Happy couple sitting in bed with their twin babies“My husband and I have just started researching infant adoption. We’d love to adopt twins! On average, how long does it take to adopt twins through Lifetime Adoption?”
 
Twin adoptions happen from time to time at Lifetime; we might have two to three newborn twin adoptions out of 100 adoptions in our agency each year.  
 
Lifetime recommends remaining open with your adoption preferences. That’s because if you’re only open to adopting twin babies, it’ll increase your wait time. It might even stand in the way of successfully adopting! Most of our adoptive couples wait from six to 16 months to adopt, and those couples are open to both single baby and twin adoptions.
 
When thinking about the average time you’ll be waiting to be chosen by a birth mother for a match, there are many factors to keep in mind.
 

Cost to Adopt Twins

Many times, when an adoptive couple is chosen by a birth mother having twins, their first question is, “Will adopting twins mean that we need to pay more adoption fees?” The answer is no. In the case of multiple births, Lifetime Adoption’s flat fees are the same as a single birth. Therefore, we will not charge you an additional fee for twins. Hopeful adoptive parents pay for our services, not for a child or children. If your adoption preferences include being open to adopting twins, you will be considered for any twin opportunities that we receive that match your preferences.
 
Couples adopting twins will find additional costs in legal fees and sometimes medical fees if they are assisting the birth mother with her medical expenses. The attorney handling the legal side of their adoption will need to file double the paperwork, resulting in increased attorney fees. In addition, an expectant mother carrying twins often needs more prenatal checkups and may require a C-section. Many twins are born small, so they require time in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
 
Bringing two babies home will undoubtedly cost more than just one. You would need additional food and clothing, two cribs, and so on. If you both work outside the home, you will pay double the childcare bills. So, it’s important to take a look at whether that is feasible for your family. Many adoptive couples think it would be cheaper to have two babies at once, but it would cost double in reality. For example, you may see you need to pay for college for two simultaneously.
 

Factors to Consider

Lifetime adoptive couple Shanna and Joe were blessed to adopt twins

Lifetime adoptive couple Shanna and Joe were blessed to adopt twins!

All adoption agencies will see it as extremely limiting if you specifically want only twins. Only being open to twin babies will most possibly increase your adoption wait time by a lot; if your adoption professional will even allow it – few will. Most all waiting adoptive families are open to adopting twins, as they are an extra blessing. I advise hopeful adoptive parents to be open to adopting twins but not to make that their goal. If you’re hoping to expand your family by more than one child, you may consider being open to sibling groups.
 
Adopting twins that are toddlers or older can be another opportunity to adopt twins. If that sounds like a good option, it can expand your preferences and provide more chances of being chosen as adoptive parents.
 
To avoid surprises or issues during your adoption journey, I encourage you to get knowledgeable on the process of adopting twins. For example, an adoption home study is required as part of your adoption. If you are thinking about adopting twins, you will want to ensure your home study provider is aware. That way, she can verify you are approved to adopt more than one child at the same time.
 

Share Your Adoption Goals With Lifetime

So that we can learn more about you and your adoption hopes, you can take the first step today by completing our online application. It’s free to apply and doesn’t obligate you to anything.
 
Once you tell us your specific adoption goals, we’ll be able to share with you if you’d be successful in joining Lifetime for your adoption. Then, we can give you information about what to expect and the average wait time.
 
Lifetime encourages all adoptive families to sit down and talk about what truly matters versus what you feel right now would be best. The process of adopting is unique because it joins two parties together to begin a new story. We don’t want you to feel pressured into taking a particular adoption opportunity, but we also wouldn’t want hopeful adoptive parents to miss out on what could be an amazing adoption! So take some time and write down any questions.
 
You can get started on your adoption journey by filling out Lifetime’s free and secure online application. We look forward to learning more about you when you apply!
 
 

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on October 16, 2017, and has since been updated. 

Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P.

Written by Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P.

Mardie Caldwell, C.O.A.P., is a nationally-recognized adoption expert and the Founder of Lifetime Adoption Agency. She has been working in adoption since 1986 and is also an award-winning author and speaker.

Mardie knows the sorrow of coping with infertility, and is an adoptive parent who experienced many of the challenges adoptive families might face. In various media appearances worldwide, publications, and her podcast, Mardie important steps that must be taken to complete a safe and secure adoption. Having adopted her son, Mardie knows firsthand the joys of raising an adopted child.

Mardie’s life mission is to help adoptive parents and birth parents find each other. With Lifetime Adoption Agency, she seeks to build happy families and provide precious infants and children with a loving and secure future.