Identified Adoptions

Agency Adoptions

There are two types of adoption agencies: public and private.

Public agencies are usually supported by public funding and tend to assist mostly with the adoption of children in the foster care system. They may provide a greater number of support services including pre- and post-adoption education, counseling and homestudies.

Private agencies are state-licensed, and run privately. Private agencies offer a range of adoption services for both domestic and international adoptions. Agencies will generally perform widespread searches for children to adopt, and may also target populations to assist the adopting parents. Agencies typically offer counseling to birthparents, a vital component in every adoption.

While agency adoption is preferable in many cases, it is important to remember that adoption agencies may work under a guiding mission, which determines the types of adoptions they offer as well as the type of adoptive parents they work with.

Adoption Facilitators

Adoption facilitators are typically unapproved or unlicensed, paid intermediaries. They assist couples in locating and matching adoptive couples with birthparents. Adoption facilitators can be friends, family member, doctors/nurses, or religious figures with the sole intent of helping potential adopting parents are legal.

Adoption facilitators who seek payment for their services, however, are illegal in almost all states. In some states, any activity by an adoption facilitator is illegal. Facilitators may be used in international adoptions if the work with an agency but in a foreign country.

Private or Independent Adoptions

Private or independent adoptions are conducted through the use of an adoption attorney. Private adoptions usually deal with infants, though this is not always the case. The child may be located before the attorney is involved, or the attorney may assist in the location of a child for adoption.

When choosing a private adoption with an attorney, the adoptive couple should research experienced adoption attorneys, to ensure knowledge of state adoption practices. The expenses of a private adoption vary, though it is expected that the adopting parents pay for the medical (if necessary) and legal costs for the birthparent(s) as well as their own legal fees. The adopting parents will still need to complete an adoption homestudy through a licensed social worker or a licensed adoption agency. Before pursuing a private adoption, it is important to check that private adoptions are legal in your state.