When it comes to adoption there are many different types and you have to do the option that is best for you and your family. You have domestic vs. international, open, semi-open and closed. There is foster adoption, infant adoption, older child adoption, and special need. You can also do embryo adoption. Adoptions can be done privately or with an agency.
If you are a person that likes a more structured time-line then International would be more for you, as most of the time you are given a time-line when you start your process and have a better idea of when you will bring you child home. If you like to live by the seat of your pants, then go for domestic. Sometimes the wait can be years, other times weeks.
As you can see there are many options when it comes to adoption and these are just some examples, there are more options out there. To help explain some of these and help your understanding of adoption, here are a few terms in further detail.
Domestic Adoption: is when the child being adopted is placed in the same country as the child's biological parent(s).
International Adoption (also referred to as intercountry adoption or transnational adoption): is an adoption in which an individual or couple becomes the legal and permanent parents of a child that is a national of a different country.
Open Adoption: is an adoption in which the biological parent(s) and adoptive family know the identity of each other. In open adoption, the Parental Rights of biological parents' are terminated, as they are in "closed adoptions" and the adoptive parents become the legal parents. Openess between families can vary from calls, letters and emails to visits. This is determined by the parties involved and what works best for them.
Semi-Open Adoption: this type of adoption occurs when the biological parent(s) experience non-identifying interaction with the adoptive family. In most cases, the interaction is facilitated by a third party, usually the adoption agency or adoption attorney. Through this type of adoption, the identity of all parties is usually kept from one another. In most cases, the interaction includes letters or cards; however, in some cases, there may be non-identifying e-mails.
Closed Adoption: refers to an adoption process where there is no interaction of any kind between the biological parent(s) and the prospective adoptive families. There is no identifying information provided to either the birth families or the adoptive families. Non-identifying information such as physical characteristics and medical history may be provided to both parties.
Foster Adoption: is a type of domestic adoption where the child is initially placed into a foster care system and is subsequently placed for adoption. Children may be placed into foster care for a variety of reasons and tend to be older, but it is possible to get an infant from foster adoption.
Embryo Adoption: is a form of third party reproduction. IVF, often results in a number of frozen, unused embryos after the woman for whom they were originally created has successfully carried one or more pregnancies to term. In embryo adoption, these extra embryos are adopted to other couples or women for transfer with the goal of producing a successful pregnancy. The resulting child is considered the child of the woman who carries it and gives birth, and not the child of the donor.
Private Adoption: private (or independent) adoptions are done through adoption attorneys, and may or may not involve an adoption opportunity that is located and arranged by the attorney. If so, the "finding" function that the attorney performs will increase the cost. In some states, private attorneys cannot be involved in the "finding" and "matching" phases of an adoption, but are limited to finalizing the legal part of the adoption in court once the match has taken place.
Agency Adoption: there are two basic types of adoption agencies: public and private. Public agencies are usually supported by public funding, are run by counties or states, and generally assist in the adoption of children in the foster care system.
Private agencies are usually licensed by the state but run privately and can assist in most types of adoption. Adoption agencies often provide more support services than in a private adoption, such as pre-adoption education, counseling, homestudies, and post-adoption services and/or referrals. An agency usually does all of the "finding" of possible adoption opportunities for you.
If you are a person that likes a more structured time-line then International would be more for you, as most of the time you are given a time-line when you start your process and have a better idea of when you will bring you child home. If you like to live by the seat of your pants, then go for domestic. Sometimes the wait can be years, other times weeks.
Adoption is a miracle and very special! When adopting it must be remember what an amazing gift the biological parent(s) are giving you. All parties involved must be respected and if their is an adoption agreement, you stick with it.
Adoption can be a roller coaster of emotion, just as infertility treatments. A great way to deal with the emotions you will be dealing with is to join online support groups, look for local waiting parent clubs, even blog.
You may read about my husband and I's journey to adoption, after by passing infertility treatments at PCOSChick.com. Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions, comments, concerns or just anything you need to talk about with your adoption! Best of luck to you on your journey.
