Parents who wish to adopt a child have many options for which type of process to pursue. Some parents would like to adopt a newborn in order to parent the baby as long as possible. Others see the need for families for young children and decide to follow that route. While some aspects of adoption are the same in all categories, there are differences between a baby and a young child's adoption.
Home Study
All parents who adopt must begin in the same manner, following through many preliminary procedures. A home study is completed according to the laws of the parents' state of residence. This includes collection of documents, such as birth certificates, marriage license and personal references. Once parents have completed the initial process, they may move toward their choice of adoption: a baby or a young child.
Assisted
Adoptive parents may recruit an agency for help in locating a birthmother who is pregnant and planning to place her child for adoption. Most of these adoptions are newborn infants, and an adoptive family is chosen by the birthmother. Agencies coordinate the parents' meetings and assist in the adoption process once a decision has been made. Parents who choose this type of adoption can expect to bring home a newborn or very young baby.
Independent
Some babies are adopted independently through the help of an attorney. Independent adoptions take place when adoptive parents meet a birthmother through various avenues, whether through an acquaintance or being sought through search and outreach. Independent adoptions are also typically done while a birthmother is pregnant and parents can anticipate adopting a newborn.
Young Children
Adoption of a young child in the United States may be from the foster care system. According to Adopt Us Kids, if a child has been in foster care for 15 of the last 22 months, he will go into custody of the state and become eligible for adoption. Because of this, most of the children in foster care are not babies, but rather vary in age from young children through teenagers, with the average age being seven years.
International Adoption
Prospective parents who choose to adopt internationally may only be eligible for adoption of a young child, depending on the laws of the birth country. For most countries, the youngest a child will be at adoption is six months. International adoption requires time for the completion of paperwork and acceptance by government officials in both countries. The time required to complete the process means the child continues to grow while awaiting a family.
