For whom? And what is important to know?

For whom? And what is important to know?

A New Way can provide mediation services for:

  • Heterosexual couples (married and unmarried)
  • Same-sex couples (married and unmarried)
  • Single adoptive parents

 

Naturally, you must have a valid Dutch Permit in Principle (Beginsel Toestemming) and an up-to-date home study report. Furthermore, the following requirements also apply.

Age

In line with Dutch adoption law (Article 5, section 6 WOBKA) the age difference between the adoptive parent(s) and the child should not be more than 40 years at the moment of placement. In the USA it often concerns infants and young children, which means that the age requirement needs to be taken into account. If both adoptive parents are 38+, 39+ or 40+ years old, we ask you to contact us, so that we can advise you regarding your options with us.

Special Needs

Almost all the children placed in the Netherlands from the USA are burdened with a difficult background. It almost always concerns the placement of infants, and at least these children come from difficult backgrounds.  Please contact us to request the flyer “Backgrounds of Children” to provide you with further information.

To determine if you are eligible for mediation as available parent(s) for a child from the USA, ANW and our American partners shall assess if the Dutch Child Care and Protection Board has sufficiently checked your openness to the most common types of backgrounds (special needs) of children from the USA, and if you can also handle the most common backgrounds of children from the USA. Please contact us to request the flyer “Home Study” to provide you with further information about the requirements that a home study must comply with regarding special needs, if you decide to start a USA adoption procedure.

English Language

A sufficient/good command of the English language is a requirement, because of the possible future contacts with the biological family, as well as the fact that a very active and independent attitude is expected from the PAPs during the course of the adoption procedure which requires communication with the American adoption contacts in English.

What You Can Handle
We will assess during the intake if the PAPs are able to handle the specific, emotional, and financial risks involved with a USA adoption procedure. Especially the open character of the adoption (the direct contact with the biological family in the future) and the backgrounds of the children in an American adoption procedure are very important.  We recommend that our PAPs research beforehand what this means for them.