Available adoption situations can make a dream finally come true. Finding an adoption situation that is right for you means making a few important decisions, educating yourself on the ins and outs of adoption, and then getting down to work to bring your child home!
Finding Available Adoption Situations
The number of available adoption situations that are accessible to you depends on several factors.
- Age of child-If you have your heart set on adopting a newborn Caucasian baby, keep in mind that your wait may take months or even years. However, if you are searching for an older child or a child that is classified as "special needs", then you may be able to adopt in as little as a few months. There are hundreds, even thousands, of children in foster care that are available for permanent placement in a loving home. You'll usually find a large selection of available adoptions in this type of situation. For more information on foster care adoptions, visit the child welfare government site or the foster care adoptions site.
- Special needs-If you are worried about the classification "special needs", then do a little more research. Even if you don't think you are capable of caring for a child who has a disability, in many cases, "special needs" simply refers to a child that may have been classified as ADD (attention deficit disorder) or is going through counseling because of an abusive situation.
- Minority adoption-In some cases, parents who adopt minority children often find themselves going through the adoption process a bit more quickly.
- Type of adoption-What type of adoption are you interested in? Would you consider an open adoption, in which the birth mother and/or father continue to maintain some type of contact with you and/or your child? Do you prefer a "closed adoption", in which all of the records remain private? Or, are you interested in an international adoption, which can still take as long as a year or more depending upon the child's home country?
- Adoption agency or independent search-Do you plan on using an adoption agency, or would you rather conduct an independent search through adoption forums and classified newspaper ads?
How to Find Adoptable Children
While adoption agencies obviously specialize in facilitating adoptions, many people steer clear of them because they feel the wait is too long and the competition too fierce. In those cases, perspective parents seek out their own available adoption situations by a variety of means. The Internet is a great resource, but be savvy and educate yourself before you make any final decisions.
The following sites offer a variety of adoption situations:
- Adoption Situations-This very versatile site works for both the birth parents and the adoptive parents. Birth parents can view parent profiles and contact the perspective parents. Adoptive parents can search for an adoption professional and adoption professionals can also post available situations.
- ABC Adoptions-This is actually a mega-site that offers links to a variety of adoption websites. Adoptive parents can find numerous posts regarding adoptive situations, including daily posts, networking situations, and forums.
- American Adoptions-This site offers a wealth of adoption information, including a special link to updated available adoptions, as well as information on choosing an adoption professional and more.
Keep in mind, however, that LoveToKnow does not endorse any of these sites. They are simply suggestions for you to check out.
