Subscribe To This Blog’s FeedAdopting is a wonderful way to add a new child or children to your family. If you have become interested in growing your family in this way, then it is a good idea to consider what adoption is and how it works.
Adoptions come in three basic forms: Agency adoptions, foreign adoptions and private adoptions. Each of these is slightly different and affects how long it takes to adopt as well as the cost of adoption.
Agency adoptions
Agency adoptions are those in which you work with an agency to find a child to adopt. The agency will look for a child for the prospective parents to adopt.
Foreign adoptions
In foreign adoptions, children from foreign countries may be adopted. The adoption takes place in state courts after the child is brought to the United States. This is often the most costly form of adoption.
Private adoptions
Private adoptions allow parents to adopt children who they have found independently to adopt. This may also be used if a stepparent would like to adopt a stepchild and one parent has given up their parental rights (or had them terminated).
What kind of adoption is right for you?
The kind of adoption that is right for you will depend on your goals for the adoption. Are you interested in adopting a child you have found through an international agency or organization? If so, then a foreign adoption is right for your situation. Do you want to adopt your stepchild because their father or mother passed away and you married their other parent? You may be able to complete a private adoption.
Since each of these is different, it is helpful to speak with those familiar with the laws that you must adhere to during the adoption process. These adoptions can become costly in some cases, so you’ll want to go over the legal obligations you have, the overall costs and ways you can minimize expenses while you aim to bring your child into your home. Knowing the legal pathways to adoption will help you find the right path to finding a child to adopt into your life.
