Domestic Adoption
The process for domestic adoption involves an individual or couple adopting a child that is already living in their home country. In many cases, babies are given up by birth parents when they are born and given to adoptive families. This happens in two ways--either directly between the adoptive parents and the birth parents/mother or through and adoption agency. If the process takes place directly, the adoptive parents find the birth mother through an advertisement, a friend, or another independent source and agree to adopt the child after it is born. The birth mother agrees to give the baby to the adoptive parents once it is born, and usually, either one or both sides will hire a lawyer to make the agreement legal. The adoptive parents may decide not to have contact with the birth parents after the adoption, or they may choose to provide the birth parents with updates on the child, or even visitation rights. This will all be included in the legal documentation prepared by the lawyer and signed by both parties. Once the baby is born, the adoptive parents become the baby's parents and take the baby home from the hospital.
If the adoption is done through and agency, the prospective parents will apply to the agency and be either accepted or denied based on their application, home investigation and background checks performed to make sure the couple or individual is a suitable parent. Once they have been accepted, the agency will match the prospective parents with a child that is ready to be adopted or with a baby that is not yet born. Each adoption differs, and some parents choose to meet the birth mother/parents prior to adoption and some do not. Once there is a match, the agency takes care of all legal documentation, and when the baby is born it goes home with its adoptive parents.
International Adoption
Most international adoptions take place through an agency that specializes in the part of the world from which the baby is being adopted. The prospective parents decide which country they would like to adopt from and then apply to an agency that specializes in adoptions from that country. The agency reviews the application, performs interviews with the individual or couple, a home investigation and a background check to make sure that the applicants will make suitable parents.
The agency then finds babies or children who need to be adopted and presents the couple or individual with photos, medical records and background information on the child. If it is not a match, the prospective parents will be provided with information on other adoptable children. If the adoptive parents choose to proceed with the match, the agency will begin to arrange the child's adoption in its home country. In most cases, the adoptive parents are required to go to the child's home country to pick up the child. The agency can help facilitate passports and travel arrangements, as well as negotiate any difficulties in the child's home country.
Public Agency Adoption
Some domestic adoptions take place through a public agency. This usually involves older children, special needs children, or children that are difficult to place. In most cases, these children are in foster care or state-run facilities. The prospective parents will apply to the state social services agency, who will perform the necessary investigation into the parents suitability as parents. The couple or individual will be matched with a child in need. All legal proceedings will be taken care of by the state social services agency. These types of adoptions are usually less expensive and the state often offers funding to the adoptive parents for the child's care.
