Test Your Knowledge

Questions for your doctor regarding adoption

Preparing questions in advance can help adoptive parents have more meaningful discussions with their physicians regarding their child’s healthcare. Parents may wish to ask their doctor the following questions about adoption

1. What kind of medical history and background information should I obtain for the child we adopt?
   
   
2. What medical conditions of the birth parents can most affect the child?
   
   
3. What happens if the child’s medical history is not available?
   
   
4. How soon after the child is placed with us do we need to bring him or her in to see a physician?
   
   
5. Which medical tests should we consider for our adopted child to evaluate his or her current health?
   
   
6. Will a physician be able to tell us if the child has any medical problems or potential long-term health risks?
   
   
7. How do we handle immunizations if the child’s past records are unclear or even unavailable?
   
   
8. What signs might indicate a child is having a difficult time adapting to the adoption?
   
   
9. Are certain medical conditions more common with adopted children?
   
   
10. Can you refer us to support groups for adoptive parents?

Questions for your agency or attorney

Preparing questions in advance can help prospective parents have more meaningful discussions with the adopting agency or adoption attorney. Prospective parents may wish to ask the following questions regarding adoption:

1. Are you a licensed adoption agency?
   
   
2. How long have you been handling adoptions?
   
   
3. What professional memberships does your agency maintain?
   
   
4. How many children have you placed?
   
   
5. What kind of adoptions have you handled?
   
   
6. Do you handle both domestic and international adoptions?
   
   
7. Which services are provided to us, as well as the potential birth mother before and after the adoption?
   
   
8. What are the estimated costs for your services?
   
   
9. Can you provide us with a list of referrals?
   
   
10. How long of a wait is there for a couple in our situation?