What Are the Different Types of Adoption?

Adoptions generally fall into one of the following categories:

International Adoption
The child lives in one country and the adoptive parents live in another country. International adoptions are handled by licensed adoption agencies. The children available for adoption are at least six months old and are usually in an orphanage. Adoptive parents may prefer an international adoption because the birthparents' rights have already been terminated. In most cases the adoptive parents will be required to travel to the child's country and stay there for several weeks while the adoption and immigration procedures are processed.

Domestic Adoption
Both the child and adoptive parents reside in the same country. Domestic adoptions are private/independent adoptions or agency adoptions or fost-adopt adoptions and are handled by agencies and/or attorneys.

Independent or Private Adoption
Both the birthparent(s) and adoptive parent(s) choose one another based on their own criteria. Birthparents often prefer independent adoption because they decide who will adopt their child and can obtain as much information as they need about the adoptive parents before their child is placed for adoption. Adopting parents often chose independent adoption for similar reasons, i.e., they have more control over their adoption and more information available to them regarding the birthparent(s). Most independent adoptions are of newborns.

Traditional Agency Adoption
The birthmother places her child (usually right after birth) with a licensed adoption agency and the agency decides who will adopt the child. Most agencies now allow the birthmother at least some say over who will adopt her child.

Fost-adopt Adoption
Children who are in the state foster care program and who are or will be legally freed for adoption. Generally, the children available through fost-adopt programs are older children (usually over the age of two). Fost-adopt programs are much less expensive than other types of adoption and adoptive parents often have access to a wide range of social services to assist them before and after the adoption. Fost-adopt programs are administered by state and private agencies.

This site is exclusively for birthparents and adoptive parents interested in an independent or private adoption, i.e. they want to find and choose who will be in their adoption plan.

How Has Adoption Changed?

There are more choices than ever in adoption. Today, a birthmother can sit down, any time, day or night, and find a family she is interested in anywhere in the United States. Today, a birthmother can choose any type of family she feels most comfortable with. Today, birthparents and adoptive parents can choose to have as much or as little contact as they would like. This was not always the case. The Internet has opened doors for adoptive parents and birthparents. Parties to adoption are speaking more directly to each other thus making it more comfortable and more streamlined for all parties concerned.