Embarking on the path of adoption is a deeply meaningful and fulfilling journey, bringing about transformative changes in the lives of both children and parents. With various types of adoption services available, prospective adoptive parents interested in growing their families have multiple options to consider. Each distinctive type of adoption service has its exclusive benefits, but which is the best fit for you? We are here to help!

Domestic Adoption

Domestic adoption involves adopting a child within one’s own country, allowing prospective adoptive parents to adopt infants, older children, or sibling groups. The benefits of domestic adoption include cultural familiarity and legal simplicity. Adoptive parents and children share a common cultural background, and the adoption laws and processes are typically more straightforward within one’s own country.

International Adoption

On the other hand, international adoption involves adopting a child from another country, offering a chance to embrace cultural diversity and give a loving and permanent family to a child in need. Benefits of international adoption include cultural enrichment and global impact. Families gain exposure to new customs and traditions, contributing to a global sense of community by providing a loving, and permanent home to a child from a different country. An open adoption is rare, but encouraged if there is an opportunity and the desire for contact is mutual.

Foster Care Adoption

Foster care adoption involves adopting a child through  foster care services, with many children in need of permanent homes. Benefits of foster care adoption include providing stability and fulfilling a critical need. The foster parent or parents offer a stable and permanent home to a child who may have experienced instability, addressing the urgent need for loving homes for children in temporary care.

Kinship Adoption

Kinship adoption, also known as “Relative Adoption”, is the legal proceeding of children by relatives such as grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, and older siblings, Kinship adoption occurs domestically and through an international adoption.

Within these four forms of adoption, each can be closed to varying degrees of openness between the biological and adoptive families

Open Adoption

A growing number of birth and adoptive families are now choosing to have an open adoption, which involves maintaining some level of contact or communication between birth parents, adoptive parents, and the adopted child. Benefits include transparency, emotional wellbeing and access to important health information. Open communication helps all parties involved understand and navigate their emotions, while access to social history and family health information is beneficial for the adopted child. The forms of adoption which have the highest rate of an open adoption include kinship, domestic, foster and even some international adoptions, if the foreign governments permit contact after an adoption is finalized.

Closed Adoption

In contrast, closed adoption maintains confidentiality between birth parents and adoptive parents, providing privacy and clear boundaries. Birth parents and adoptive families can maintain privacy if they prefer, and the adoptive family has sole responsibility for the child without external input. Domestic adoption can sometimes be closed, but a confidential intermediary can always establish contact when both parties are agreeable. A foster adoption may require the adoption to be closed if there are safety concerns. Some foreign countries may also prohibit any identifying information to be shared to the adoptive parents which effectuates a closed adoption.

Additional Considerations

When adopting a child through any of the above adoption services, the very first place to start after having identified which adoption service is best suited to their family is the home study.

Home Study Services

The home study  is a crucial first step in your adoption process, aiming to evaluate and prepare the prospective adoptive parent or parents for the responsibility of caring for a child, typically from a hard start. Starting with an orientation or information session, the process involves submitting an application and certain documentation, including background checks and fingerprinting. Additionally, the home visits are conducted by a social worker to assess the living conditions and safety of the prospective adoptive parents’ home.

While there, individual and joint interviews delve into personal histories, relationships, parenting philosophies, and motivations for adoption and the prospective parents are required to undergo pre-adoption education and training, covering parenting skills, adoption issues, and cultural sensitivity. With health assessments, reference checks, and financial reviews the agency is able to ensure the applicants’ physical, mental, and financial readiness to adopt. In the end, a detailed written home study report, summarizing the in person interviews with all members of the household, and the gathered information, must be approved. Once this happens, the prospective parents can start the process of being matched with a child.

The home study serves as a valuable tool for any adoption professional to make suitable matches between children and families. It’s important to note that the process varies by country, state, and adoption agency, necessitating prospective parents to consult with their chosen agency for specific details.

Waiting Periods

The waiting period for adoptive parents is a phase in the adoption process marked by anticipation and uncertainty. After completing the necessary paperwork, interviews, and assessments, the prospective adoptive family often finds themselves in a waiting period before they are matched with a child. The duration of this wait varies based on factors  such as the type of adoption service, individual preferences, and the availability of children for adoption which meet the characteristics of the child you have been approved to adopt.

During this time, a family may experience a range of emotions, including excitement, impatience, and, at times, frustration. It’s important for prospective parents to stay engaged with their adoption agency, maintain open communication, continue to expand their pre-adoption education, and seek support from friends or support groups. While waiting, some adoptive parents may choose to focus on additional preparations or education to help them be prepared for the eventual adoption.

In conclusion, choosing the right adoption service and adoption service provider is a personal decision that depends on individual preferences, circumstances, and desires. Whether opting for domestic, international, foster care, kinship, open, or closed adoption, the ultimate goal is to provide a permanent, loving and nurturing family for a waiting child in need.

Looking to adopt? Wanting to provide a loving family for a waiting child in need of a permanent family? Check out our many programs that vary around the world, from Armenia to Pakistan, or feel free to donate to support the children and their ongoing needs.