What To Expect During an Adoption Interview

As part of the process for determining which potential adoptive family you feel will be in the child’s best interest, you may want to interview the potential adoptive family to get to know them better, rather than just reading their profile.

There are two types of interviews, one being phone and the other being face-to-face. You are in charge of the interview process and can conduct the interview however you see fit. If you would like, you can request that a member of my staff participate in the process by asking the questions that you have created, or you can request that we ask a set of standard questions I have prepared to help guide you through the process. As the birth parents, you should have a good idea of who each of the families are based on the adoption profiles that you received and the letter that they wrote to you. The interview is a chance for the individual personalities of each member of the adoptive family to shine. Interviews that are conducted on the phone can last from ten to twenty minutes depending the course of the conversation. Typically, the potential adoptive families will not be asking you many questions other than ones that are considered “get to know you” questions.

In person adoption interviews have a totally different feel than the phone interviews. Most often the interviews happen in a neutral location, such as a restaurant or other public forum so that a relaxed atmosphere can be created. The potential adoptive family is expected to pay for any food eaten during the interview for themselves, the any staff member of my firm and birth parents.

After an interview, some birth parents may know right away which potential adoptive family is the best placement for the child. Sometimes additional meetings will be needed in order for you to make a decision. Matching is the most important aspect of a successful adoption and it may take time to find the right potential adoptive family for your child.