ADOPTIVE PARENTS

Swartz Adoption Agency (for short) is a licensed, non-profit agency located in Saginaw, Michigan that conducts domestic and international adoptions. Swartz Adoption Agency was formed by Christopher Swartz, a certified adoption attorney with the general practice law firm of Swartz & Wilson. Mr. Swartz has successfully conducted hundreds of international and domestic adoptions. Swartz Adoption Agency has social workers on staff for counseling and conducting home studies.

Once you have submitted an application and application fee, we recommend you begin to prepare a portfolio and begin the home study process. When birth parent(s) come to our office, we show them the prospective adoptive parents' portfolios, and they choose a family. Depending upon the situation, there may be a meeting between the birth parent(s) and the prospective adoptive parents. This meeting helps both parties. It allows the birth parent(s) a chance to get to know a little about the adoptive parents so she can feel comfortable about the placement decision. It also allows the adoptive parents a chance to get to know the birth parent(s) to get a feel for their reasons for the placement and (sometimes) their commitment to placing the child. It may also be an opportunity for both parties to discuss the degree, if any, of openness desired. After the meeting, both the adoptive parents and the birth parent(s) can decide if they want to accept each other.

A portfolio is a scrapbook of pictures and information about you, your family, friends, pets, and whatever else you would like to share about yourself. We will present any information you want to provide about yourself to the birth parent(s). As such, you can be creative. A portfolio should also contain a "Dear Birth Parent(s)" letter. This letter should be written to the potential birth parent(s) that would be viewing your portfolio and should contain information about why you want to adopt, what kind of adoption you want (open/closed) and how you feel about the birth parent(s).

Domestic adoptions generally cost from $6,000 to $15,000. We provide you with a complete and detailed list of the fees and costs associated with the adoption process.

Yes. As of 2020, the IRS allows a tax credit of $14,300 per adopted child for qualifying expenses paid to adopt a child. Qualifying expenses are reasonable and necessary adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees, traveling expenses (including meals and lodging), and other expenses directly related to the legal adoption of an eligible child. Our adoption attorney can explain in detail the tax laws concerning adoption and how it will affect you. You can also visit the Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service web site.

A home study is also known as a pre-adoptive placement assessment. The purpose of the home study is to ensure that children are only placed in homes appropriate for adoption. Swartz Adoption Agency conducts home studies in the state of Michigan. A home study through our agency costs $2,000. If you live in another state, we can arrange to have a home study completed through another agency. A step-parent home study is $650. Typically, a home study takes about six to eight weeks to complete. It includes two to four interviews with one of our social workers. One interview will be a pre-planned visit to your home. You will be asked many questions about yourself, your family, and your beliefs. There are no right answers, so there is no need to worry. Information about your physical health, criminal history, and references from friends also need to be obtained. We will assist you in this regard. The home study is an educational process, and you will find it very helpful.

The process for domestic adoptions varies based on several factors, such as the availability of birth mothers and finding a match between the birth parent(s) and a prospective family. There is no waiting list. When birth parents choose, they do so from the portfolios of available adoptive parents. On one occasion, prospective adoptive parents dropped off their portfolio on the Wednesday of Thanksgiving week, and they were chosen the next Monday morning before either of them returned to work from the holiday weekend. Essentially, you could be selected immediately after providing us with a portfolio.

Most of the time, the baby will go home with you straight from the hospital with temporary transfer documents that the birth parent(s) and adoptive parent(s) will sign at the hospital. A court hearing will be scheduled about two to eight weeks later for the birth parent(s) to give their consent to the adoption and for their rights to be terminated. The only steps left are follow-up reports to the court so they can see that the child is doing well in your home. The social worker/agency that did your home study will complete these reports.

No - not once the birth parent(s)' rights are terminated in court. They do have a 21-day appeal period after such termination, but for a reversal, they would have to prove to the judge that their consent was not voluntary. In the hundreds of adoptions performed by Christopher Swartz, this has never happened.

The primary difference is the representation of the parties. In an attorney-assisted adoption, the adoptive parents are represented by one attorney, and another attorney represents the birth parent(s). In an agency-assisted adoption, both parties are represented by the agency. With our agency, however, since Christopher Swartz is an attorney, he can explain each parties' rights and responsibilities the same as their respective attorneys would.

A closed adoption means that the birth parent(s) and adoptive parents never know each other. Some non-identifying information must be given to adoptive parents to assist them in medical situations, but names are not exchanged. Open adoption means that the birth parent(s) and adoptive parents know something about each other. The degree of openness depends on what the birth parent(s) and adoptive parents agree upon. It may be one meeting and first names only, or it may be occasional contact even after the birth of the baby.

If you do not want any degree of openness in your adoption, that is your choice. However, the birth parent(s) will have to agree to a closed adoption. If you get chosen by the birth parent(s) who would like some openness, the birth parent(s) have the right to select another family that will allow a degree of openness.

In nearly all domestic adoptions, the baby will go home with the adoptive parents directly from the hospital.

In all cases, we make every attempt to obtain as much information about the medical background of the birth parent(s) to provide such information to adoptive parents. At a minimum, we will be able to obtain the medical background of the birth mother.

The state of Michigan has no requirements for adoptive parents other than being approved for adoption through a home study. As such, age, marital status (single or married), race, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, etc. are not reasons for disqualifications in and of themselves.

Yes. We can handle adoptions for families throughout the United States and even for U.S. citizens living abroad. There may be eligibility requirements for adoption, depending on the state in which you live. We have completed numerous interstate adoptions.