Adoption In America

About 2 million children in America live with adoptive families, and nearly 10 million adults in America are adoptees. The children in adoptive families come from all over the world, but American adoptees outnumber every other country out there.

When adopting within America, the adoption is often called domestic. Domestic adoption is the alternative to international adoption, in which a child is adopted from another country and raised with an American family. Domestic adoptions can be handled via private or public agency and by an attorney or facilitator. Domestically adopted children can be anywhere from a few weeks old to school age. And the birth parents can choose how active they want to be in the child's post-placement life.

Infant adoption, most-preferred by first-time adopters and young couples, can occur with the help of an agency, attorney or facilitator. About two-thirds of infant adoptions are handled independently even though independent adoption can be the most expensive adoption choice out there.

Older child adoption is primarily process through public agencies, which place children from within the U.S. foster system. This is an adoption option preferred and pursued by nontraditional adopters. A majority of older child adoptees in America have special physical, emotional or mental needs. The adoption fees in older child adoption are nearly free, as state and federal aid can reimburse these expenses. Depending on which state someone is adopting from, an adopter may consider a fost-adopt or legal risk adoption, in which a foster child is placed with a potentially permanent home.