Desiring to Adopt

We believe that every child has the right to enjoy a safe, healthy, happy and stable home. We do believe that every adult has the right to adopt. New Beginnings families are carefully screened as per Mississippi Department of Human Service Licensure protocol including Criminal Background Checks, Child Abuse Registry Checks, References, Ministerial Reference, Statement of Christian Faith and a Home Study to be completed by a Licensed Social Worker who is employed by a Licensed Adoption Agency. All birthmothers want to know that their child is placed into a safe and loving family and that New Beginnings had done their best to be as careful as possible in the screening process.

Every Child Deserves a Forever Family

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR ADOPTION*

EACH COUPLE MUST:

1. Have a Christian commitment. Family devotions and training a child in a Christian atmosphere are important.
2. Be motivated to adopt by a desire to share their lives with a child and a willingness to love that child as if it had been born to them.
3. Have been married for at least two years.
4. Be in good physical health and free from communicable disease. The use of tobacco products is absolutely prohibited.
5. Be at least 21 years of age and not over the age of 45 in considering an infant adoption. If the child being considered is not an infant, it is preferable for there to be at least 18 years difference between the parents and child.
6. Be financially secure.
7. Provide a childcare plan if both parents work outside the home.
8. Have a home large enough to accommodate an additional child with no more than two children in each bedroom
9. Have water and sewage tested and approved by the local health department if your home is outside city limits. The home must also meet fire inspection codes with recommended smoke detectors and fire extinguisher.

*These requirements may vary slightly depending on the type of adoption (domestic or international) and which country if international.

APPLICATION AND ADOPTION PROCESS

Click here to download form and applications.

Preliminary Information Form- This form is the first step in the application process. You may download this form from our website. It is available in two commonly-used formats: MS Word ("Doc" file) [LINK TO THIS FORM] and Portable Document Format ("PDF" file) [LINK TO THIS FORM], to be read and printed with the FREE Acrobat Reader program. The Adobe Acrobat Reader is a FREE download available at www.Adobe.com. Below are links to each of the two versions:

Also, you may request a copy and we will mail it to you. To request your copy, please send your name, address, and a check for your non-refundable $25 handling fee to P.O. Box 7055, Tupelo, MS 38802, ATTN: Jody-Brenda. We will contact the references you list on your PIF form. After all references have been received, the adoption committee will approve your preliminary application. Upon approval, the Adoptive Home Application will be mailed to you.

Adoptive Home Application - the Adoptive Home Application must be entirely completed and submitted with a non-refundable $500 application fee. (This fee will be deducted from your total adoption fee.) If an applicant is not approved or wishes to withdraw their application, the fee WILL NOT be refunded. When your application is approved, you will receive a notification letter from NBICFS.

Adoption Waiting List - when thee Adoptive Home Application has been approved by the adoption committee, your name will be added to the Adoption Waiting List. This list is in the date order that each application is approved.

Home Study - NBICFS will arrange for a Home Study to be done when we are hopefully, within a year of placing a child in your home. A home study is only good for one year. After one year, an update will be required before a placement can be made.

Child Offered for Placement - when an appropriate child becomes available for adoption, the approved applicants will be contacted. If the applicants agree to accept the child offered, the balance of fees due will be payable at that time.
Placement/Court Date- NBICFS will coordinate the placement/court date with the adoptive family. You will then be required to make the necessary travel arrangements for placement of the child and a court appearance. Our attorney and a NBICFS staff member will appear before a Chancery Judge with the adoptive parents.

Finalization - you will not be required to return to Tupelo for issuance of the final decree of adoption. Our attorney will appear before the Judge after we have received the final post-placement report and finalization is recommended. At this time a final decree of adoption will be issued and a copy sent to you. Then you will receive the corrected birth certificate, usually within six weeks.

We strive to keep our fees as low and reasonable as possible and invite you to compare these fees and our process with other legitimate, licensed child-placing agencies. Prior to a child being placed with you for adoption, the only funds you will pay are the Preliminary Information Form processing fee ($25), the Application processing fee ($500) and your home study fee.

Our fees are ALL INCLUSIVE and include processing the preliminary screening (PIF form), processing the full Application, maternity care center program fee, the home study fee* and legal fees if the adoption is completed in Tupelo, Mississippi.

*NBICFS staff will complete your home study if you reside in Mississippi. If you reside outside of Mississippi a licensed professional, working with a licensed adoption agency, and who meets your state’s guidelines must do your home study. The “all inclusive” fee will be reduced by $1,000 if you live outside of Mississippi, because you pay your home study fee in your home state.

New Beginnings International Children’s & Family Services is a faith-based service organization with a strong Christian heritage. Our reference process includes questionnaires being sent to your pastor. Our application process also includes screening questions including the applicant’s use of tobacco and alcohol. Thank you for understanding that the birth mothers we work with have high expectations for adoptive parents and we strive to honor their expectations.

NBICFS does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, sex or religion. In all cases, our birth mothers have the right to review profiles (identifying information excluded) of adoptive parents and may participate in the selection process. I.e., in all cases we honor the birthmother’s preferences in regard to the above status categories.

FEE: The fees noted on this page apply to DOMESTIC adoptions and are slightly higher for international adoptions. Please contact the NBICFS office for more details.