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Suggest Waiting
I've adopted an older child, age 8 when placed through my foster care license with the intent of adoption. I had her join the church through RCIA and her First Communion. She was baptized in the Episcopal church as an infant. I'm glad I did, don't get me wrong, however, her church records which she'll have to access for all future sacraments, are originally under her birth name. The Church does not maintain confidentiality of birth names like the legal system.
With baptism, you have to list the parents as the birth parent or if rights are terminated but adoption not yet done, as the agency or state and the child's legal name must be registered as again their birth name.
All the literature I have found indicates waiting until after the adoption is done. Rest in the knowledge that the Lord knows you intend to baptize the child if you adopt. The Lord uses that as a veil of protection until you are able to move forward.
My youngest was placed with me at 10 months of age. She is now 4 years and 8 months of age. We are desperately praying that the subsidy paperwork will be completed in time to finish the adoption hearing so that we can baptize her on 5-11 (mother's day, pentecost and my 30th anniversary of my confirmation) when family will be in town from 3 different states. If the adoption is not done on time (insert my prayers) the baptism will have to wait. I've scheduled the baptism with the priest/parish understanding that we might have to reschedule. In the meantime I am asking the masses to storm the gates and approach the throne with my request to get the adoption done in time so I can have my daughter baptized with her godparents in attendance and not have to wait another couple months to get them all back in state.
After going through the journey twice, I believe it is a journey of trust development. Through all the ups and downs and crazy system issues (and by the way I work for the system), God calls on us to totally depend and trust Him with ourselves, our families and the children.
WorkerMommy
CPS worker 07 to present
licensing worker for about 10 yrs
foster care worker for about 6-7 years
foster parent for 7 years
adoptive parent for almost 4 years
soon to be adoptive parent again!
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