One of the goals that prospective parents have is getting to meet the child they are considering adopting, a child who will become special to them. This makes all the time and lengthy procedure all worthwhile in the end. Once the adoption agency have informed the couple that they are to meet the child, this becomes their priority.

There could be an advantage to private adoption. Prospective parents may be able to meet the birth mother of their adoptive child, as the adoption process is usually more open. A relationship can then be formed between them so that trust can be built up. If the mother is still pregnant, they can share the pregnancy and some can even witness the birth of the child they are adopting. This is an extraordinary moment for any adoptive parents to witness as they can meet their baby as soon as it is born.

Their are opportunities for parents adopting internationally to meet their child, but usually their first visual sighting is of a photo. The photos are provided by the relevant adoption agency, and this is enough to stir up excitement and anticipation in the parents to be. The concept of meeting their child for the first time is once which is indescribeable and unique to each couple. Once all the relevant paperwork has been completed and passed through, the couple usually have to travel to the child’s home country to meet them initially. This is necessary so that they can see the child in their own native homeland and within their own culture. The parents to be can then experience and learn about the culture and customs of the child in their own country. This is also the ideal opportunity to meet the child they have seen and heard so much about for the first time. The child is also given a chance to meet their new parents, although the language barrier could pose a problem. Usually, an interpreter is provided for such an occasion. Meeting their child for the first time brings great joy for any parents to be, knowing that this is the child they can in the future take home to nurture and care for as their own. As the adoption process focusses on all the homework and the legal documents that need to be processed, the adoptive parents only have a photo of the child to motivate them. All the challenges and the hard work pays off at the end, when the parents to be finally get to meet and hold their adoptive child for the first time.

All sorts of emotions are unleashed when meeting your adoptive child at the first meeting. To most it has taken years of applications, being screened with home assessments, medical and any criminal backgrounds being checked out and watching your life savings deplete, so a flood of emotions are released. Any worries or stress that came in relation to the adoption process, are soon erased when meeting your adoptive child for the very first time. The very first meeting needs the adoptive parents to be understanding and most of all patient.



Thanks to Abhishek Agarwal for contributing this article to our Adoption blog:

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