We know you’ll have questions before and throughout the adoption process. If you do not see the answer to your question listed here, do not hesitate to contact us.
How are birth mothers screened?
CPO does not screen birth mothers. We provide services to women facing unplanned pregnancies. Our primary goal is to assist the women in making the best possible decisions for their children.
How long has CPO been a licensed adoption agency?
CPO has been a licensed adoption agency since 1983. We have always encouraged openness in adoptions, even before “open adoption” became popular.
Is there a ‘better business bureau’ for adoption agencies?
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services licenses adoption agencies in the state. If you have questions about the agency, you can contact them at 405-521-2779.
How long will we be waiting for a baby?
We cannot provide an exact time frame. The average wait time is 6 months to 2 years. Some couples have waited as little as 20 minutes after turning in their Life Book, others as long as 3 years.
Can we specify the preferred sex of our baby?
No. When a child is conceived, as biological parents, we have no control over the sex of the baby. As such, CPO does not provide for preferred gender of the children placed for adoption. We believe God knows just how He wants to design each family.
Will we get the medical history of the birth mother and her family?
We ask all birth mothers to complete (as much as possible) a 67-page form that includes many questions about their medical history.
We have some Native American heritage. How will that affect the adoption process?
Federal law requires that babies born to birth parents with Native American heritage be placed with an adoptive family that has documented Native American blood. Please be sure to notify CPO if you have Native American heritage and a tribal roll card. We place many Native American babies and always need adoptive families who have roll cards.
How are the fees paid to CPO spent?
CPO asks local adoptive families to pay an agency fee of $5,000 and out-of-Tulsa-area families to pay $6,000. Our fees are much lower than many other agencies because we are a non-profit agency and no one associated with CPO is paid a salary or benefits monetarily from the fees. All monies are used to pay for operating expenses, maternity and personal care items for birth moms, support group supplies, counseling services, advertising and other necessary expenses.
Why are CPO’s fees so much lower than the fees of other adoption agencies?
CPO is a non-profit agency and no one associated with CPO is paid a salary or benefits monetarily from the fees.
We are interested in adopting an older child. Does CPO have older children waiting to be adopted?
Most of our placements are for newborn babies. However, from time to time, older infants, young children, and sometimes teenagers have needed a stable home environment. CPO has helped to facilitate these adoptions on an “as-needed” basis.
Will my baby ever be in foster care?
No. We place babies in a loving home environment with the adoptive couple, straight from the hospital. Quite often, the adoptive mother/couple has the opportunity to be in the delivery room when their baby is born.
Why does CPO require one of the adoptive parents to not work outside the home until the child is in kindergarten?
Making the decision to place a child for adoption is a difficult one. Many of these courageous women do so with much thought and deliberation. These mothers want to provide their children with the life they themselves cannot provide. This includes a two-parent home with a stay-at-home parent.
How often will we be required to see the birth mother once the baby is in our home?
On-going contact with his/her birth family is important for your child, for the birth family, and for you as the adoptive couple. The frequency of contact (face-to-face visits, phone calls, letters) will be dependent upon the birth mother and her availability and the proximity of the birth family and adoptive family. Typically, contact is greater in the first few weeks and months after placement. Frequency of contact is often discussed during sessions with the counselor and the birth mother and adoptive couple.
Can we use our own attorney or do we have to use the attorney recommended by the agency?
CPO has retained the services of experienced and knowledgeable attorneys who specialize in adoptions. You are required to use one of our attorneys.
We live out-of-state. Can we still adopt through CPO?
Yes. Sometimes birth mothers request out-of-state families. You will require a home study completed by a home study professional in your state and you may need to meet additional Oklahoma adoption requirements.
We live out-of-state. How will we be able to perform the required volunteer hours?
Out-of-state couples are required to pay an additional $1,000 in lieu of the 150 volunteer hours.
We live out-of-state. Are host homes available to us when visiting Tulsa for the Waiting Families Workshop and while we wait for the out-of-state processing when our child is born?
Yes. CPO has several families who open their homes to waiting couples and to new adoptive couples.
What does CPO mean when they ask if we are ‘Christians?’
CPO wants to know if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
We are Christians but we are not active in a church. Does this matter?
Yes. CPO requires that you be active in your local church and you will need a letter from your Pastor.
If we are open to children of every ethnicity, will we be chosen sooner?
Yes, the pool of families waiting for children of color is smaller.
Is there a ‘waiting list?’ How many Life Books do you have at one time to show to birth mothers?
No, there is not a “waiting list.” When CPO receives your Life Book, it is ready to be shown to the next birth mother whose criteria you meet. The girls often have a preference in Christian denomination, geographic location, number of children you already have, openness to pets, or the size of your town or city, to name a few. We always show them all of the Life Books that meet those preferences. We never have more than 30 Life Books at one time.
Why does CPO not accept applications from couples who smoke cigarettes?
It has been widely documented that “second-hand smoke” is harmful to everyone, especially to babies. Even if you only smoke outside, the residue on your clothing could cause serious health problems for the baby.
Do the birth mothers receive counseling?
Each birth mother is seen by a licensed professional every week. If they choose, they can remain in counseling for many years. We feel that this is a very important investment in the lives of these women.
Do the birth mothers receive consistent medical care?
Yes, if a birth mother comes to us during her pregnancy, she will see one doctor for the rest of her pregnancy and birth. This doctor is highly respected by the Tulsa medical community and is well known for his expertise. The birth mothers receive very high-quality, personal medical care. However, we also receive calls from women who have just given birth at a local hospital and have received no prenatal care.