Adoption.com reports that there are approximately 120,000 adoptions in the United States each year. The choice to adopt a child is one that people make for different reasons, including infertility and wanting to help children who don't have a family. Others find themselves in a position where giving up a child for adoption seems like the best choice. Whether you are considering placing your child for adoption or are planning to adopt, you will want to find an adoption agency that is a good fit.
History
According to "The Adoption History Project" at the University of Oregon, wealthy women founded the first specialized adoption agencies in the United States between 1910 and 1930. These women tried to locate babies for friends or acquaintances by placing illegitimate children with them. After World War II, adoption became more regulate and expanded beyond babies, the history project website says.
Function
Adoption agencies are the middleman in the adoption process. They match potential adoptive families with children available for adoption or birth mothers planning to give up their babies. Many agencies require home studies and interviews of prospective adoptive parents to confirm their fitness for adopting a child. Adoption agencies have the highest level of regulation, but some people use adoption attorneys and adoption facilitators.
Types
Every state and country has laws and licensing rules by which adoption agencies must abide. Public adoption agencies are typically run by foster care, child welfare or social services agencies. Private adoption agencies must be licensed by the state or country they are located in. Some agencies focus exclusively on certain attributes, such as age or race. Private agencies may restrict their clientele in terms of religion, marital status or sexual orientation.
Geography
Choosing an agency usually depends on the type of adoption or the birthplace of the child. International agencies can facilitate adoptions from other countries, while interstate agencies help in adoptions of children born in different state from the adoptive parent. According to the Department of State's intercountry adoption website, there were more than 17,000 international adoptions in the United States in 2008.
Significance
AdoptionServicesInc.com outlines several types of adoptions:
Closed adoptions are those in which an attorney or agency chooses a birth family for the child. The biological parents and adoptive parents know nothing of each other.
Semi-closed adoptions are when birth parents look through the profiles of eligible adoptive parents and choose one. They do not have any identifying information about the families.
Open or semi-open adoptions take place when the birth and adoptive parents meet and exchange identifying information. Open adoptions allow direct communication between the two families, while semi-open adoptions use the agency to facilitate communication.
Independent adoptions happen when families find each other on their own, through a religious institution, mutual friends or family members. Adoptions by a stepparent or blood relative such as an uncle or grandmother are another form of independent adoption, and according to Adoption.com, make up 50 percent of the adoptions in the United States each year.
Time Frame
The time it takes for an adoption to be complete depends upon the agency, the parties involved and the location. For instance, if the birth mother and adoptive parents know each other before the child is born, it may be possible for the adoptive parents to take the baby home from the hospital. If paperwork is completed in advance, it only needs to be filed with the court. International adoptions can several years, says Adoptionservices.org.
Considerations
As of 2009, domestic adoptions cost between $5,000 and $40,000, according to Adoption.com, and international adoptions cost $7,000 to $30,000. Your best chance at a successful adoption is to find an agency with which you feel comfortable. Interview more than one, and verify the agency's license. Check to see if any complaints have been filed against the agency, and ask for references from previous clients. Your expectations and concerns should be important to the agency, and they should do everything in their power to help facilitate an adoption that meets your needs.
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