Parenting Pointers: Pandemic Adoption Tips

Nicole Witt is Executive Director of The Adoption Consultancy, TODAY Contributor, and host of ‘Adopting! The Podcast. She has regularly shared adoption information and guidance and has assisted more than 500 families in their adoptions, and in this article she shared her top three tips to successfully adopt in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As we continue on this roller coaster journey through COVID-19, the normal processes of things have changed including the adoption journey. Adopting a child is an already complicated journey, but the pandemic has managed to take the difficulty to another level from having to go virtual to delays. And although the world has somewhat opened back up, we are still in a pandemic, so parents must approach adoption differently than they would have pre-pandemic.

1. Once you're ready, start the process as soon as possible.
2. Approach the situation with realistic expectations and a maximum of flexibility.
3. Don't let the number of other hopeful adoptive parents discourage you from moving forward. Instead, use it as motivation to be as proactive as possible in your adoption plan.

I had a chance to interview her to learn more.

How has the pandemic affected adoption?
The pandemic has affected adoption in many ways, from travel restrictions to virtual court hearings to ever-changing hospital policies. However, probably the biggest impact on hopeful adoptive parents is the lower birth rate, with an even more marked decline in crisis pregnancies which are more likely to result in adoptive placements. This means that there is a backlog of pre-adoptive parents and wait times for adoption are longer than usual.

Why is it still so important for families to start or continue an adoption process?
Even after the pandemic passes, there will be more waiting families than there are babies to be placed. Although adoption is not a ‘first come, first served’ process, it’s still beneficial to get signed up with placing entities (agencies and attorneys) sooner rather than later so that you’re not at the proverbial end of the line. The sooner you start the process, the sooner you’ll adopt so it doesn’t make any sense to wait once you’ve decided to pursue this path.

Are there Covid-related differences based on country or domestic vs. international that people should be aware of?
Not a lot of international adoption is happening right now due to travel restrictions whereas, in the U.S., people are able to travel freely regardless of the state they live in and the state from which they are adopting so the logistics of domestic adoption are definitely easier and more stable.