Adoptive Family FAQ
Due to licensing requirements, Pregnant Residents are always assigned to enter the Nashville Home.
No, we accept expectant mothers from all over the United States.
No, we work with families from across the United States.
Mercy Multiplied is not Hague Accredited which is required in order to conduct international adoptions or work with international families.
A prospective Adoptive Family who is actively serving as Foster Parents cannot continue serving in that role if they desire to be a Mercy Adoptive Family. Due to the unpredictable nature of Foster Care placements and the unknown duration the child will be in the family’s home it would require additional documentation from the family’s Home Study Agency and/or Licensed Social Worker to update the family’s Home Study.
On average, Mercy Multiplied has 10-15 waiting families.
Due to confidentiality, Mercy Multiplied cannot disclose the number of Pregnant Residents in the program. The Nashville Home is a 40-bed facility and, on average, there can be 2-3 Pregnant Residents in the Home at any given time.
On average, Mercy conducts 1-2 adoptions each year. Since Adoption is not the main focus of Mercy Multiplied, we encourage Adoptive Families to also consider working with other Adoption Agencies or Adoption Attorneys in their area, as we do not want to limit a family’s opportunity to be selected by a Birth Parent.
If a pregnant resident makes the decision to place her baby for adoption, she creates a “wish list” that staff use in determining which adoptive family profiles to present. She then reviews the profiles and selects an adoptive family. Adoption Staff would then contact the identified adoptive family, and present non-identifying information concerning the birth mother and the baby to determine that family’s comfort in moving forward in the adoption process.
The waiting time for a Placement varies due to the below factors:
- The number of Pregnant Residents currently in the program
- A Birth Mother’s wishes and requests when choosing a family for her baby (i.e. state/region the family lives, infertility struggles, etc.)
- An Adoptive Family’s desires and comfortability when being matched with a Birth Mother (i.e. gender, race & ethnicity, drug & alcohol exposure, etc.)
Completion and approval of Mercy’s Adoption Application is required.
Mercy Multiplied is unable to give an average cost for an adoption due to agencies and attorneys having a range of fees. Contact adoption agencies and/or adoption attorneys directly to discuss their fees. Below outlines the separate costs related to an adoption.
The only fees Mercy Multiplied charges in an Adoptive Placement are a $25 Adoption Application Fee and a $200 Application Processing Fee. We require an Adoptive Family to reimburse Mercy Multiplied for any third party adoption related expenses. These costs can include, but are not limited to:
- Tennessee Attorney Fees and Court costs related to the termination of parental rights
- Medical costs for the Birth Mother and Baby that are not covered by health insurance plans
- Interim care fees
- Miscellaneous mailing/courier fees and Birth Certificate costs
A Mercy placement can cost approximately $1,500-$5,000. Please keep in mind that this is the average, depending on the circumstances of the individual placement. This amount is expected to be paid at the time of the placement. Additional costs of having a home study completed, post-placement supervisory visits, and attorney fees to finalize the adoption are separate expenses from Mercy, but are required for the completion of an adoption.
No, should a Birth Mother make the decision to parent her child she is responsible for reimbursing Mercy Multiplied for the third party adoption related expenses.
Due to working with Adoptive Families all over the U.S., Mercy Multiplied is unable to write Home Studies for Adoptive Families. Each family will be responsible for choosing a licensed child placing agency and/or licensed clinical social worker in their area to complete the Home Study.
Interim Care can better be understood as a family serving in the gap of an Adoptive Placement. Dependent upon the time frame of completing the termination of birth parents’ parental rights, it is often necessary for a baby to be placed with a Mercy Multiplied approved Interim Care family until all legal risks are eliminated. Some may describe an Interim Care family as a Foster Care family, but Mercy’s families do not work within the state’s foster care system.
Birth Mother FAQ
Most of the expectant mothers who decide to make an adoption plan while at Mercy choose to work with Mercy’s in-house licensed adoption agency. Please contact our offices if you have specific questions at (615) 831-6987.
You will be fully involved in choosing a family for your child. Adoption Staff will encourage you to write a list of qualities you want in a family. This could include the state or region a family lives and if they do or don’t have children. Based on your list, Staff will present you with scrapbooks and letters of families based off the qualities you listed.
Adoption Staff will coordinate and facilitate a phone call and face-to-face meeting with you and the Adoptive Family. Depending on each individual’s desires Adoption Staff will coordinate additional interactions via phone, mail, and/or face-to-face may occur.
It is not your responsibility to find and/or locate an Adoptive Family. You will work alongside Adoption Staff to identify a Mercy Adoptive Family that meets your wishes and desires for a family you want for your child.
The requirements for Mercy’s adoptive families are:
- Married for 1+ year
- Involved in a church and able to provide a pastoral reference
- Have no medical or psychological diagnosis, unless closely monitored by a physician and will not affect ability to parent
- Have the financial means to support an additional person in their family
- No age limit
- Accepts families without fertility issues
- Complete and receive approval of Mercy’s Adoption Application
We work with Adoptive Families from all over the United States.
Upon entering the program, you will work with Staff to apply for Tennessee Medicaid, called TennCare, which covers maternity costs. An Adoptive Family is responsible for paying for any maternity related expenses that is not covered by TennCare.
Yes. There is a wide range of options regarding contact with your baby while in the hospital. You could decide to have the baby in the room with you, you may want the baby to stay in the nursery and only have short visits with him/her throughout the day, or you may decide that you don’t want any visits with the baby. Regardless of the amount of contact, Adoption Staff will support you in that decision.
During the hospital stay you will be completing your child’s original birth certificate. This will allow you to select the name you wish for your child.
On occasion, some Birth Mothers want to work with the Adoptive Family in choosing the child’s first and/or middle name. In these situations, Adoption Staff will worth with both parties in deciding the child’s name.
Understand the Adoptive Family can legally change the child’s first and/or middle name when the adoption is Finalized (e.g. when the child can legally receive the Adoptive Family’s last name), but Mercy’s Adoption Staff works to ensure all parties are aware if the names will change at Finalization as Staff understand this type of unexpected change could impact the future relationship and/or openness between both parties.
Due the individual nature of adoptions, please contact our offices for specific information at (615) 831-6987.
Interim Care can be better understood as a family serving in the gap of an adoptive placement. Dependent upon the time frame of complete you and the alleged father’s parental rights, it is often necessary for a baby to be placed with a Mercy Multiplied approved Interim Care family until all legal risks are eliminated. Some may describe an Interim Care Family as a Foster Care Family, but Mercy’s families do not work with the state’s foster care system. The need for utilizing an Interim Care family is determined by Adoption Staff on a case-by-case basis.
It is at your discretion, even if you are a minor, to include your family in the adoption planning process. Please contact our offices for more specific information at (615) 831-6987.
Yes. It is common for Birth Mothers and Adoptive Families to have some form of relationship after delivery as this is called Adoption Openness. You will work with Adoption Staff in figuring out what type of relationship—or openness—you want with an Adoptive Family. For example, do you want pictures and letters a few times a year and/or do you want to have a visit with the family during the year?
Yes. You are encouraged to return to the program after delivery to continue Counseling and participate in Post-Placement Counseling with Adoption Staff.
