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Adopting  a child

Adoption processes and what to consider.

Key takeaways

  • Whatever adoption process you choose there are several children who are in need of a world of love, protection, advocacy, stability, and more.
  • Adoption processes aren't all the same and each has its own expenses.
  • Before beginning, it's sensible to know your states specific requirements.
Adoption can be an uplifting way to expand your family and help a child who has experienced loss, trauma, abuse, or a troubled start in life. No matter the age — newborn, infancy, toddler, preschool, school-age, or adolescence (up to age 21 in some states), or whether you want to adopt a child in foster care, a stepchild, grandchild, relative, or looking to keep siblings together, for whatever your reason, so many children would undoubtedly love a forever home. Over half a million children are in foster care within the United States and about 155,000 are waiting to be adopted.1

Ways to adopt

Before beginning your adoption journey, it's a good idea to educate yourself about the different processes of adoption:
 
Foster care. Children in this type of care are usually waiting to be adopted and may be in the system for a number of reasons like their birth parents losing their parental rights. In many cases (but not all) children in foster care return to their families or are placed with relatives.
 
Foster-to-Adopt. This program typically presents the opportunity for a family to first foster a child with the expectation of potentially moving towards either adoption by that family or reunification with their biological family. 
 
Infant adoption. This is one of the most sought-after forms of adoption that involves adopting a child during the newborn-infancy stage. 
 
Independent adoption. This involves direct placement or an arranged adoption between the birth and adoptive parents.
 
Open adoptions allow birth parents to have some form of contact between their biological child and the adoptive parents. There is an open line of contact. This can include scheduled visitations, sharing of pictures, and phone or video calls. 
 
Closed (confidential) adoptions. There is no contact or identifying information shared between the birth parents, their biological child, and the adoptive parents.

Domestic Adoption3

Domestic adoption is the process of adopting children within the United States. This can be done through a licensed adoption agency or through an attorney. 
 
Adoptions through an agency are often called private or independent adoptions that involves direct placement between the biological parents and the adoptive parent. Most states allow private adoption, even allowing birth parents to look for adoptive parents on their own and place the baby in a new home without an agency, while other states require a legal procedure through an agency.
 
It can be difficult to navigate state laws and understand your rights, so it's good idea to hire an adoption attorney, even when going through an agency.

International (intercountry) adoption

While adopting internationally can create a multicultural family, the process may not be a streamlined process. For this reason, consider an adoption placement agency that partners with licensed U.S. agencies.

You may be able to adopt a child from a country that is a party to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption — an international agreement to safeguard international adoptions to protect children, birth parents, and adoptive parents. Children may also be adopted from non-convention countries but must be classified as orphans. Take a moment to learn more about the services involved depending on the country you're seeking to adopt from. There may be:

  • US Citizenship and Immigration requirements and fees
  • Background checks
  • Travel preparation expenses
  • Passport and visa fee
  • Foreign government fees
For this reason, it's a good idea to hire an attorney to help you navigate international laws, processes, and understand your rights to avoid pitfalls. To learn more about international adoptions visit Travel.State.gov.

Where to start

When beginning your adoption journey, it's okay to choose an adoption agency or your local DSS to discuss adoption (and/or even your fostering goals). You can inquire about an initial orientation that can provide information on next steps and the overall process leading to matching with a child. Attending orientation with an agency or connecting with your local DSS would be an opportune time to have your questions answered and receive any pertinent resources. It's also a chance to become familiar with your state's requirements, rules, and expectations—as each state is different. Some states have different requirements pertaining to:

  • The application process or submitting an application
  • Home visits or home studies
  • Attending specific trainings courses or completion of assessments
  • Licensing (i.e. completion of foster care licensure, certification, or special approvals before adopting)
  • Criminal background checks

Adoption cost to consider2

According to the Adoption Network, most adoptions through foster care are free to the adopting family; however, in some states, the adopting family pays for the finalization of the adoption. Perspective parents also pay for: 

  • Travel expenses
  • Adoption home study and post placement supervisory visits
  • Individual attorney representation and all legal costs, including court filing fees and serving notices
  • The baby’s hospital bill; however, the birth mother’s expenses are not.
  • Prenatal and hospital cost if the birth parent has no medical coverage and does not have Medicaid
  • Recommended specialist appointments or testing
  • All services permitted by state and federal regulations for private domestic or international adoption
             Domestic agency fees can range from $15,000 – $30,000.
             Private placement fees can range from $25,000 – $50,000.
             International adoption may cost between $30,000 – $80,000.
 
Keep in mind: Each adoption has its own budget and costs. It could be beneficial to ask the agency or attorney for a description of all fees before agreeing to work together. Also, be transparent about your budget or any financial limitations you may have.

Helpful things to remember when adopting

While every adoption experience is different and special, having knowledge and reliable information can help the process flow more smoothly. Other valuable information to consider: 

  • Some adopted children come from less-than-ideal backgrounds and could benefit from therapy options that may help process their emotions, mental challenges, or any issues associated with their adoption.
  • Stay connected. Other families in similar situations may offer useful information about adopting (or fostering) and other useful resources.
  • Connect with communities and families through social media—via groups and local support pages that share questions, advice, and experiences.
  • Placing siblings together is ideal but when that can’t be done, making every effort to help them keep those connections can support feelings of identity, belonging, and well-being. 
  • Gather health records and family information. If possible, obtain any genetic history to help in uncovering genetic predispositions to certain diseases.
  • Adoption financial assistance is available in the form of grants and fundraising opportunities. 
  • State adoption programs may provide financial assistance for children who are not covered by Title IV-E funds, although eligibility and amounts vary by state. For more information about your state's requirements visit, AdoptUSKids.org.
  • There is a federal tax credit for adoption that can be applied to international, domestic, private, and public foster care adoption — not to those who adopt their spouse's child.3

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1. "Waiting Children," Adopt Network America, 2026, https://www.adoptamericanetwork.org/waiting-children 2. “How to Adopt," Adoption Network, July 2026, https://adoptionnetwork.com/adoptive-parents/how-to-adopt/adoption-costs/how-much-does-it-cost/. 3. ""Federal Adoption Tax Credit 2015–2024," FamiliesRising, January 2026, https://wearefamiliesrising.org/adoption-tax-credit/.

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