Adoptions, in essence, seek to convene a willing parent with a needing child—perhaps one of the most altruistic social services available. And, since this task is a strenuous and arduous one, more often than not, adopting parents solicit the professional help from adoption service providers. What exactly does this mean? What services are provided by agencies designed to help with adoptions?
If you’ve decided to accept the help of an adoption agency, two clear types of services will need to be examined and decided upon: traditional or agency assisted adoptions. Traditional adoptions essentially mean that the chosen agency of a social services group will handle all the specifics and details of your adoption—from locating a birth mother, to counseling services for both families and the child, to conducting a thorough house study. Agency assisted adoptions usually trim back services—the most common being the location of birth mother or child.
Prospective adopting parents should fully understand the difficulty of locating a birth mother or child before axing the possibility of securing traditional adoption services. It’s downright tough—and many states prohibit the direct solicitation of birth mothers through the classifieds. In essence, potential adopting parents cannot advertise their willingness to adopt a child through newspapers. Therefore, employing an adoption agency to assist in the location of child or birth mother, as well as verify that you are abiding by state laws concerning adoptions (each one of the fifty U.S. states has differing laws on adoptions—some restrict single potential parents, some restrict based on age, sexual orientation, or immigrant status).
International adoptions are becoming the latest and greatest in matching hopeful parent with child— South Korea, the Ukraine, and China are the most popular destinations for adopting parents. When dealing with international adoptions, it is always wise to secure the services of an international adoption agency, since shoals of stipulations and requirements hogtie parents from securing their potential bundles of joy. International adoption agencies, despite their costs, provide a bulwark of protection in unfamiliar familial terrain. Remember: The prospect of losing your child is much more harrowing then losing a few thousand bucks.
The United States Government also dabbles in the realm of adoptions—albeit in a strictly limited capacity. The Department of Child and Family Services handles the adoptions of children under the ward of the state—these tend to be children with ailments, or sibling groups, or those too old to pique the interest of the majority of adoptive parents. But, adoptions through the federal government are an inexpensive way to immeasurably benefit, not only the life of a typically underprivileged child, but also the community as a whole. Oftentimes, the federal government will allocate funds to assist parents willing to tackle the challenge of state-ward adoptions. If you’re interested, be sure to contact your state’s Department of Child and Family Services for more information and a list of available children.
Whether opting for international adoptions, state-ward adoptions, or private, person-to-person adoptions, an adoption agency infinitely helps prospective parents understand and navigate the oft-treacherous ins and outs of adoptions.
By Jean-Pierre Lacrampe