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Types of Children Available for Adoption

Types of Children Available for Adoption
September 1, 2013 James Greenier

Individuals and families from the United States adopt children of all backgrounds, from every ethnicity and race, to infants or teenagers, and from a variety of countries throughout the world.  Deciding what child is a good fit for you is based on emotion, knowledge, and judgment.  It’s important to make sure you are as informed as possible of the options available, whether you’re looking to adopt domestically or internationally. The following is a basic overview of the categories of children most commonly adopted:

U.S.-Born Infants.  Generally, most individuals or couples are interested in adopting a child as an infant, and often times from a background or ethnicity akin to their own.  Caucasian infants in the United States available for adoption can be found through adoption agencies, or through private or independent adoptions (adoption attorneys). Hispanic, African-American, and mixed-race infants are placed for adoption both through public and private adoption agencies. Adoption of American Indian infants differs from all the rest, and must comply with strict federal laws.  Regardless, each infant category has their own protocol for adoption and level of demand, which on the whole affects the adoption process in terms of time, effort, and costs.  It is necessary to mention that costs and overall duration of the process to adopt an infant may vary, depending on the type of adoption involved and the specific circumstances of the adoption.

Children Awaiting Families.  More so than the amount of infants available for adoption, are children in the foster care system throughout the United States.  Some of these children may deal with special needs.  For example, they may be older in age (grade school through teens), or they may have emotional, mental, or physical disabilities. Also, there may be special conditions placed on certain adoptions, where brothers and sisters must be adopted together.  Typically, both public and private agencies will place children with special needs.  Additionally, national, regional, and state adoption exchanges will help connect prospective parents with children from public and private agencies. In many cases associated with caring for a child with special needs, prospective parents may qualify for financial assistance in the form of adoption subsidies, which assist with legal, medical, living costs and expenses.

Children in Foreign Countries.  Prospective parents may also consider adopting a child outside of the United States.  There are many children in other countries are available for adoption. Some of these countries include China, India, Russia, Guatemala, Ukraine, Korea, Romania, Cambodia, other countries in Central America, South America, and Eastern Europe, to name a few.    These are the most common participating countries for most foreign-born children adopted by Americans. Generally, more than 500 private U.S. agencies place children from foreign countries for adoption.  Some of these countries allow families to work with attorneys, specialized in the field, rather than adoption agencies.  Most often children available for adoption in other countries are found in orphanages, and in some instances, foster care.

If you are looking to adopt internationally, it is important to be aware of the fact that there are strict policies and immigration requirements for adopting children from other countries.  As a result, there are also substantial agency fees, legal, medical, and transportation costs involved.  It is imperative that you choose a reputable, licensed organization to assist you throughout the process.   Additionally, a level of legal expertise and advice is necessary to help ensure you carry out the overall proceedings successfully. Although the international adoption process may be rigorous and complex, it is also known to be more predictable.  Regardless of your decision to adopt domestically or internationally, the outcome of introducing a new addition to your life is well worth the inclusion.

If you are interested in adopting a child and would like more information, please contact McDowell Chartered legal services at (316) 633-4322.   Our attorneys specialize in adoption and the various legal issues associated with the process.  We have the knowledge, expertise, and experience to answer your questions to help you get started today!