Things to Consider Before Adopting

People adopt children for various reasons. It could be because of infertility, genetic and health issues, advanced age, or an LGBT relationship. No matter the motive, adoption can be both a joyous journey and a lengthy, complicated process.

Understand It Could Take Time

Adoption is not an instant process, and it is unlikely you will be able to tell how long the process will take, so it’s important to understand the process could be a longer one. In your adoption journey, you may encounter legal issues, which is important to be aware of. Adoption laws vary by state but it’s necessary to prepare for stacks of papers, courts dates, several home visits, and meetings. Be open-minded and willing to learn to be a step ahead of the process. It's also important to understand the different types of adoption services. Here is a breakdown of the different types of adoption you could consider.

Types of Adoption

• Foster care adoption: the court terminates parental rights of the birth parents because they cannot care for their children. In this form of adoption, a child is first placed under your care as a foster child with expectations that you will become the adoptive parent once the child is legally free. As an adoptive parent, you should be ready to assist your child in case of behavior resulting from trauma due to abuse or neglect. For more information about these children, contact private or public adoption agencies near your community.
  
  
• Infant adoption: this is a challenging type of adoption because more people want to adopt infants than infants are available for adoption. Parents who wish to adopt a newborn will do so via a licensed adoption agency or independently. An adoption agency will provide all the services you need throughout the adoption process. Alternatively, a family may choose to pursue independent adoption with the help of an adoption attorney if they already know the birth parents.
  
  
• Private and open adoption: In a private adoption, there is no information shared between the birth family and the adoptive family. The adoptive family may obtain remote information about the child’s birth family prior to the child joining the family. The records are sealed once the adoption is finalized. In contrast, open adoption allows contact between the parties.
  
  
• International adoption: International adoption means that you are adopting a baby who is a citizen of another country. Children eligible for international adoption are usually in orphanages because birth parents could not care for them due to financial, emotional or legal issues. Although there is a decrease in this kind of adoption due to international policies, it’s still a viable option for you. If you choose to adopt internationally, do plenty of research on the legal requirements of your home state and the foreign country in which you want to adopt.

Adoption means you are choosing a different path to parenthood. Therefore, it is essential for you to be prepared for whatever the adoption journey may bring you. Also, be financially equipped, because adoption can be a more expensive route. Whether domestic, international, public or private, be prepared for unexpected costs associated with it. But mostly, get excited about your new family!