Adoption 101 - Types of Adoption

There are several types of adoption. The broadest categories are probably domestic and international adoption.

Domestic Adoption – here we will discuss three types: private agency, independent and public agency.
Private agency - these agencies work with both the birth parents and the adoptive parents. They typically provide workshops, training and counseling for both entities. Some encourage open adoption, where there is some level of communication between the birth parents, adoptive parents and the adoptee (The adoption triangle). Costs include the homestudy, placement costs and can include medical expenses and living expenses for the birth mother. The agency usually has some minimum requirements for the birthparents. The homestudy can be quite extensive with this type of adoption. Also the birth parents choose who will adopt their baby. This type of adoption can be quite long in some cases, namely for white infants.

Independent – this involves working with a lawyer or possibly an adoption facilitator. The adoptive parents have more control over the process and control the search for a birth mother. The wait time can be relatively short and largely depends on finding a birth parent. The fees can be unpredictable and not as closely regulated as private or public agency adoption.

Public agency/Foster Care adoption – children who may have been taken away form their homes due to neglect, abuse or the death of their parents may be placed in foster care. The state works with the birth parents to determine their fit to parent again. If it is determined either by the state or the birth parents, then the child will become eligible for adoption. The great benefit here, is that this is usually free to adopt via this mechanism or of low cost. And there are subsidies that are provided by the state. However, the children are usually older and may have a variety of emotional, learning or physical issues, due to their history, that prospective adoptive parents must honestly consider.

With some caveats, in most cases for domestic adoption, the parent has to terminate parental rights (TPR) before a child may be legally adopted by prospective parents.

International Adoption:
This form of adoption has gained popularity over the years. In 2005, it was reported that more than 20,000 children from abroad were adopted. The orphanages and agencies abroad largely control this process and work with an agency or a lawyer or the adoptive parents directly. Thus concern over a birthmother changing her mind is minimized. There are many things to consider, like travel, cultural differences, possibly other factors. The time for international adoption in some cases may be shorter than domestic adoption, especially for parents who were initially interested in adopting a healthy white, infant. Some of the more popular countries for US parents are: China, Korea, and Latin America. The countries where adoptions are possible will depend on the political climate of that country which can dictate the quality of the adoption process.

This is just a quick overview of the types of adoption. The next post will cover costs for each type. For more information on the types of adoption: visit ago.mo.gov. A great resource on international adoption is The Whole Life Adoption Book by Schooler and Atwood.