Hoping to Adopt?
Love for a child doesn’t begin in the womb. It begins in the heart.
If you are a couple whose hearts have been longing for a child to love, Lutheran Social Services of Montana is here to listen and to help. Our decades of extensive work with couples and families have given us an understanding of what you may be experiencing and how you may be feeling.
And it’s given us the experience we believe you will appreciate in navigating the adoption process.
Initial Adoption Criteria
Because Lutheran Social Services of Montana is a private non-profit organization, our criteria for adoptive parents are different from that of public state agencies. And while each adoption is handled on a case-by-case basis, our initial eligibly requirements for our domestic adoption program generally include the following:
- Be able to provide a loving and nurturing home to a child.
- Be in good physical and mental health.
- Demonstrate financial stability, including the ability to pay the standard and usual adoption costs.
- Be married to your current spouse for a minimum of two years.
- Be residents of the State of Montana.
- Have an active affiliation with a Christian congregation.
Preference is given to couples who are childless or who have only one child in their home; however, applications are accepted from families of all sizes. Please note that medically diagnosed infertility is not a requirement for couples seeking to adopt.
Beginning the Adoption Process
If you have made the decision to move forward with adopting a child, the first step you will want to take is to call Lutheran Social Services of Montana to talk with a counselor and set up your first meeting. At that meeting, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the process and the steps that you will need to take in order to move forward. Some of those steps will include:
- Completing an adoption application, including providing a list of references for us to contact later in the process.
- Writing a brief autobiography that tells us about you, your partner and your life together.
- Submitting to medical and background checks.
- Participating in an Adoption Preparation Workshop
- Completing a home study.
- Developing a profile letter to birthparents which tell them why you are hoping to adopt and the life that you can give their unborn child.
Please keep in mind that LSS-MT will work with you throughout this process to answer questions, provide support and give you any help you might need.