Independent (sometimes called
private) adoptions are pursued through private attorneys or adoption
facilitators.
Private Attorney
Adoption
You might choose private attorney
adoption for several reasons. For example, you have already identified a child
that you want to adopt and you need an attorney’s assistance to go through the
legal procedures.
You may also want to adopt a healthy, U.S.
infant and do not want to use the foster system. In that case, attorneys who
specialize in adoption can help you put together a family portfolio that can be
shown to people wishing to place their child, help place ads and may be
connected into networks where referrals are made such as a local family
planning center or teen crisis center.
If you hope to adopt an infant in
this way, you may go through the procedure of meeting the birth mother,
participating in the prenatal care, being present at the birth or able to
receive the baby directly from the hospital.
This can be a wonderful option but
there are some clear risks associated with approach. For example, you will deal
with the unpredictability of the birth mother’s (and possibly birth father’s)
situation and her feelings about giving up the child. In the U.S.,
the birth mother cannot relinquish her parental right to her child until after
the baby is born (Hawaii and Alabama
are different.) and some states provide a certain grace period during which she
can change her mind. Regardless of the outcome, you will still pay the legal
fees associated with the process.
Adoption through an attorney can be
quick or very long and it truly depends on the situation. You will need to
weigh the wonderful reward against the risks involved to make your choice.
Independent
Facilitator
An independent facilitator is an unlicensed individual who
links adoptive parents with birth families for a fee. Services provided are
entirely dependent on the facilitator. Adoption facilitators are not reviewed
or supervised in any manner so you must operate in a buyer-beware manner if you
choose this option.
