If you are one of the many parents or individuals who longs for a child but isn’t able to have one of your own you have no doubt considered adoption. Ultimately, the experience of having a child to love and care for will be very rewarding and satisfying but the actual process of adoption may be frustrating and emotionally exhausting for many people. If you want to adopt a child you need to better inform yourself on the issue before you begin. Read on for information on why, when, and how to adopt a child.

In general, Caucasian American babies are the most popular amongst prospective parents, but very few are available and these are mainly via private agencies and independent adoption agreements. In contrast there are more African American babies available for adoption – usually by families of the same ethnic background.

Children with special needs are also commonly available. Most of these are older children and have physical, emotional or mental problems or they may be siblings that need to be adopted together. Most of these children are in a State foster care facility or home, but can also be adopted with the assistance of private adoption agencies. Children with special needs are often provided with state or private financial assistance.

Inter-country adoption places children from other countries in American homes. These children are usually from Korea, Russia, Eastern Europe, Central and South America, India, China, and the Philippines. Since there are fairly strict immigration laws involved in this kind of adoption prospective parents will need to make sure they do so through a licensed organization or agency.

Who is Eligible to Adopt a Child?

* Agency Adoptions

In the case of infants an agency will usually only consider parents who have been married for one to three years, are between the ages of 25 and 40 and have a stable income. Fewer agencies will accept applicants over the age of 40 who wish to adopt a child. Some adoption agencies insist that parents are unable to bear children or have no other children; others require at least one parent to refrain from working outside the home for at least six months after the adoption is finalized.

In the case of special needs children, certain African American children and some inter-country children, the adoption agency may consider single applicants, people older than 40 or those who have other children. However, it should be noted that the adoption of Native American children by non-Native Americans is strictly limited by the Federal Indian Child Welfare Act.

What Steps Should You Take to Adopt a child?

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.

2. Complete the Adoption Application and Pre-Placement Inquiry

After you make contact with an agency you may be asked to attend an agency-sponsored group educational session. This session is aimed at teaching you about the agency’s procedures and their available children. At the session you will also receive the adoption application forms to adopt a child.

Next the adoption agency will review your completed application and determine whether to accept you as a client. If you gain acceptance at a private agency, you will usually need to pay a registration fee at this time.

The next step is the pre-placement inquiry or “home study.” This is where your family and the physical and emotional environment in which the child may be placed is evaluated. The process is also designed to provide parents with some degree of preparation. A series of interviews will be held with a social worker and this will include at least one home interview.

Questions asked are likely to be personal so that your suitability as an adoptive parent may be evaluated. You will have to provide information about your income, assets, health and the stability of the marriage and/or family relationships. Physical exams to ensure that you are healthy may also be required. The process may take a few months and only then may you adopt a child.

3. The Adoptive Waiting Period

All adoptions require a waiting period. For Caucasian infants it may take at least a year from the time of the home study and in most cases 2 to 5 years. African-American applicants wishing to adopt African-American infants won’t wait as long – usually less than 6 months.

If you want a special needs child or infant you can begin to review photo listings immediately to identify a choice. Inter-country adoptions can take a year or longer to process. Be prepared to wait weeks or months at the very least to adopt a child officially.

4. The Adoptive Legal Procedures

Once the child is in your care you will need to meet the legal requirements for adoption. You may consider hiring an attorney at this time, if you don’t have one.

A child generally resides with the adoptive family for at least 6 months before the adoption is legally cemented (this period does depend on State law and the conditions of the child and family). During the six months the adoption agency provides support services i.e. visits by a social worker.

Once the six month period is over the adoption agency will submit a written recommendation of approval of the adoption to the court. At this time you or your attorney can file with the court to complete the adoption procedure. If you do choose to adopt a child be prepared to wait as long as it takes.

* Independent Adoptions

If you decide not to go through an adoption agency you can make direct contact with a pregnant woman or a pregnant woman and an attorney, depending on the State law. Independent adoption is legal in most states but there are a few exceptions. Bear in mid that there are important variations with reference to specific aspects of adoption laws.

It is important to ensure that you consult an experienced adoption attorney. He or she can explain the adoption laws in your State. It is advised to make contact with other adoptive parents and to inform yourself about the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) if you plan to go out of your State to adopt a child. You will want to avoid having your adoption challenged because you failed to comply with adoption laws.

You will need to find a birth mother who wants to give up her child to adoptive parents. In states where this is allowed she may advertise in the classified section of local newspapers or you can do the advertising and/or use a national adoption advertising consultant. You could find a birth mother by sending an introductory letter, photo, and resume to crisis pregnancy centers, obstetricians, or friends and colleagues.

The costs of an independent adoption vary. If you adopt a child in this way you usually pay for the birth mother’s medical and legal expenses. In some states you may be required to pay for counseling for the birth mother. This is done to satisfy the court she fully understands her actions.

Home studies may be required to be conducted by a certified social worker or a licensed child-placing agency. Certain states require the adoptive parents to assist with the birth mother’s living or clothing expenses.
In an ‘identified adoption’ the birth mother and adoptive parents locate one another, and then consult a licensed adoption agency.

This agency will do a home study for the adoptive parents and counsel the birth mother. If you choose to adopt a child in this way it is likely to be a positive experience for all, as the adoptive parents and birth mother have full contact leading up to the birth. Most adoptive parents find this helpful as they can be involved in the pregnancy. In turn the birth mother can get to know the people to whom she is giving her child.

If you want to adopt a child it is your choice as to which of the above methods most suits your individual circumstances. Choose a method that will be the most fulfilling and the process will be less frustrating for all concerned. This leaves you free to concentrate on the arrival of your child. This is, after all, what really matters most when you adopt a child!