When you adopt a child via an adoption agency there are several steps in the process. The four basic requirements are listed below but there may be additional procedures depending on the agency, your requirements and those of the child you want to adopt.
1. Select Your Adoption Agency
Decide whether you want to adopt a child through a private or public adoption agency. Private agencies are supported via private funding and must be licensed or approved by the State in which it is operating. Public agencies are the local branch of your State social service agency. The majority of public adoption agencies handles only special needs adoptions and do not place infant or inter-country children.
* Private Adoption Agencies
Find one by looking under "Social Services" or "Adoption Agencies" in the Yellow Pages. Also ask other adoptive parents and your public agency for a referral. The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC) will also be able to assist you to identify agencies in your area. Alternatively you may want to buy the National Adoption Directory (NAD) from NAIC.
If you want to adopt a child, you can also contact your State adoption specialist or local adoptive parent support groups (all listed in NAD) for their recommendations.
A private adoption agency will deal with domestic and inter-country adoptions. Decide which type of child you would like to adopt before approaching the agency.
Fees can be quite high at private agencies, ranging from $8,000 to more than $20,000 for both domestic and inter-country adoptions. Ask your agency what its fees are and what the schedule is for paying them. Often fees can be paid in installments, due at particular times during the process
* Public Agencies
These can be found via your telephone book in the government section under a name such as "Department of Social Services" or "Department of Public Welfare." Extensive listings by State are available in the NAIC National Adoption Directory.
Depending on where you live the agencies may be organized somewhat differently - locally, regionally or by county. Make a call to your county office and ask to speak to the adoption specialist. If they are not able to assist you, ask for a referral to the regional or State office.
Public agencies usually accept adoption applications from African-American or biracial families wanting to adopt African-American or biracial children. This includes babies, and Caucasian families willing to adopt a child, older children or children with special needs. There are often some healthy Caucasian infants available too so enquire about them. Waiting lists are likely to be fairly long.
If you work with a public adoption agency their services are usually free or available for a modest fee, since they are funded through State and Federal taxes. You may be able to obtain a subsidy if you adopt a child with special needs. If your child is healthy you may be required to foot the bill for legal fees. If you are fortunate their may be subsidies for your legal fees too.
Prospective parents should bear in mind that public agency children have often been abused, neglected, or abandoned by their biological parents. These types of neglect do leave physical and emotional scars and you should always talk to the agency social workers about possible problems and ask about the availability of counseling or other services if you adopt a child through a public agency.
