Adoption Loss: How Can I Reduce the Risk of a Reclaim?

One of the most important services your adoptionrate.
professional should provide is watching for "red flags."The reclaim rate often depends on when the birth
These are warning signs that indicate a birth mother ismother changes their mind: before the birth, at the
at risk of reclaiming or having a change of heart in herhospital, or when the child has been in the adoptive
adoption plan.parent's care. As hard as any change of heart is, it's
Your adoption professional should begin with the initialmuch easier to have the birthparents make this
screening of potential birth mothers. Most adoptiondecision before you've received the child in your arms.
professionals with years of experience will know theA qualified adoption professional that properly screens,
important questions to ask. By asking vital questions,monitors and provides options for counseling or peer
they can find out precisely what she's looking for in hercounseling for birth mothers should have a reclaim rate
life, if adoption is a good choice for her and her child,of around 4% to 6 %. At Lifetime our reclaim rate is
and what she desires in adoptive parents.very low, because we offer a great deal of services
They should be able to spot from the outset theand attention to each client.
warning signs of a woman not ready or willing to see"I am amazed at how much good and practical
the adoption through. It is difficult for adoptive parentsinformation Adoption: Your Step-by-Step Guide
to do this on their own.contains, especially the sections on how to avoid bad
The national reclaim rate varies greatly betweenadoption situations. It is good advice for anyone looking
professionals and can be as low as 4%, but someto adopt, and for anyone thinking about adopting, it's a
organizations have much higher rates of adoptionMUST-read!"
disruption. I have seen one attorney claiming 25%- Eric A.
reclaim as normal. This is not an acceptable reclaim