Domestic Infant FAQs

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 Recognition 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 California, the birthmother usually signs within a day or two of discharge, however there are some circumstances where it takes longer.

In most situations there will be additional costs associated with supporting the expectant mother in her last trimester of pregnancy and 4 to 8 weeks after delivery. The expenses must be associated with 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 placing a baby for adoption.

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.