Adoption Services

Philosophy of Adoption

The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach holds the tenet that, whenever possible, children should remain with their birth family and in their country of origin. However, lack of social service programs; lack of family protection policies; cultural stigmas; poverty; violence; and many complex pressures contribute to parents relinquishing their children. When remaining with their birth family is not possible, adoption into a family is often a child’s next best interest. Adoption is always a story of trauma and loss that can blossom into a story of welcome and healing and hope.

For children for whom an adoption plan is made, efforts are first made to find an appropriate family member or adoptive family of the same race and culture in order to have a mutual connectedness and established identity. When that type of optimal placement cannot be achieved, placement with a family of another nationality, race, or culture provides a permanent plan which otherwise may not be attainable. It is important that such a family preserves their child’s heritage by providing educational and social experiences to integrate his or her birth heritage with that of his or her adoptive heritage. The adoptive family should give much consideration to issues involved in raising a child with a different ethnic, racial, or cultural background from their own.

As a Christian ministry, we seek families who are committed to living and raising children according to God’s Word. We desire that prospective clients understand this as the foundation of our ministry. There are many excellent adoption agencies, if this is not something that speaks to you as you endeavor to expand your family.

Consideration of Adoption

Prospective adoptive parents come to an adoption decision for many different reasons. Some adopt because of infertility—adoption being an alternative way to grow their family. Some adopt to add to their family as children grow older. Some adopt to aid a specific child or for reasons of mercy and social justice. If you choose adoption for any of the reasons above, you will be providing a home for a child in need.

Adoption Services Provided

Licensed by the State of Montana and by the Hague-accreditation entity (IAAME) in the United States, as well as by the Central Adoption Authorities in the Philippines and in Colombia, The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach is able to conduct the six adoption services recognized by the U.S. Department of State and the Hague Adoption Convention.

In brief, these six adoption services consist of the following aspects of an adoption process:

• Identifying a child for adoption and arranging an adoption
• Securing the necessary consent to termination of parental rights and to adoption
• Performing a background study on a child or a home study on prospective parents
• Making a non-judicial determination of the best interest of a child
• Monitoring a case after a child has been placed with adoptive parents, until finalized
• Assuming custody of a child when necessary because of an adoption disruption

In more basic language, prospective adoptive clients work with us for the following services:

• Adoptive home studies for domestic adoption or Hague-accredited international adoption
• Adoptive placement within the state of Montana or from the Philippines or Colombia
• Adoptive post-placement supervision and other social work related to private adoption

Steps to Adoption

An adoption process has a number of important steps. Families should begin by finding a placing agency that is authorized to place children from the country they have chosen—or from the United States. The placing agency can be in another U.S. state from where you live. Then, the next step is to undergo a home study—always done within your state of residence. A home study is like a “family resume” to describe yourselves as well as to obtain approval to adopt.

Find out more in Frequently Asked Questions.

Home Study Services

The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach provides home studies and post-adoption services and support for Montana families wanting to adopt from any international country or domestically. A home study takes several months, on average, to complete.

We received our child placing agency license from the State of Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services in 2006, allowing us to serve families residing in Montana. Our license is renewed annually, in July of each year.

A home study is a pre-placement evaluation that involves the gathering of historical and personal information about the prospective adoptive parents and their household and community, as well as overseeing the family’s education and preparation for adoption. Think of it as a “family resume”.

Prospective adoptive families typically contract with The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach for a home study after they have been accepted into an intercountry adoption placement program—which can be one of our programs or another agency’s program.

The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach maintains cooperative agreements with many other adoption agencies across the United States, with whom we work together to serve adoptive families.

Post-Adoption or Post-Placement

We provide post-adoption supervision as required by the country from which the family has adopted. Usually, there is a series of three to six reports required after children are brought to their new home. This service is typically needed by the same families for whom we have conducted a home study.

The Philippines

More than 7,100 islands make up the Philippines archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam. The third largest English-speaking country in the world, the Philippines has a rich history combining Asian, European, and American influences. Ceded by Spain to the U.S. in 1898 following the Spanish-American War, the Philippines attained their independence in 1946 after being occupied by the Japanese in World War II. The Philippines is the only Christian-majority country in Southeast Asia. The climate alternates between tropical wet and dry seasons. The people of the Philippines are warm and friendly.

Intercountry Adoption from The Philippines

Due to factors including the many effects of poverty, there are almost 2 million children in the Philippines who are orphans or who have lost one parent. All children have to be cleared for intercountry adoption by the according government department in the Philippines, after it is determined that they cannot first be placed with a Filipino family.

The children are of Asian/Malay/Spanish descent and have been cared for primarily in orphanages. Children of either gender are available, though families requesting a child through the Traditional matching route cannot specify gender of child desired. The general age of children eligible and available for intercountry adoption is currently from 6 years old to 15 years old.

• The Traditional Adoption Program is for families who are interested in being matched with a child who is 6 years old through 15 years old, and healthy or with minimal needs. This program has a longer wait time than does the Special Home Finding Program.
• The Special Home Finding Program is for families interested in adoption of children around 9 years old through 15 years old; or siblings groups including young children; or children of all ages with developmental and medical needs. Our agency receives a monthly list which is shared with client families.
• The Relative Adoption Program is coordinated through the National Authority for Child Care as well as the Regional Authority for Child Care Offices in the Philippines. We work with U.S. citizen families who are attempting to adopt a relative child in the Philippines.

Age requirements for adoptive parents are the following: Prospective adoptive parents must be at least 27 years of age and at least 16 years older than the child to be adopted at the time of application. The maximum age gap between the adoptive parent and the child to be adopted must not exceed 45 years (exceptions can be made in cases of relative adoption or adoption of children on the special home finding list).

• More information about eligibility requirements, travel, and immigration can be found at the U.S. Department of State page for intercountry adoption from the Philippines.
• More information about the process, timeline, post-placement requirements, and other adoption preparation can be found by inquiring with our agency or submitting a no-cost preliminary application.
• More information about the fees involved can be obtained by contacting our office for a document listing all anticipated costs for a U.S. intercountry adoption from the Philippines.

The Philippine intercountry adoption program is stable and well-established. The Philippines is party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Therefore, all intercountry adoptions between the Philippines and the United States must meet these requirements. Philippine adoptions are conducted through a collaborative effort of a Hague-accredited adoption agency in the U.S. (such as ours) and by the Philippine Central Adoption Authority (NACC).

Colombia

Colombia is a country at the northern tip of South America. Its landscape is marked by rainforests, the Andes Mountains, and numerous coffee plantations. Colombia has a tropical temperate climate with little seasonal variation. It is the third most populous country in South America, and its high-altitude capital, Bogota, is one of the biggest cities in Latin America. The ethnic diversity of Colombia is a result of interactions between indigenous peoples, Spanish colonizers, and African slaves. The people of Colombia are warm and exuberant.

Intercountry Adoption from Colombia

Due to a variety of factors including violence, there are more than 5,000 children in Colombia who are in need of homes. There is a domestic program available to Colombian citizens, and these families get preference in child placement. An intercountry adoption may take place only if the competent authorities in Colombia have determined that placement of the child within Colombia has been given consideration and that an intercountry adoption is in the child's best interest.

The children are of Hispanic, African, Indigenous, or mixed racial heritage; a specific ethnicity cannot be requested. Healthy boys and girls through 9 years old are available only for adoptive parents with Colombian heritage. Generally, children with special developmental or medical needs, sibling groups, and children over 10 years old are matched with families who have no Colombian descent.

• The Colombian Heritage Program is for adoptive parents of Colombian descent living in the United States. ICBF has created a privilege of protocol to expedite the adoption process for these families. At least one adoptive parent or at least one of his/her parents must have been born in Colombia. Families with Colombian heritage have the ability to adopt younger, healthier children, and receive the benefit of reduced fees.

Age requirements for adoptive parents are the following: Prospective adoptive parents must be at least 25 years of age and at least 15 years older than the child to be adopted at the time of application. The oldest prospective adoptive parent must not be more than 45 years older than the child he/she adopts (exceptions may be made in special cases).

• More information about eligibility requirements, travel, and immigration can be found at the U.S. Department of State page for intercountry adoption from Colombia
• More information about the process, timeline, post-adoption requirements, and other adoption preparation can be found by inquiring with our agency or submitting a no-cost preliminary application.
• More information about the fees involved can be can be obtained by contacting our office for a document listing all anticipated costs for a U.S. intercountry adoption from Colombia.

The Colombian intercountry adoption program is stable and well-established. Colombia is party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (Hague Adoption Convention). Therefore, all intercountry adoptions between Colombia and the United States must meet these requirements. Colombian adoptions are conducted through a collaborative effort of a Hague-accredited adoption agency in the U.S. (such as ours) and by the Colombian Central Adoption Authority (ICBF).

Licensed in Montana

The Sacred Portion Children's Outreach can provide domestic home studies for Montana families wishing to adopt a baby born in the United States. Our agency has been licensed in the State of Montana since 2006, and this is renewed annually.

Infant Adoption

Domestic adoption (outside of fostering) is almost always adoption of an infant at the time of birth or shortly thereafter.

There are generally three avenues of domestic adoption: private adoption pursued through a licensed child-placing agency; independent adoption in cases of direct parental placement and facilitated by an attorney; or public adoption through a state foster care system (in our case, the State of Montana).

Private domestic adoption pursued through a licensed child-placing agency generally consists of the matching of birthparents and newborns, with an adoptive family, via a very specific legal process and after careful counseling.

Our agency conducts home studies for private domestic adoptions in Montana. Although licensed for domestic adoptive placement and licensed to assist birth parents, our agency is not currently accepting waiting families. Therefore, while we can act as a placing agency when necessary, we recommend that families establish a separate avenue of hoping to become matched with a newborn baby.

For those interested in domestic adoption, this means that the prospective adoptive family will need to find a different domestic placement agency before contracting with The Sacred Portion Children’s Outreach for a domestic home study.

Domestic home studies are also used for cases of independent placement where birth parents have identified an adoptive family known to them, and an attorney facilitates the placement process. We cannot do home studies for people using an unlicensed facilitator, as this is illegal in Montana.

For information about foster care adoption of domestic children who are older than infants, please see our Frequently Asked Questions or contact your own state of residence.

Eligibility for Adoption Programs and Home Studies

• Both prospective adoptive parents must be citizens of the United States.
• Single parents are allowed, with several extra parameters.
• The prospective adoptive parents much each be 25 years old or older. Some countries have additional requirements regarding age.
• The adoptive couple must be willing to concur with the tenets outlined in our organization’s Charter of Faith, unless an exception is made.
• The adoptive couple needs to be employed and financially secure, with income management evaluated as part of the process.
• The adoptive couple must be in good physical, mental, and emotional health. Any health conditions must be under control and not affect the ability to parent.
• The adoptive couple should have come to resolution about infertility issues, if this is a reason for pursuing adoption.
• The adoptive couple must consent to criminal history and child abuse registry background checks; any history must fit under the allowances of U.S. Immigration.
• An adoptive couple who becomes pregnant during the adoption process will be required to suspend the process until their child is six months old.
• The adoptive couple must be open to education on issues surrounding adoption and must be willing to participate in an established number of training hours.
• The adoptive couple must be aware that adoption takes patience and perseverance, and must be understanding of the complexities and risks involved.
• The adoptive couple should desire to parent regardless of the circumstances of the child’s birth, and should appreciate the heritage of a child from another country.
• The adoptive couple should be aware of lifelong issues inherent in adoption and be willing to seek help to meet their child’s psychological and developmental needs.
• The Executive Director reserves the right to accept or reject any application based upon what is deemed as the best interest of children and the mission of this agency.