How to Adopt a Child

There are primarily four ways to adopt a child

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  1. Independent Adoption.  The adoptive parents work directly with the birth parents.  An attorney can prepare all paperwork required.  The birth parents release the child directly to the care of the adoptive parents who then have full responsibility of the child.  This requires the adoptive parents to find and support the birthparents.
  2. Agency Adoption.  A child placing agency in the United States works with birth parents and matches them with adoptive parents.  The child is voluntarily relinquished by the birth mother to the legal custody of the agency who places the child with the adoptive family giving them physical custody of the child until the adoption is finalized in a court of law and the adoptive parent have full physical and legal custody. The agency takes responsibility to support the birth parents and assure they are cared for and the child is appropriately free for adoption.
  3. International Adoption.  An international child placing agency facilitates a connection between adoptive parents and an orphanage or agency internationally.  Once the child is freed for adoption and a match is made with the adoptive family, the family travels to the child’s country of origin and picks up the child.  After all paperwork is approved the child can return home with the family. 
  4. Foster Care.  Each state has a foster care agency responsible to care for children who are removed from their homes due to unsafe living conditions.  These children are cared for by family licensed as foster care families.  The focus of foster care is to reunite the children with their biological parents.  If it becomes clear that the child will not be safe, the parental rights of the birth parents can be involuntarily relinquished and the child will be free for adoption.  When possible the child will be placed with a family who has been fostering and is now ready to adopt, commonly called foster to adopt.  
  1. Independent Adoption.  The adoptive parents work directly with the birth parents.  An attorney can prepare all paperwork required.  The birth parents release the child directly to the care of the adoptive parents who then have full responsibility of the child.  This requires the adoptive parents to find and support the birthparents.
  2. Agency Adoption.  A child placing agency in the United States works with birth parents and matches them with adoptive parents.  The child is voluntarily relinquished by the birth mother to the legal custody of the agency who places the child with the adoptive family giving them physical custody of the child until the adoption is finalized in a court of law and the adoptive parent have full physical and legal custody. The agency takes responsibility to support the birth parents and assure they are cared for and the child is appropriately free for adoption.
  3. International Adoption.  An international child placing agency facilitates a connection between adoptive parents and an orphanage or agency internationally.  Once the child is freed for adoption and a match is made with the adoptive family, the family travels to the child’s country of origin and picks up the child.  After all paperwork is approved the child can return home with the family. 
  4. Foster Care.  Each state has a foster care agency responsible to care for children who are removed from their homes due to unsafe living conditions.  These children are cared for by family licensed as foster care families.  The focus of foster care is to reunite the children with their biological parents.  If it becomes clear that the child will not be safe, the parental rights of the birth parents can be involuntarily relinquished and the child will be free for adoption.  When possible the child will be placed with a family who has been fostering and is now ready to adopt, commonly called foster to adopt.