Adoption is a difficult choice to make, but it can be a rewarding one for everyone involved. After making the commitment to adopt, you will have to choose whether to complete the process through an agency or independently. Non-agency adoptions offer a number of benefits for both birth parents and adoptive parents.
Identification
Adoptions that are not done through agencies are called "independent" or "private" adoptions. In independent adoptions, birth parents and adoptive parents find one another on their own, and handle all the adoption arrangements through a private attorney. They also arrange and pay for their own home study.
State Laws
Independent adoptions are legal in all states but Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and North Dakota, according to Adoption.com. Birth parents can legally hand-pick adoptive parents in these states, but the adoption process must be done through an agency.
Benefits
In an article for AdoptiveFamilies.com, attorney Mark T. McDermott outlines the benefits independent adoptions can provide. Independent adoptions essentially cut out the middleman. For those birth parents and adoptive parents unenthusiastic about the extensive questioning, long wait times, high cost and bureaucratic processes that often accompany agency adoptions, independent adoptions are a welcome option. Many birth parents and adoptive parents feel more comfortable with the open nature of independent adoptions, and more confident playing an active role in making the adoption arrangements. In addition, parents who adopt independently don't have to meet the sometimes strict criteria of an agency.
One factor that is perhaps most compelling involves the adopted child's placement. In an agency adoption, children are often temporarily placed in foster care while the adoption paperwork is being processed. In an independent adoption, the child goes directly into the care of his adopted parents.
Drawbacks
In independent adoptions, adoptive parents miss out on the expertise provided by agencies, as well as the convenience they afford. Agencies do it all, including screening birth mothers and adoptive parents; conducting home studies; obtaining necessary consents; providing extensive counseling for all involved parties; advising adoptive parents on specific state requirements, and finalizing the paperwork.
Considerations
Specific state adoption laws vary. If you are planning an independent adoption, be sure to hire a lawyer who is familiar with your state's regulations. Failing to cinch up the legal details in the adoption process can lead to serious problems in the future if the adoption is contested.
