Consumer Guide to Adoptions
The Adoption Process
Adoption Agencies
Private Adoptions
International Adoptions
Infant Adoptions
The Cost of Adoption
Up for Adoption
Adoption Agencies
Whether you are a family wanting to adopt a child or a birth mother placing her child up for adoption, you will most likely be searching for the adoption method that best fits your needs. You may wonder if it's best to arrange an adoption on your own or work with an adoption professional. If you choose to work with an adoption agency, you may want to know what services they offer.
Types of Adoption Agencies
Adoptions can be handled by various types of adoption agencies, including public adoption agencies, private adoption agencies, and independent adoptions handled by attorneys. When choosing an adoption agency, you will want to consider your needs, whether you prefer an open or confidential adoption, the costs involved, and then determine what type of process is best suited for you.
Public Adoption Agency
A public adoption agency is a government-funded and government-run agency operating thru the social service agencies within a county and state, that helps place children in adoptive families. Public adoption agencies mostly handle special needs adoptions, such as children that come from foster care (usually due to parents with drug or alcohol related problems), older children, sibling groups, and children with physical or psychological needs. They do not usually have newborns for adoption. Adoptions handled thru a public adoption agency are usually the most affordable type of adoption, but they can also be burdensome with paperwork, bureaucracy, and working thru the court system.
Private Adoption Agency
Many successful adoptions have been handled by private adoption agencies. Adoption agencies can arrange adoptions that are either confidential adoptions or open adoptions. Private adoption agencies offer many advantages to birth mothers and adoptive families, including the availability of experienced and certified social workers to provide counseling, home study services, and legal services. They are also required to be licensed by the state in which they operate, which encourages fair treatment and accountability to their clients, since any bad business practices or mistreatment can be reported to the state licensing agency. Private adoption agencies usually operate as a non-profit entities, but they still cost money. Private adoption agencies may require an abundance of paperwork and operate within a structured system, but they work in the best interest of their clients, offer years of experience, and have successfully handled many adoptions without any problems.
Independent Adoptions
An independent adoption is an adoption arranged by the birth mother and adoptive parents that does not involve an adoption agency. State laws vary on permissible methods of adoption, but even if adoption is not required to go thru an agency, the legal paperwork must still be completed by an attorney. Independent adoptions are based on the concept of an open adoption, where the parties have knowledge of each other. Contact is made between the birth mother and adoptive parents, with the intent to get to know each other and determine if this is a good match. While many meet in person, some prefer to make contact thru the telephone, letters, or via the internet.
While some people have been able to successfully work out adoptions without any outside help, many who have gone thru the process without help have said that if they had it to do over again, they would choose to use outside help. From beginning to end, the adoption process is very complex. It can be very difficult to try to work out all the details without skill and experience and complete the adoption successfully without help.
Adoption Facilitators or Intermediaries
Some adopting couples may consider using an intermediary to help with the independent adoption, but it is important to note that some states do not allow the use of an intermediary in the adoption process. An intermediary is someone who helps locate a birth mother for an adoptive family - it might be an attorney, an adoption facilitator, or a special interest group such as a religious organization.
Adoption facilitators are intermediaries that help locate birth mothers for adoptive families. They are not social workers or adoption service providers as they do not place children for adoption and they are not licensed as either a public or private adoption agency. Adoption facilitators operate in a legal gray area, in many states all they can do is make an introduction between a pregnant woman and a prospective adoptive family. All other aspects of the adoption must be performed by outside professionals who are legally qualified to handle adoption procedures.
Adoption Attorney Services
The services of an attorney is required to take care of the legal matters in any adoption. Some attorneys may only handle the paperwork, while some attorneys may specialize in the entire adoption process, from locating a birth mother to completing the paperwork. In some states, however, an attorney is not allowed to act as an intermediary. A benefit in having an attorney handle the adoption is knowing that all the legal aspects of the adoption have been addressed.
Benefits of Using an Adoption Agency
The adoption process is very involved and complex and handling an adoption with a licensed adoption professional is very beneficial. A licensed adoption professional will be able to complete the paperwork that is required to legally adopt a child and they will make sure that all aspects of adoption are handled properly and that everyone's interests are protected legally. And just as important, they can provide a great amount of help and support with all the other issues that accompany the adoption process.