Where Do I Start?

Adoption Information for Beginners

Part Two

By National Adoption Information Clearinghouse

Since adoption laws in the state where you live govern your options, it is essential that you know what types of placements are allowed or not allowed by your state's laws. If you pursue an adoption across state lines, you must comply with the laws in both states before the child can join your family. All 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands have enacted legislation (called the Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children) that governs how children can be placed across state lines.

In weighing your options, you should evaluate your ability to tolerate risk. Of the options outlined above, agency adoptions provide the greatest assurance of monitoring and oversight since agencies are required to adhere to licensing and procedural standards. Independent adoptions by attorneys at least provide assurance that attorneys must adhere to the standards of the Bar Association, and some attorneys who specialize in adoption are members of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, a professional membership organization with standards of ethical practice. Adoptive placements by facilitators offer the least amount of supervision and oversight. This does not mean that there are not ethical professionals with good standards of practice; it simply means there are few or no oversight mechanisms in place at this time.

Adoptive parents may be married or single, childless or already parenting other children. Having a disability does not automatically disqualify you from adopting a child; rather, agencies will want to ensure that you can care for a child and meet his or her needs throughout his or her childhood. Divorce or a history of marital or personal counseling does not automatically eliminate you as a candidate. You are not required to own your own home or to have a high income in order to give children what they need – permanence, stability, a lifetime commitment and a chance to be part of a family. Children do not need "perfect" parents – they need one or more caring and committed individuals willing to meet their needs and to incorporate them into a nurturing family environment.

Increasing numbers of agencies and some foreign countries are now placing children with single applicants. Follow-up research studies of successful single-parent adoptions have shown single adoptive parents as mature, independent and having a wide and supportive network of family and friends. In fact, single adoptive parents are often the placement of choice for children who have trouble dealing with two parents due to a history of abuse or neglect.

Want to see more?

• The Surrogacy Search: Starting Out
• Waiting Children: Foster Care and Adoption Basics
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