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Flying Solo

Single Parent Adoption

Part Three

By National Adoption Information Clearinghouse

Those who have adopted independently cite the lack of bureaucracy and restrictive selection by an agency as a positive aspect, especially if you are single, older than 40, divorced or physically handicapped. Many welcome the chance to speak to and possibly meet the birth mother and to have some knowledge of her educational or socioeconomic background. Like foreign adoption, the costs are high and you may need to travel to pick up the child.

To learn more about independent adoption, contact Families for Private Adoption. This is a District of Columbia-based group that offers workshops and advice and publishes a workbook that includes attorneys' names in the Washington Metropolitan area and contacts throughout the country. The address is P.O. Box 6375, Washington, DC, 20015-0375, (202) 722-0338.

What Are the Costs?

Fees at adoption agencies vary. Some agencies charge no fees – these are usually public agencies where the children often have special needs and subsidies can be offered to help defray the costs of raising the child and taking care of medical expenses. The subsidy may include a monthly care payment, medical assistance coverage and a one-time cash grant to offset initial adoption costs. Other agencies operate on a sliding fee scale, based on a family's income.

Private agencies deal with children of all ages. Today many of these children are older and have special needs. Private agencies operate differently from public agencies and are usually set up as nonprofit organizations with a governing board of directors, rather than as a department run by a city or state. Many have religious affiliations, and birth mothers are often referred by clergy. Most, though, will place children of all religions.

Want to see more?

• Where Do I Start? Adoption Information for Beginners
• Go the Distance: Exploring International Adoption
• Domestic Adoption: Building a Family
• Talk about it!