Choosing A Family,
Birth Parent Services

If you make an adoption plan for your child, you will have the opportunity to choose the adoptive family. You will be provided with family profiles to review. These profiles are six-page autobiographies with information and pictures. These families have already been screened, educated and prepared for adoption by LSS. You may choose the family you think would be the best match. You can meet this family prior to the adoptive placement. The amount and frequency of on-going contact before and after the placement will be determined jointly by you and the adoptive family.

LSS offers in-depth group training for all of its adoptive families. Birth families can be assured that LSS adoptive families are thoroughly prepared for adoption prior to their profiles being available.

What is involved in choosing a family? Think about what is important to you and for your child. Here are some questions to ask:

• In what kind of family do I want my child to grow up? Do they share the same values I have?
• Is a particular religion important to me?
• What lifestyle do I think would be best for my child?
• Is a stay-at-home or career mom important to me?
• What interests do I have in common with the families I'm considering?
• What kind of people do I relate to best?
• How accepting of me and my lifestyle will this family be? How accepting of the birth father?
• What is my intuition telling me?

What if I know someone I would like to adopt my child? What if someone approaches me about adopting my child and they are not working with LSS?

It is extremely important that any family adopting a child be well prepared and home studied prior to being matched with any birth family. LSS can help prepare your for the above experience and process with you the possibilities of each situation.

Prospective LSS adoptive parents attend an intensive three-day procedural training prior to beginning the home study process. The purpose of this training and education is to prepare adoptive parents for adoption, to educate them about laws pertaining to adoption, to help adoptive parents gain insight into the special concerns of birth parents, including legal aspects and to prepare them to communicate with their child about adoption. Perspective adoptive parents can contact LSS to initiate the process.

Adoption & Birth Parent Services
Dede Mogck, Director
621 East Presentation Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
605-221-2346
888-201-5061
Fax: 605-221-2404
Email: Dede Mogck

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