Adoption Options

how to decide between: baby adoption, foster adopt, domestic adoption, international adoption,

Adopting a child can be a wonderful way to expand your family, but it needs to be done correctly and with appropriate planning. The actual process of the adoption is full of choices. I have provided answers to the most commonly asked questions, including the restrictions and requirements for child adoption and how to select the best adoption agency to meet your needs.

There are generally three distinct categories of Adoption:

INTERNATIONAL ADOPTION

In 2010, Americans adopted 11,059 children from other countries, usually young children from orphanages in developing nations of Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
International Adoption: Haiti,Russia, Ethiopia

DOMESTIC ADOPTION:

Baby or Infant Adoption (otherwise known as domestic adoption) there is an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 annual domestic newborn adoptions in the US

FOSTER ADOPTION:

In 2009, more than 57,000 "waiting children" were adopted within the U.S. from the public foster-care system. State agencies handle these adoptions, which typically happen in one of two ways: Families apply directly to adopt a child in foster care, or first become foster parents and then adopt after the birthparents' rights are terminated. more information Foster Adoption . We choose foster adoption personally because we didn't want to leave our young daughter for extended travel times required by most international adoptions. We were not financially ready to take on $20,000 to $30,000 in fees for an international adoption.

Because of the differences in processes, most agencies specialize in either domestic adoption, foster adoption OR international adoption. (Insight into Choosing the Right Adoption Agency)

You will need to determine the age of infant or child you are interested in adopting. Keep in mind this requires some soul searching. Take your time here. These are very personal choices that you can only make within the context of your family, personal background, financial situation, etc.

You will have to considerage range, potential disabilities, ethnicity, health issues, etc. thatyou think you would be prepared for and comfortable with. Unlike yourbiological child, you get some degree of choice.

Please don't feel you haveto have it all figured out before contacting the adoption agency! Their job is to direct you into a path that is suited for your family. They will listen to your hopes and dreams and guide you onto a path that will create the family your heart desires. We interviewed several agencies. Wechanged our minds twice during the process. Need a breakdown ofcomparison of your adoption options, baby adoption, open adoption,international adoption? Here is a great reference chart that comes fromthe Adoption Guide. Adoption Decision Matrix.pdf

Once you have a fairly good idea of the direction you would like totake, it's time to determine the team of individuals that will help youcreate your family.Choose an agency with experience. Give several a call.

Agency Considerations.