If you are ready to become a parent, there are thousands of children in the United States in need of homes. By choosing adoption, you will provide a youngster with a permanent family and a stable foundation to achieve their life goals. When it comes to starting the adoption process, many people aren’t sure of where to begin. To grow your family, follow the below guide for a few popular avenues prospective parents explore.

The Different Types of Adoption Worth Considering

1. Agency

People who want to work with a team that specializes in placing children with prospective parents seek out licensed public and private adoption agencies.

The license is typically granted by a state’s Department of Health and Human Services. Licensed agencies are required to conduct home studies of the prospective parent’s residence and supervise families after the placement to help with the adjustment.

Public agencies typically place children who are wards of the state, while private agencies are often charity-run and deal directly with the biological parents. You can learn more about a specific agency in your area by calling the state’s Attorney General’s Office. 

2. Independent

With an independent adoption, the biological parents and adoptive parent(s) find each other through a source other than a licensed agency. This could be a mutual acquaintance, such as a friend, clergy member, or doctor.

In some states, prospective parents and their attorneys can also advertise the desire to adopt, as long as the advertisements follow the guidelines of the state’s adoption code. The birth mother transfers parental rights directly to the adoptive parent.

The prospective parents typically correspond with the birth mother and pay their medical expenses and other pregnancy-related costs. Due to the personal relationship formed between the prospective and biological parents, the process typically takes no more than a year to complete. 

3. Foster-to-Adoption

There are more than 400,000 children currently in the foster care system, with over 125,000 eligible for adoption. Many people choose to become foster parents and then legal guardians when the children are eligible for adoption.

Foster parents must complete home studies and Model Approach to Partnerships and Parenting (MAPP) training. Foster children are eligible for adoption tax credits. Medical assistance, college tuition, and additional programs are available to children adopted through foster care.

For a better idea of which adoption method is best for your situation, contact the lawyers at Goddard & Hammontree LLC in Dalton, GA. With over five decades of experience between them, the counselors are committed to helping Whitfield County families navigate the ins and outs of Georgia’s adoption process, so nothing falls through the cracks. See how the local lawyers will help online. For legal advice and assistance drafting the necessary paperwork, call (706) 278-0464.