Adoption Self-Assessment Quiz

Source:  www.adoption.com

The goal of this quiz is to help you (and your spouse) identify, clarify and discuss your feelings and goals about adoption. If you have a spouse or partner, complete the assessment separately, then compare and discuss your answers.

1. Why do you want to adopt?
   
2. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, how badly do you want to adopt?
   
3. Who is the driver of wanting this adoption? Will this cause conflict?
   • Me (definitely)
   • Me (a little bit more than my spouse)
   • My spouse/partner (definitely)
   • My spouse/partner (a little bit more)
   • Both want to adopt about the same
4. Will this driver/driven dynamic cause conflict in your relationship?
   
5. What age child would you prefer to adopt? (Underline the preferred age, and circle all ages you would be willing to consider.)
   • Newborn (under six months)
   • Infant (newborn to 2)
   • Preschooler (3 to 5)
   • Primary school (6 to 10)
   • Middle school (11 to 14)
   • High school (15 to 18)
6. How firm are you on the age selected above? 
   
7. Which of the following disabilities would you be willing to consider in an adoptive child? (Select all that you would consider)
   • Drug exposed (occasional)
   • Deafness
   • Mild or medically correctable condition
   • No drugs or alcohol considered
   • Non-correctable (cerebral palsy, retardation etc.)
   • Alcohol exposed (occasional)
   • Alcohol exposed (frequent)
   • Smoking exposed
   • Emotional/mental disorders in family
   • Emotional/mental disorders in child
   • Premature birth
   • Multiple birth
   • Club foot
   • Cleft pallet or lip
   • Downs Syndrome
   • Epilepsy in child
   • Epilepsy in family
   • Blindness
   • Diabetes in child
   • Diabetes in family
   • Conceived through rape
   • Conceived through incest
   • Nothing known about father
   • Nothing known about mother
   • Sibling group
8. Which of the following racial heritages would you be willing to consider in an adoptive child? (Select all that apply)
   • Any Child
   • Arab/Middle Eastern
   • Asian
   • African American
   • Caucasian
   • Caucasian/Asian
   • Caucasian/African American
   • European
   • Caucasian/Hispanic
   • Caucasian/Native American
   • Eastern European/Slavic/Russian
   • Hispanic or South/Central American
   • Mediterranean
   • Middle Eastern
   • Multi-Racial
   • Native American (American Indian)
   • Pacific Islander
9. Which gender would you prefer in your child?
   • Girl
   • Boy
   • Either
10. Would you consider twins?
    • Yes
    • No
11. Do you feel you are stable in your relationship as a couple without having children? 
    
12. Which friends and family members would you want to tell about your adoption plans? Which would be supportive and which would not? 
    
13. What level of openness are you willing to consider with birthparents?
    • Completely open adoption
    • Open adoption with reasonable boundaries
    • Exchanging letters and photos only
    • Completely confidential adoption
14. Would you be willing to comply with specific birth family requests regarding child rearing (such as religious instruction, name or schooling)?
    • Yes
    • No
15. 15. Where would you be willing to go to adopt? (Select all that apply)
    • Only in our state
    • Neighboring states
    • Anywhere in US
    • International
16. How much time will you take off work during and after the adoption?
    
17. How much money would you be willing to spend on an adoption? 
    
18. How much economic hardship would that cause?
    
19. When and how do you feel children should be told they're adopted?
    • As early as possible / preschool
    • Mid- to late-childhood
    • As adults
    • Only when they ask
    • Only when they find out
    • Never
    • Not sure
20. Would you support/assist your child if he/she wanted to find, contact or have a relationship with his/her birthparents?
    • Yes
    • No
    • Don't know
21. Many adoptive parents have 'dry runs' before they actually adopt. How would you handle an adoption that matched with you but did not end up placing?
22. Will you or your spouse (partner) change your workload outside the home after the adoption?
23. • Yes, I will stay at home with the child
    • Yes, my spouse will stay at home with the child
    • I will reduce my work load to part time
    • My spouse will reduce his/her work load to part time
    • Will remain the same
    • Already stay-at-home
24. What do you feel you could contribute to a child?
    
25. What aspects of childrearing are so important to you that you would find it difficult to compromise (such as discipline, religion, schooling, stay-at-home parenting, etc.)?
    
26. Are you ready to love an adopted child as much as one you gave birth to biologically?
    • Yes
    • No
    • I think so
    • I don't know
27. Would you prefer to continue with infertility treatment before seriously pursuing adoption? If so, why?
    
28. Deep down do you feel like you are being forced to adopt if you want to have children, adoption as a means to build a family is "second best," or that adoption is your "last resort" if you want to be able to have children? 
    (If you answered yes to any of these points, there is a very good chance that you have some significant unresolved issues relating to infertility that you might find beneficial to address and resolve prior to adopting.)
    
29. What is the ideal adoption situation for you?
    
30. Ideally, how many children would you like?
    
31. How long are you willing to wait to adopt?
    • Up to six months
    • Six months to 1 year
    • 1 year to 2 years
    • 2 to 3 years
    • However long it takes