Adoption is when the birth parents of a child sever all legal ties to their child, and the parental rights are legally given over to the new adoptive family, who are strangers.

Apart from adopting a child from your own country, intercountry adoption is also available as there are also many children from international countries who need a family.

In the UK and the USA, children are usually given up for adoption because they have been mistreated; other reasons are due to teenage pregnancy, or because the birth parents are no longer able to look after the child, or they have given up the child because it isn’t the right sex, it has some form of disability, or because they simply don’t want a child.

There are many different reasons for wanting to adopt – if couples are unable to conceive, if they want to help others by adopting, and now there are same-sex couples who prefer to adopt.

The adoption process varies from one country to another. The ethics for eligibility can differ in each country which can include the age limit, the requirements for same-sex adoption couples, and whether a single person is able to adopt.

Placing a child into care and up for adoption is free in the United States. Adopting fees for the parents vary in different countries, and even in some, to charge an adoption fee would be illegal. In the United States, for adoptions you are given a $10,000 tax credit.

The new parents face many concerns in adoption. The child’s family history and their family medical history may be unknown, or kept secret until the child starts to ask questions about where they come from. This usually happens when a child is old enough to ask the right questions, or when they feel the need to ‘find themselves’. There are always misconcepts about children who have been fostered and this is usually fuelled by the media. Some children are thought of as not being able to develop properly or will become problem, but that is not always the case, as children can fare well when given a new,loving home and go on to lead successful lives. However, many children lose out and some reach the eighteen when they are too old to be adopted and are legally adults. They fall out of the system.

Not everyone chooses to understand or support adoption, although Americans are experienced in it. The history of adoption can be traced as far back as the 18th Century B.C. During Ancient times it was more popular to adopt adults rather than children so that they could carry on the family heritage or to protect the family’s property rights. Men and women single or married had the right to adopt.

Modern adoption laws are based on the heritage in 18th Century B.C. of the Hammurabi Code. Adopting adults was the focus in Ancient Times as a means for someone to follow in one’s footsteps; whilst the Middle Ages set some ground rules with their focus on the adoption of children. Certain laws were placed in order to protect children, so by this time adoptions were dealt with by the court systems. It was in 1851, in Massachusetts, that the first state adoption took place. Rev. Charles Loring Brace was the founder of the New York Children’s Aid Society in 1853, which helped orphaned and abandoned children. He wanted to rescue these children and transport them to good Christian homes. They were placed on Brace’s ‘Emigration Plan’ onto regular trains called the ‘Orphan Trains’ for families to view at each station, until they were taken up by one of many of the wealthy farming families.

Times have changed, although we still want the best for our children, although it is still sometimes difficult to know what that is. Adoption is one of the best things to have happened over the centuries, to give children without a home a good chance to find one.



Thanks to Abhishek Agarwal for contributing this article to our Adoption blog:

Cost Of Domestic Adoption

Can you answer Drifter’s question about Adoption?:

I would love to adopt a little girl from China. It can be a toddler. Is it very hard to adopt since I live in the US and want a child from China? Also, is the process very costly? I’m guessing $5-10,000.00? Are there any prequalifications? Sorry so many questions, I know nothing of this.

Children Waiting For Adoption

Anyone thinking of adopting for the first time will have many questions and concerns. Adopting is not a simple process and much consideration and deliberation is necessary. It is a very serious matter and not to be taken lightly. There is much more to adopting a child – it is not like shopping for a car; a child is a precious gift. The following is a list of common questions that those wishing to adopt for the first time might ask:-

1. In North America, who is able to adopt? Potential adoptive parents should meet the criteria set by an adoption agency or a non-profit making adoption organisation. Then they can adopt.

2. How long is the process for adopting a child? This can vary and usually depends on the type of adoption that is chosen, and the period can be anything up to a year or even many years in some cases. This also depends on the child’s needs and also what the adopting parents are looking for in a child. If they are willing to spend more time and money in the search for their ideal, then this can be a deciding factor on how long an adoption takes.

3. What is the cost of adopting a child? This all depends on what the adopting parents are looking for in a child, and the criteria they have set for themselves. A public adoption usually doesn’t involve any cost. When adopting through s private agency or a foreign adoption, the costs can vary and can go up to about $35,000.

4. How does the adoption process operate? Every adoption is individual so the time it takes can vary. It may also depends on which province or state is involved in the adoption, as they each come under their own government jurisdiction; they each keep their own rules and regulations for adoption.

5. Is one able to adopt from another province or state? Every province or state has their own laws and regulations which need to be adhered to, and some areas are very strict compared to others.

6. Can one adopt a child from abroad? It is possible to adopt a child from another country. In North America, many Americans choose to adopt a foreign child from countries like china, Colombia, Ethiopia, Russia, Vietnam and many others. The adoption criteria for the country where the child is being adopted must be met before the parents can adopt.

7. What are sources are available for first time adoption? Detailed information can be found from many individuals, groups and organisations who have the resources. People usually like to ask a friend or someone they know who has already adopted, before making their first appointment to see a Social Worker or someone else locally who deals with child welfare. There are also adoptive parent’s support groups which people can attend to help in the decision making. The Internet provides lots of useful information regarding adoption, including names of adoption associations and contact details of who they can approach.

8. One a person has collated enough information regarding first-time adoption where does one begin? Once individuals have decided on what is the best type of adoption for them, an adoption plan needs to be drawn up. This is so the adopting parents know what goals to aim for, and also it serves as a backup plan if things don’t quite work out the first time.

Those proceeding with a first-time adoption will have many questions that need answering and they will find some of those answers here. The relevant people must be contacted so that if they have any more questions that haven’t be answered, or they have more at a later date, they can find out all they need for the all important decision.



Thanks to Abhishek Agarwal for contributing this article to our Adoption blog:

Adopting A Special Needs Child

Most people looking to adopt children always ask questions about what a child is like. This is an important factor to consider, as any parent who wants to welcome a child, who is not their own, into their home, needs to know all about a child and all the options available to them. Every child is different so it is difficult to know what to expect of a child, and also being placed in a different environment can change a child. By looking at children who have already been adopted, a general picture can be painted of what to expect.

1. First Option – Adopting A Baby

By adopting children within the U.S. these will generally be infants who are African-American Hispanic, or of mixed race. Caucasian children are usually dealt with by private Adoption agencies and not put up for public adoption. There are many people who wish to adopt an infant from an early age, maybe to simulate the experience of bringing up a child from birth. There are long waiting lists for people wishing to adopt a baby as it is the most popular choice, and it is difficult to find a child that young who has been placed for adoption, so it could be some time before a child becomes available.

2. Second Option – Adopt From A Foster Family

The second domestic option is to adopt a child from a foster family and waiting for a permanent home. Usually these children are older, ranging from grade school age up to adolescence. Some of these children have special needs – whether it be emotional, mental and or including physical disabilities. These are often called ‘waiting children’ and are treated as special cases which are handled by both public and the private adoption agencies. They have entities called adoption exchanges so that a suitable match can be found between the child and the parents. If a child has special needs, adoption subsidies are often available for the parents to help with the costs of caring for the special needs child.

3. Third Option – Adopt Internationally

The third option is to adopt a child internationally. There over fifty foreign countries to choose from that have children available for adoption. There are many reasons why a child is placed for adoption, which is usually connected to their race or culture of their parents. An example is that in South Korea, if a mother is unwed they are looked upon with shame, so the mother usually puts the child up for adoption. Many of these children can be found in orphanages, waiting for someone to come along and adopt them. Adopting a child internationally can be a long and arduous process, but there are agencies and attorneys set up especially for this.

Each individual has to find the option that is most suitable for them, but no matter: there are many children out there who available and hoping to be adopted. The children range from babies to adolescence, and can be found at home or abroad – children who have no families. For those parents expecting a child, and those wishing to adopt, adoption can be the solution and should be given careful consideration. More information can be found from sources online – Adoption.com and Adopting.org. These both provide essential information about adoption for all parties concened. Adoptablekids.com has photo listings of many children who are currently available and waiting to be adopted; this adoption exchange internet service is excellent for those who like to search and browse and see who is available.



Thanks to Abhishek Agarwal for contributing this article to our Adoption blog:

Families Adoption Agency