Computer systems and methods for facilitating adoption

Abstract

Disclosed is a data store for use by a first and second class of adoption participants having access privileges. A query is initiated for a first member of the first class or a second member of the second class upon access privilege verification. When for the first member, the query defines a qualifying family that may adopt an unborn or newly born child from the first member. When for the second member, the electronic query defines characteristics of (i) a qualifying unborn or newly born child that may be adopted by the second member and (ii) optionally the birth parents. Data store records are either associated with members of the first or second class of adoption participants. The data store includes records from a first and second adoption agency. The data store is searched with the query thereby obtaining a search result comprising one or more records matching the query.

1 . A computer based processing method for organizing, maintaining and processing a data store on a tangible computer readable media, the data store for use by a first class of adoption participants or a second class of adoption participants that have been granted an access privilege to the data store or that are each associated with an agency that has been granted an access privilege to the data store, the computer based processing method comprising:
 (A) initiating an electronic query of the data store on behalf of a first member of the first class of adoption participants or a second member of the second class of adoption participants upon verification that (i) said first member or the second member has an access privilege to the data store or (ii) an agency that represents said first member or an agency that represents said second member has an access privilege to the data store, wherein
 (i) when the electronic query is on behalf of the first member, the electronic query includes a first plurality of request parameters that collectively define a first plurality of characteristics of a qualifying family that may adopt an unborn or newly born child from the first member; 
 (ii) when the electronic query is on behalf of the second member, the electronic query includes a second plurality of request parameters that collectively define a second plurality of characteristics of (i) a qualifying unborn child or newly born child that may be adopted by the second member and (ii) optionally a birth parent of the unborn child or newly born child; 
 (iii) the data store comprises or has access to a plurality of records, wherein each respective record in the plurality of records is either associated with (i) a member of the first class of adoption participants or (ii) a member of the second class of adoption participants; and 
 (iv) the plurality of records comprises a first set of records from a first adoption agency and a second set of records from a second adoption agency; 
   (B) searching the data store with the electronic query using a computer, thereby obtaining a search result comprising one or more records in the plurality of records that match the electronic query, wherein
 when the electronic query is by the first member, each record in the search result is of a member in the second class of adoption participants, and 
 when the electronic query is by the second member, each record in the search result is of a member in the first class of adoption participants; and 
   (C) optionally, outputting the search result to a display, a tangible computer readable data storage product, a computer, or a tangible random access memory.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query is on behalf of the first member and there is no record in the data store associated with the first member. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query is on behalf of the second member and there is no record in the data store associated with the second member. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query is on behalf of the first member and there is a record in the data store associated with the first member. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query is on behalf of the second member and there is a record in the data store associated with the second member. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query is on behalf of the first member and the first plurality of request parameters includes one or more requirements selected from the group consisting of:
 a minimum age requirement,   a maximum age requirement,   a marital status requirement,   a sexual orientation requirement,   a nationality requirement,   a minimum years of marriage requirement,   a maximum number of divorces per spouse requirement,   a health requirement,   a maximum body mass index requirement,   an income requirement,   a maximum family size requirement, and   a religious orientation requirement.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query is on behalf of the second member and the second plurality of request parameters includes one or more requirements selected from the group consisting of:
 a date baby is expected to be born,   the sex of the baby,   the nationality of the baby,   a health requirement of the birth mother, and   a human immunodeficiency virus status of the birth mother.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query is on behalf of the first member, the method further comprising,
 receiving the electronic query over the Internet or wide area network from a remote computer associated with the first member at a time prior to the initiating (A); and wherein   the outputting (C) comprises communicating the search result over the Internet or wide area network to the remote computer.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the initiating (A) is performed without human intervention when the electronic query is received from the remote computer. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the initiating (A) is performed by the first adoption agency or the second adoption agency when the electronic query is received from the remote computer. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query is on behalf of the second member, the method further comprising:
 receiving the electronic query over the Internet or wide area network from a remote computer associated with the second member at a time prior to the initiating (A); and wherein   the outputting (C) comprises communicating the search result over the Internet or wide area network to the remote computer.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the initiating (A) is performed without human intervention when the electronic query is received from the remote computer. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the initiating (A) is performed by the first adoption agency or the second adoption agency when the electronic query is received from the remote computer. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising granting an adoption participant in the first class of adoption participants or the second class of adoption participants the access privilege at a time prior to the initiating (A). 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the access privilege is granted by the first adoption agency or the second adoption agency. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the access privilege is granted by the first adoption agency or the second adoption agency for a service fee. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the service fee is a one time fee or a recurring fee. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the access privilege comprises a login and a password. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of records comprises records from three or more adoption agencies. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of records comprises records from five or more adoption agencies. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first adoption agency is located in a first state and the second adoption agency is located in a second state. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the data store is a database that is addressable by a computer controlled by a third party;   the first adoption agency and the second adoption agency each have access rights to the database; and   the first adoption agency or the second adoption agency perform the initiating (A), the searching (B), and the outputting (C).   
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the third party charges the first adoption agency and the second adoption agency a service fee for access to the database. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein
 the data store is a database that is addressable by a computer controlled by a third party;   the first adoption agency and the second adoption agency each have access rights to the database; and   the first adoption agency or the second adoption agency perform the initiating (A), the searching (B), and the outputting (C) without human intervention.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein
 the third party charges the first adoption agency a first service charge for access to the database by the first adoption agency, and   the third party charges the second adoption agency a second service charge for access to the database by the second adoption agency.   
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query of the data store is on behalf of the first member, the method further comprising:
 (D) creating a watch that comprises the first plurality of request parameters that collectively define the first plurality of characteristics;   (E) searching the data store with the watch on a periodic basis; and   (F) notifying the first member when a record in the data store matches the watch.   
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query of the data store is on behalf of the second member, the method further comprising:
 (D) creating a watch that comprises the second plurality of request parameters that collectively define the second plurality of characteristics;   (E) searching the data store with the watch on a periodic basis; and   (F) notifying the agency that represents the second member when a record in the data store matches the watch.   
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query of the data store is on behalf of the first member and the searching (B) comprises constructing the electronic query by retrieving, from a record in the data store associated with the first member, the first plurality of request parameters that collectively define the first plurality of characteristics of a qualifying family that may adopt an unborn or newly born child from the first member. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic query of the data store is on behalf of the second member and the searching (B) comprises constructing the electronic query by retrieving, from a record in the data store associated with the second member, the second plurality of request parameters that collectively define the second plurality of characteristics of (i) a qualifying unborn child or newly born child that may be adopted by the second member and (ii) optionally a birth parent of the unborn child or newly born child. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initiating (A), searching (B), and optionally outputting (C) facilitate a closed adoption. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initiating (A), searching (B), and optionally outputting (C) facilitate an open adoption. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initiating (A), searching (B), and optionally outputting (C) facilitate a semi-open adoption. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initiating (A), searching (B), and optionally outputting (C) facilitate an agency-assisted adoption. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the initiating (A), searching (B), and optionally outputting (C) facilitate an identified adoption. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first adoption agency or the second adoption agency is a for-profit private adoption agency. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said first member and said second member do not have an access privilege to the data store and the electronic query is either (i) initiated on behalf of the first member by the adoption agency that represents said first member or (ii) initiated on behalf of the second member by the adoption agency that represents said second member. 
   
   
       37 . A computer program product for use in conjunction with a computer system, the computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable storage medium and a computer program mechanism embedded therein, the computer program mechanism for organizing, maintaining and processing a data store that is stored on tangible computer readable media, the data store for use by a first class of adoption participants or a second class of adoption participants that have been granted an access privilege to the data store or that are each associated with an agency that has been granted an access privilege to the data store, the computer program mechanism comprising:
 (A) instructions for initiating an electronic query of the data store on behalf of a first member of the first class of adoption participants or a second member of the second class of adoption participants upon verification that (i) said first member or the second member has an access privilege to the data store or (ii) an adoption agency that represents said first member or an adoption agency that represents said second member has access privilege to the data store, wherein
 (i) when the electronic query is on behalf of the first member, the electronic query includes a first plurality of request parameters that collectively define a first plurality of characteristics of a qualifying family that may adopt an unborn or newly born child from the first member; 
 (ii) when the electronic query is on behalf of the second member, the electronic query includes a second plurality of request parameters that collectively define a second plurality of characteristics of (i) a qualifying unborn child or newly born child that may be adopted by the second member and (ii) optionally a birth parent of the unborn child or newly born child; 
 (iii) the data store comprises or has access to a plurality of records, wherein each respective record in the plurality of records is either (i) of a member of the first class of adoption participants or (ii) of a member of the second class of adoption participants; and 
 (iv) the plurality of records comprises a first set of records from a first adoption agency and a second set of records from a second adoption agency; 
   (B) instructions for searching the data store with the electronic query using a computer, thereby obtaining a search result comprising one or more records in the plurality of records that match the electronic query, wherein
 when the electronic query is by the first member, each record in the search result is associated with a member in the second class of adoption participants, and 
 when the electronic query is by the second member, each record in the search result is associated with a member in the first class of adoption participants; and 
   (C) optional instructions for outputting the search result to a display, a tangible computer readable data storage product, a computer, or a tangible random access memory.   
   
   
       38 . A computer system comprising:
 a central processing unit; and   a memory, coupled to the central processing unit, the memory storing a module for organizing, maintaining and processing a data store that is stored on tangible computer readable media, the data store for use by a first class of adoption participants or a second class of adoption participants that have been granted an access privilege to the data store or that are each associated with an agency that has been granted an access privilege to the data store, the module comprising:   (A) instructions for initiating an electronic query of the data store on behalf of a first member of the first class of adoption participants or a second member of the second class of adoption participants upon verification (i) that said first member or the second member has an access privilege to the data store or (ii) an adoption agency that represents said first member or an adoption agency that represents said second member has access privilege to the data store, wherein
 (i) when the electronic query is on behalf of the first member, the electronic query includes a first plurality of request parameters that collectively define a first plurality of characteristics of a qualifying family that may adopt an unborn or newly born child from the first member; 
 (ii) when the electronic query is on behalf of the second member, the electronic query includes a second plurality of request parameters that collectively define a second plurality of characteristics of (i) a qualifying unborn child or newly born child that may be adopted by the second member and (ii) optionally a birth parent of the unborn child or newly born child; 
 (iii) the data store comprises or has access to a plurality of records, wherein each respective record in the plurality of records is either (i) of a member of the first class of adoption participants or (ii) of a member of the second class of adoption participants; and 
 (iv) the plurality of records comprises a first set of records from a first adoption agency and a second set of records from a second adoption agency; 
   (B) instructions for searching the data store with the electronic query using a computer, thereby obtaining a search result comprising one or more records in the plurality of records that match the electronic query, wherein
 when the electronic query is by the first member, each record in the search result is associated with a member in the second class of adoption participants, and 
 when the electronic query is by the second member, each record in the search result is associated with a member in the first class of adoption participants; and 
   (C) optional instructions for outputting the search result to a display, a tangible computer readable data storage product, a computer, or a tangible random access memory.