United States Adoption

Adopting within the United States is often referred to as domestic adoption. Children and infants can be adopted domestically through agencies or independently. Independent adoptions are primarily pursued for infant placements, as are private agency adoptions. Infant adoption, while one of the most sought-after ages for adoptable children, is more expensive than the adoption of older children. Older child adoption is handled by government-run public agencies. These place children in the foster care system with adoptive families. This process is generally fee-free, save the cost of the home study.

All adoptions in the United States require a passed home study. Independent and private agencies with have birth mother service fees that also make the process more expensive. Also, the likelihood of infant adoption depends greatly on what a birth mother is looking for in an adoptive couple. Because of this, individual and nontraditional adopters are often advised to seek placement overseas or via public agency.

There is over 100,000 adoptable foster children in the U.S. Adopting an older child in the United States has financial benefits as far as getting government aid for the medical care of an adopted child with special needs or being reimbursed for a home study after an adoption is finalized.

Why a potential adopter may shy away from adopting internationally may be due to expenses or constraints on resources, such as time. While it's generally easier, or quicker, to receive an overseas placement than one in the United States, multicultural family dynamics do not appeal to all adopters.