Adoption 101: Should I adopt a foster, international, or domestic child?

November 5, 4:41 PMEducation ExaminerDonna Gundle-Krieg

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Dave Thomas, deceased founder of Wendy's, was adopted as a child and worked to help foster adoption
Photo from the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption

Adopting a child is a big step, and there is no better time to begin than November, which is National Adoption Awareness Month.

The first step towards adopting is to call a local agency for information about a family assessment, which could take several months.

After you have initiated a family assessment, you should choose which type of adoption is best for your family before choosing an agency.

There are three major types of adoption: foster adoption; domestic adoption, and international adoption.

When deciding which is best for your family, you should consider many factors such as your age, lifestyle, family situation and motivation for adoption.

Another consideration is cost. The majority of domestic newborn adoptions cost less than $25,000, while most international adoptions cost between $20,000 and $40,000.  These adoption costs could be offset by the current $12,150 adoption tax credit. For foster children, the needs are so high that the costs are minimal.

Option A: Foster Adoption  
Foster adoption is an excellent choice for many people, including older, experienced parents. Adopting foster children is virtually free, and available for families or singles with low or moderate income. Adoption assistance programs may provide medical assistance, social services, cash benefits, and payment of adoption expenses.

Many foster children have special needs. According to the University of Michigan, "special needs" does not necessarily mean the child has any handicaps, but that they are harder to place than a healthy infant.

For example, special needs children may be over age five, part of a sibling group, of minority heritage, or have emotional, mental, learning, or physical impairments.

The median age of a waiting child is 8 years old. 45% of these children are African American, 34% Caucasian and 12% Hispanic.

According to the National Adoption Attitudes Survey, there are 129,000 foster children available for adoption, but only 21% of those available will find a family by the time they turn 18 and age out of the system.

National Adoption Day, which focuses on foster children, will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2009. Since 2000, more than 25,000 children have had their adoptions finalized on this day. Many courts will open on National Adoption Day to finalize adoptions of foster children.

Option B: Domestic Adoption
The "waiting for an infant list” currently runs between three and five years if you're interested in adopting a perfectly healthy Caucasian child under the age of one, according to the University of Michigan. Across the nation, there are 25,000 such infants available for adoption -- and one million families waiting for those infants.

Many domestic adoptions involve a selection process where birth parents have a say in who gets their baby. If a family is lucky enough to be selected early, then their wait would be shorter.

There are also people who shorten the average wait time by trying independent adoptions. These people want domestic infants so badly that they will work independent of an agency, and spend a lot of money on advertising and networking to try and find an infant. One should work closely with an attorney when adopting independently, as a significant number of these adoptions fall through when the birth mother changes her mind.

Another decision to make if you adopt domestically is whether you want to engage in an open adoption, which means that the birth and adoptive parents have met each other. At least half of the domestic agency placements of infants each year are open adoptions, and this trend is growing. There are still many agencies who deal with closed adoptions. Usually an adoption is closed at the request of the birth parents.

Option C International Adoption
International adoption is on the rise, and appeals to people for many reasons.

The need for international adoptive parents is huge. One parent described her visit to Russia’s baby house: “There were 100 babies who would all come up and look at you and call you mama and dada. We wanted to take them all home.”

The option opens up another supply of healthy children, particularly infants. In addition, many people like the idea of incorporating another culture into their household, particularly if they are able to adopt from a country of their own heritage.

Many countries participate in allowing adoption of infants by parents from the United States. Top countries include Russia, India, China and Guatemala, a country which has recently undergone major changes in adoption law.

Click here for a complete list of countries that offer adoption opportunities to the United States.

International adoption tends to be more expensive, mainly due to the travel that is required. There is also a “dossier” required, which is additional paperwork. A good international adoption organization will help you through the process.

Another concern for those adopting internationally is the medical risk involved. However, agencies will supply or refer people to one of the many medical adoption doctors who are experienced in evaluating medical records before the adoption is complete.

Families that have adopted from other countries are usually very happy with their decision. They call the travel experiences exciting, and said that the adoption organization assisted them greatly during their visits abroad and during the process.

After you decide between foster, domestic, and international adoption, it is time to choose an agency.

For more information, see:

How to adopt a child

Adoption agencies and other resources 

Family Assessments for Adoptions

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