Frequently Asked Questions

Military families are able to complete the online application and a phone conference, as well as receive our contract packet (if approved for the program), without making any obligations to Lifetime. We will help you determine if you should begin taking active steps toward adopting now, or if you should remain in the planning phase until a future date.

We are eager to assist you with your exploration and planning, and have had great success for our military families.

We have observed that military families typically display many characteristics that birth moms are commonly seeking in adoptive parents. Many birth moms love to see patriotic values, integrity, work ethic, diversity in community, stability of income, quality medical care, and many other common traits found in military families.

As an adoption professional, we’ve observed that overwhelmingly, military families have been able to follow the steps of our program, have great communication as spouses and with us, and display a high-level of adoption readiness. Just like with military service, the call could come at any time, and military families have a lifestyle of being, “at the ready,” just as we do here at Lifetime Adoption. These characteristics have greatly contributed to the success of Lifetime’s military families.

Remember, birth moms are responsible for their own travel in open adoption. She will know when choosing you that you are a military family, and may be stationed elsewhere over the years. We’ve not seen this be a deterrent for birth moms.

Married couples can continue to pursue a successful adoption in the midst of military obligations. We recommend that our military spouses have a Power of Attorney, which will enable them to proceed with the adoption process if a placement occurs while the service member is away on military duty.

We can still consider you for sudden adoption opportunities (or Drop In the Laps), as long as you’re able to arrive within the time needed for that particular adoption opportunity!

Some birth moms may plan a last-minute adoption, or have time constraints that give Lifetime mere hours or only one or two days to have a family physically present with the baby. We consider travel time when determining which adoptive family is a fit for these adoptions.

If you’re stationed overseas, we do not require you to be open for Drop In the Lap adoptions. Just let us know in advance that you want to be excluded from these adoption opportunities. All families living stateside are required to be open for Drop In the Lap adoptions. We will make exceptions for military families who are stationed overseas.

If you’ve not yet completed your adoption, and you’re moving to a different state, you will need to complete a new home study.

A move that is still within the bounds of the original home study provider (within the same state or county), will likely only require an update to include a new home inspection and updated information in your home study report.

Different states have different home study requirements, and if you’re moving to a different state, please be prepared to begin a new home study at the new location. For this reason, we will talk with you about the projected timing of your rotation, prior to beginning the program together. Most military families can count on remaining at a duty station for a certain amount of time. We also understand and respect that where and when you move isn’t in your control, and the needs of the military always prevail.

The adoptive couple also undergo medical evaluations, background checks, financial reporting, and FBI screening. These evaluations will show that your baby will join a loving and safe family environment.

There is no cost to make an adoption plan for your baby or child. The adoptive parents you select can help with your medical bills not covered by insurance, legal fees, reasonable pregnancy-related expenses, and counseling fees.

We can start the matching process as quickly as you’d like. You’re able to email the adoptive family or speak with them on the phone, whichever you’re more comfortable with.

Once you’re around 16 to 20 weeks along, you can officially match with an adoptive family. At USA Adoption, we want to be sure you’re able to make an informed decision about your child’s future. Let us help you design your custom adoption plan!