How do you decide what type of adoption is right for you? The options and decisions can appear endless and they are definitely overwhelming. The purpose of this article is to give you a very basic overview of the three main types of adoption. If one of these options spark your interest then you can begin to do more research (don’t forget to check out our blogs on each kind of adoption!) and hopefully feel a little more confident as you head in a specific direction.
While there are other categories of adoption, the main areas of adoption that most people consider are domestic infant adoption, domestic state adoption and international adoption.
Here is a little bit about each one:
Domestic Infant Adoption
With this type of adoption, potential adoptive parents are interested in adopting a very young infant from the United States. Usually this happens when a couple is chosen by a woman who has decided to make an adoption plan for her baby. Benefits to domestic infant adoption include: being able to adopt a very young baby (which is often important to first time parents) and also the contact with the child’s birth family allows you to gather more information about the child’s family history, background, etc. The biggest drawback to this type of adoption is that since adoptive parents are selected by the birth parents, you may have to wait a long time before you are chosen. Also, birth mothers are very unlikely to select single parents to adopt their children so this may not be the best option for single adoptive parents.
Domestic State Adoption
Children who are adopted through domestic state adoption often have spent at least a little bit of time in foster care. The parental rights of their birth parents have been terminated because of abuse or neglect. There are hundreds of thousands of children in the state system and many of them are waiting to be adopted by a loving family. Benefits to domestic state adoption include the fact that there is little or no cost involved. Also, there are a number of support services set up for parents who adopt through the state and they can help to prepare the family for the adoption and also assist with any problems that may arise in the future. The main concern most people have about this type of adoption is the abuse or neglect that the children may have experienced in their past. It is important that potential adoptive parents educate themselves about the challenges these children may face and the best ways of helping their children to adjust to their family.
International Adoption
Another great option is international adoption. Children who are adopted internationally were usually relinquished by their parents due to poverty or other reasons that caused the birth parents to be unable to care for them. The benefits and drawbacks to this type of adoption depend on the child’s country of origin and often also depend on the child’s particular situation. Some people want to adopt internationally because they want to help a child who has no chance of a future in their country. Others select this option because they like the range options that international adoption provides for them.
Confused yet? Don’t be. Adopting is not an overnight decision and choosing which type of adoption shouldn’t be either. Take the time to research and then go with your heart. Which type of adoption calls to you? Once you have the answer to that question then you will be taking the first steps towards the child who will one day join your family.