Children available for adoption
come in all ages, ethnic backgrounds and ability levels. If you have preference for the type of child you
would like to adopt, that preference may dictate which adoption method you
pursue.
Many adoptive parents would like an
infant, preferably a newborn, because they want to experience parenthood as
close to day one of the child’s life as possible. If you would like to adopt an
infant, here are the likeliest avenues:
- Private adoption agencies
- Adoption through attorney or facilitator
- Adoption from foster care
- International adoption, 3 months and older
- Special needs infants
Infants are the most difficult to
adopt because they are in great demand. The quickest routes to infant adoption
are through the foster care system, special needs infants (see below) and
international adoption.
There are thousands of older
children available to adopt and any option can lead you to an older child,
often referred to as a “waiting child”.
Older children can be difficult to place because:
- People often prefer an infant
- Older children have often been through trauma and may
come to your family with emotional issues to resolve.
Because there are so many older children available to adopt,
the adoption fees are generally lower.
