The match has been made and you have received the great news that you will soon become adoptive parents. Anticipating the arrival and addition of your new family member is exciting. Depending on your situation and the child you are adopting it is important to plan for a variety of things you may need.
Update Group health insurance. Health Insurance companies are required to insure pre-adoptive placements under the terms of the parents’ policy. Group health insurance companies cannot deny coverage due to a pre-existing condition and adoptive families may add a child to the plan within 30 days after the child is placed in the home. Special Needs children qualified for an adoption assistance subsidy may also be covered by the state or through Medicaid. In this case, the group health insurance plan is the primary coverage and any state or Medicaid coverage is secondary.- Update Life Insurance Plans, and change the beneficiary designations on your life insurance policies and will as needed.
- Obtain and keep a copy of the child’s original birth certificate. When the adoption is finalized the original birth certificate may be sealed and no one will have access to it. Without the original birth certificate some adopted people have had difficulty getting passports, and applying for affirmative action status. With the original birth certificate adopted people also have an easier time searching for biological family when and if they decide to do so.
- Learn as much as you can about the child’s personality. Talk to the birth parents, foster family, caseworker and other involved people. Ask questions and get information that will help ease the child’s transition into your family. What are the child’s favorite foods? What is the child’s favorite song, story or game?
Plan to keep items that tie to the child’s past. Try to find and bring with you everything that belongs to your child. Do not throw away broken toys or worn out clothes unless the child wants to. These items may have a familiar smell or hold a good memory of the child’s past attachments.
Make your home kid-friendly and remove household objects that might be dangerous for the child or too special to be broken. Clean and paint your child’s room and if they are old enough plan to do the decorating together. Be sure you have all the equipment you need to provide for your baby or child. Safe bed and bedding and other bedroom furniture.
For more information about Transitions:
- Adoptive Parents WAIT!
- Transition is All About the Baby or Child
- Starting you Child’s LifeBook
- Planning For Transition
- When Travel Is Required
- Transition of Siblings Anna’s Story
- From Orphanage or Institution to Home
- From Foster to Forever in the Some Home
- Toddler Transitions
The pictures on this entry come from: 
(no use restrictions)
Special Needs and Adoption-Related Terms:
A | B | C | D | E-F | G-H-I | J-K-L | M | N-O | P | Q-R | S | T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z
For more information about parenting special needs children you might want to visit the Families.com Special Needs Blog and the Mental Health Blog. Or visit my personal website.