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Are you considering adopting this year? Don't miss this podcast on how to adopt in 2024. Our guests are Teresa Bernu, the Associate Director at the Adoption Center of Illinois, and Steve Valdez, the Chief Operating Officer at Hand in Hand International Adoptions. Teresa Bernu has over 13 years of experience in the child welfare field, dealing with a wide range of cases, including domestic infant adoption, foster care, and guardianship. Steve Valdez holds a B.A. in Public Relations, a Master of Divinity, and an M.A. in Psychology. He’s an adopted dad of 5 kids through foster care adoption.

In this episode, we cover:
Domestic infant private adoption in the US

• What is the process?
• What are the reasons that pregnant moms are placing their child?
• Open adoption
• Expectant parent choice
• Special needs of children available
• How long does it take? What factors influence this time?
• How much does it cost? What factors influence this cost?
• Adoption agency and adoption attorney
• What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting a baby?

Adoptions from foster care in the US

• What is the process?
• Adopting your foster child
• Adopting a waiting child
• What are the reasons that children come into foster care in the US?
• What age and race of child is available for adoption from foster care?
• Special needs?
• How long does it take?
• How much does it cost?
• What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting from foster care?

International adoptions to the US 

• What is the process?
• What types of special needs do children available for adoption from abroad have?
• How long does it take? What factors influence this time?
• How much does it cost? What factors influence this cost?
• What is the first step prospective adoptive parents should take if they are interested in adopting internationally?

Additional resources:

• Adoptions in the US: How Many? How Much? How Long?
• Choosing an Adoption Agency or Attorney

 This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them. Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

• Weekly podcasts
• Weekly articles/blog posts
• Resource pages on all aspects of fa

Support the show

Please leave us a rating or review. This podcast is produced by www.CreatingaFamily.org. We are a national non-profit with the mission to strengthen and inspire adoptive, foster & kinship parents and the professionals who support them.

Creating a Family brings you the following trauma-informed, expert-based content:

• Weekly podcasts
• Weekly articles/blog posts
• Resource pages on all aspects of family building