So, you’ve decided to explore adoption. What does that mean, and what does adoption look like for you? Adoption is a life-changing experience for both families and children, providing stability, care, and unconditional love. Understanding your options can help you make informed decisions and confidently navigate the process.
Here are the primary types of adoption to consider:
Private Adoption
Private adoption involves adopting a child within the United States without an agency but with the assistance of an adoption professional. Private or independent adoptions often include stepparent, kinship, and same-sex adoptions. This type of adoption occurs when the birth mother and adoptive parents directly place the child. While these adoptions don’t offer an agency’s screening services or financial protection, they often provide more control for all parties involved.
International Adoption
International adoption allows families to adopt children from other countries. This process often involves working with licensed international adoption agencies and adhering to the adoption regulations of both the child’s home country and Indiana. In a process commonly called readoption, families will register their foreign adoption decree with Indiana courts, which allows adoptive parents to obtain an Indiana birth certificate for their child. Families pursuing international adoption should be prepared for travel, waiting periods, and additional documentation requirements at home in the United States and their child’s home country.
Agency Adoption
Agency adoptions offer adoptive and birth parents the benefits of trained staff, counseling, on-site support, and more. Agencies work with parents to facilitate placements, training, home studies, and more. In tandem with an agency, adoptive parents often work with adoption attorneys to ensure all documents and paperwork are filled out following Indiana state statutes and regulations. Attorneys help prevent potential errors, mishaps, and misunderstandings that could delay adoption.
Kinship Adoption
Kinship adoption occurs when a child is adopted by a relative or someone with a close familial connection, often grandparents, aunts or uncles, godparents, siblings, or additional extended family members when their biological parents can no longer care for them. This type of adoption can provide continuity and stability for children who may already have an established relationship with their adoptive family. Even though you’re family, the kinship adoption process can be complex with different rights and privileges, making it essential to have a qualified and experienced professional working with you to ensure your family and child’s rights are protected.
Stepparent Adoption
Stepparent adoption happens when a stepparent legally adopts their spouse’s child. In Indiana, this process involves terminating the parental rights of the other parent voluntarily or, if the other parent cannot be located, through a petition to the courts. Uncontested, a stepparent adoption can occur within a matter of months, and with the right professional, everything from the adoption to changing the child’s legal name, if desired, is possible. Stepparent adoption strengthens the family bond and provides the stepparent with legal rights to protect the child if anything were to happen to the biological parent.
Embryo Adoption
As part of revolutionary assisted reproductive technology, embryo adoption is a unique form of adoption where families adopt frozen embryos created through in vitro fertilization (IVF). Embryo adoption allows the genetic parents of frozen embryos to transfer their legal rights to another couple who seek to adopt the embryo and parent the child. These embryos can then be implanted in the adoptive mother, allowing her to experience pregnancy and childbirth. This option is often chosen by families facing infertility or those interested in a specific connection to the child’s early development.
Deciding which adoption type depends on your family’s circumstances, preferences, and long-term goals. Each path has challenges and rewards, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Consulting with experienced adoption attorneys can help you understand each type’s legal, emotional, and practical aspects.
At Herrin & Leach, we’re here to guide you through every step of the adoption process. Whether you’re considering domestic, international, foster care, or adoption, we provide the expertise and support you need to make your dream of building a family a reality.