Domestic Adoption: The Types of Adoption Available in America
There are many variations in types of adoption. Below we break-down the possibilities and options available.
The first option is domestic adoption versus international adoption. For those in the US, domestic adoption involves adopting from within the US. International adoption would be any situation where the child was born outside of the US and you would be bringing the child to live in the US.
The next major distinction is a closed adoption versus an open adoption.
A closed adoption is an adoption in which no identifying information about the birthfamily or the adoptive family is shared between the two. Additionally, there is no contact between birthparents and adoptive parents. The adoptive family usually receives non-identifying information about the child and the birthfamily before placement. In a closed adoption, after finalization, the records are sealed. Depending on local law and what paperwork was signed and filed at the finalization these records may or may not be available to the adopted child upon their 18th birthday.
An open adoption allows for some form of association between the birthfamily, adoptees, and adoptive parents. This can range from picture and letter sharing, to phone calls, contact through an intermediary, or open contact between the parties themselves. Many adoptions of older children and teens are at least partially open, since the children may know identifying or contact information about members of their birthfamilies, or may want to stay in touch with siblings placed separately.
The next major distinction is an agency adoption versus a private adoption. An agency adoption is one that is arranged by a public or private adoption agency. This is as opposed to a private adoption which is arranged through an intermediary such as a lawyer, physician, or other facilitator, rather than through a licensed adoption agency.
Usually independent adoptions involve infants who are healthy or believed to be healthy. They often do not include counseling for the birthparents or parent preparation for the adoptive parents, and are not legal in all states. Children adopted through independent adoptions are not usually eligible for adoption assistance for special needs that may not have been noticeable at birth. Independent adoptions can be open adoptions, but this is not always the case. Private adoptions should not be confused with private agency adoptions.
A special type of agency adoption is foster adoption aka fost-adopt. This is a form of adoption in which a child is placed into a home as a foster child, with the expectation that the child will become legally free and be adopted by the foster parents. Also, children may be adopted directly from the foster care system without the period of fostering.
This section has covered the major distinctions in the types of adoptions available in American adoption. Other terms you may hear are: second-parent adoption, sibling group adoption, special needs adoption, step-parent adoption, transcultural adoption, transracial adoption and kinship adoption. Full definitions are available in our Glossary.