be:

• Married
• Homeowners
• Rich
• Of any particular race, gender, gender expression, ethnicity, or sexual orientation