Adoption Options

Starting a family or expanding your current one has never been easier or customizable than it is today, and the adoption community continues to adapt to social and legal changes year after year. The adoption process is full of possibilities, from the places you can adopt, domestically or internationally, to the way you can adopt and the ages of children available for placement. Who, how, what, when and where are all in the power of the adopter and birth mother, if applicable.

If you're adopting on a a very tight budget, the best option available to you is to work with a public agency. Public agencies place older children who sometimes have special needs. These adoptions can be free if the adopter isn't reimbursed for the home study.

If you're a nontraditional adopter, meaning you're over 35, are gay, a single parent or have a disability, then adopting overseas may be the best option for you. Some countries have more lenient age and marital requirements than others, and can give a nontraditional adopter the chance to have a family that domestic adoptions may not.

If you want to adopt an infant and do not have a budget in mind, you may consider independent or private agency adoption. These options allow adopters to be placed with a pregnant woman who plans to place the child she is carrying up for adoption after it's born.

Adoption options are as varied as the families they create. It's up to you to find where you fit in the adoption community.