Children’s Bureau/ACYF/ACF/HHS

800.394.3366 | Email: info@childwelfare.gov | https://www.childwelfare.gov

FACTSHEET 

FOR FAMILIES

August 2015

Adoption Options: Where 

Do I Start?

WHAT’S INSIDE

Step 1: Explore 

adoption options

Step 2: Understand the 

laws

Step 3: Select an 

adoption services 

provider

Step 4: Complete a 

home study

Step 5: Engage in the 

placement process

Step 6: File necessary 

legal documents

Step 7: Parent your child

Additional resources

The prospect of adopting a child can be both 

exciting and overwhelming. There are many 

different types of adoption and choices to be 

made in pursuing an adoption. Your options for 

adoption will depend on the needs and interests 

of an adoptable child or youth as well as what 

is important to your family. These factors may 

include your flexibility around the characteristics 

of the child you wish to adopt, your feelings 

about contact with birth family members, your 

resources, and how long you are willing to wait for 

your child. 

This factsheet is an introduction to the many 

pathways to building your family through 

adoption. It will give you a basic understanding 

of the different types of adoption and guide you 

to relevant resources. It begins by describing the 

different types of adoption and goes on to discuss 

State laws governing adoption, choosing an agency 

or adoption services provider, completing the home 

study, being matched with a child, completing the 

necessary legal documents, and—finally—bringing 

your child home to be part of your family. Knowing 

your options in adoption can help you make 

thoughtful decisions about what type of adoption 

would work best for you.
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This publication is available online at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-adoptoption/.

Step 1: Explore Adoption Options

One of the first decisions many prospective adoptive parents make is whether to adopt a child born in the United States 

(domestic adoption) or born in another country (intercountry adoption). This decision tree (below) illustrates the different 

types of domestic and intercountry adoption. You can refer back to it as you read about each adoption type and 

consider what might work best for your family.

Map of Adoption Options

Type of Adoption

 Domestic Adoption

1. Public Agency Adoption

2. Licensed Private Agency Adoption

3. Independent Adoption

4. Facilitated/Unlicensed Agency Adoption

Intercountry Adoption 5. Hague Convention Country Adoption

6. Non-Hague Convention Country Adoption

Domestic Adoption

There are four main types of agencies or services providers you may work with in a domestic adoption: a public agency, 

a licensed private agency, an attorney (“independent adoption”), or an adoption facilitator (if allowed by laws in your 

State) or unlicensed agency. Public and licensed private agencies are required to meet State standards and have more 

oversight to ensure quality services. Unlicensed agencies and facilitators often do not have the same State oversight; 

consequently, there may be more financial, emotional, and legal risk for adoptive and birth families using unlicensed 

services. Many public and private adoption agencies offer free orientation sessions to provide an overview of their 

services.

1. Public Agency Adoption

There are thousands of children and youth in foster care waiting for adoptive families. Children in foster care have been 

removed from their families for a variety of reasons, including abuse or neglect, and they may have experienced trauma 

as a result. These children range in age from infants to teenagers. Children ages 8 and up—especially older youth—

children of color, sibling groups, and children with disabilities often wait longer than other children for adoptive families.

Public agencies—and private agencies contracted by public agencies—locate and prepare adoptive families to adopt 

children from foster care. In public agency adoptions, adoption matches are generally arranged by the agency through 

a meeting of several social workers and supervisors and/or by a placement committee, based on the needs of the child 

and the ability of the family to meet those needs.
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If you decide to pursue adoption from foster care, you are not limited to adopting just from your immediate area 

although you might want to begin there. You may also want to view online adoption exchanges, which are organizations 

that connect families with children in foster care waiting to be adopted (find listings at http://www.adoptea.org/

memberlist.html#map). Adoption exchanges provide photolistings with pictures and brief descriptions of children in 

foster care within particular States or regions. 

Some prospective adoptive parents start out as foster parents. Reuniting children with birth families is almost always 

the first goal in child welfare, and foster parents must work with agency social workers to support a child’s safe return 

home. When children cannot be safely returned to their biological parents, the child welfare agency begins to look for 

permanent resources for the child. In most cases, especially if no relatives are able to offer permanent care, the foster 

parents caring for the child will be offered the opportunity to adopt. It is important to note that infants are very rarely 

available for adoption from the foster care system, and the adoption process may be shorter or longer than private 

adoption, depending on the particular case details. Regardless, being a foster parent can be difficult emotionally 

because the opportunity to adopt is not guaranteed. 

Resources on Public Agency Adoption

 Information Gateway’s list of State photolistings at https://www.childwelfare.gov/

organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspROL&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=19

 AdoptUSKids.org (a national website featuring children available for adoption from foster care across the United 

States) at http://adoptuskids.org/meet-the-children/search

 Listing of State adoption exchanges at https://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.

dspROL&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=18

 Information Gateway’s “Special Needs” Adoption: What Does It Mean? at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/

factsheets/specialneeds/

 Information Gateway’s Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted From Foster Care at https://www.childwelfare.gov/

pubs/f-subsid/

 Information Gateway’s Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Abuse or Neglect at https://www.childwelfare.gov/

pubs/parenting-CAN/

2. Licensed Private Agency Adoption

In a licensed private agency adoption, birth parents relinquish their parental rights to an agency, and adoptive parents 

work with an agency to adopt. Agencies are required to adhere to licensing and procedural standards. 

Many prospective parents work with licensed private agencies in order to adopt healthy infants. Waiting times for infant 

adoptions vary tremendously and can be several years or more. In the United States, agency criteria for prospective 

adoptive parents are often more restrictive for infant adoptions than for adoptions of older children because fewer 

infants are available. These types of adoptions may also be more expensive than public agency adoptions.

Many agencies encourage birth parents to choose a prospective adoptive family for their child based on profiles that 

prospective families create to share information about themselves. Birth parents and prospective parents may have 

several opportunities to get to know each other face to face or even have regular contact over time. Social workers may 

make decisions about which families’ profiles are shared with expectant parents considering adoption, or agency staff 

may make the match of a child and prospective adoptive parent. 
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Birth parents’ consent to adoption is not final until after the birth. While State laws differ about the timing of birth 

parents’ consent and the conditions and timing of birth parents’ right to revoke that consent, there is always the 

possibility that birth parent(s) will change their minds about their choice to make an adoption plan when their baby is 

born. For information about consent laws in your State, read Information Gateway’s Consent to Adoption at https://www.

childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/consent/.

The National Foster Care & Adoption Directory lists public and licensed private adoption agencies and State adoption 

program managers for every State, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands at https://www.

childwelfare.gov/nfcad/. 

3. Independent Adoption

In an independent adoption, attorneys assist prospective adoptive parents and birth parents with the adoption process, 

which usually involves the adoption of an infant. Families adopting independently identify the expectant parents (or 

pregnant woman) without an agency’s help. In some cases, the attorney may identify expectant parents who are seeking 

an adoptive family. Each family’s situation is different; it is impossible to predict the length of time you may wait for a 

child. 

Infants usually are placed with the adoptive parents directly from the hospital after birth. As with private agency 

adoptions, State laws differ about the timing of the birth parents’ consent and the conditions and timing of the birth 

parents’ right to revoke that consent, but there is always the possibility that birth parents will change their minds when 

the baby is born. The birth parents are the child’s legal parents until they consent to the surrender of their parental 

rights. 

If you decide to choose independent adoption, you will interact with the expectant parents or their attorney. Birth 

parents typically provide a written consent for the adoption that must be approved by the court. Attorneys who facilitate 

independent adoptions must adhere to the standards of the American Bar Association and any applicable State and 

Federal laws. Some attorneys who specialize in adoption are members of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys 

(http://www.adoptionattorneys.org), a professional membership organization with standards of ethical practice.

Resources on Licensed/Private Agency and Independent Adoption

 Information Gateway’s Consent to Adoption offers information on State laws regarding consent and revocation of 

consent at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/consent/. 

 Regulation of Private Domestic Adoption Expenses includes State laws on permissible expenses at https://www.

childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/expenses/. 

4. Facilitated/Unlicensed Agency Adoption

Adoptive placements by facilitators and unlicensed agencies offer the least amount of supervision and oversight. A 

facilitator is any person who links prospective adoptive parents with expectant birth mothers for a fee. Facilitators may 

or may not be regulated in their State and may have varying degrees of expertise in adoption practice. Families who 

work with facilitators often have little recourse if the plan does not work out as they had hoped. Some States prohibit 

adoptions by paid facilitators. Check the adoption program or policy in your State.

Resource on Facilitated/Unlicensed Agency Adoption

 For more information on facilitated adoption, read Information Gateway’s Use of Advertising and Facilitators in 

Adoptive Placements at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/advertising/. 
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Openness in Adoption

Some degree of openness—that is, contact between a child’s birth and adoptive families—has become 

common in recent years. Contact may be occasional or frequent, in person or remote, and may vary over time. 

Research shows that contact between birth and adoptive families is generally beneficial for all parties. Children 

learn about their birth families in a gradual, more comfortable way, and they observe their birth and adoptive 

families interacting with each other. Birth parents know that their children have a loving home, and adoptive 

parents are not burdened with secrets to keep from their children. Thus, one of the variables you must consider 

in adopting is how much contact you and your child will have with his or her birth family. Find out more about the 

various forms of openness in adoption:

 Information Gateway’s Openness in Adoption: Building Relationships Between Adoptive and Birth Families at 

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-openadopt

 The Adoption Institute’s Openness in Adoption: From Stigma and Secrecy 

to Knowledge and Connections at http://adoptioninstitute.org/publications/

openness-in-adoption-from-secrecy-and-stigma-to-knowledge-and-connections

 Information Gateway’s Postadoption Contact Agreements Between Birth and Adoptive Families [State laws] at 

https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/cooperative

Intercountry Adoption

Intercountry adoption differs in several significant ways from domestic adoption. Information Gateway offers a factsheet 

for prospective parents that describes the unique circumstances of intercountry adoption: Intercountry Adoption: Where 

Do I Start? at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-inter/. Children eligible for intercountry adoption may have lost 

their birth parents to death or abandonment, or the birth parents must prove that they are incapable of caring for the 

children. In many cases, children adopted through intercountry adoption have been living in orphanages or institutional 

settings, which may have implications for brain development and for social and emotional development. There is 

generally less information about a child’s birth and family history in intercountry adoption than in domestic adoption. 

Intercountry adoption can also be more expensive than adoption from foster care, and there are issues of cultural and 

language differences to be considered. 

The placement process for intercountry adoption varies depending on the agency you choose and the child’s country of 

origin. In some cases, as a child becomes available for adoption, he or she is matched by an adoption service provider 

with prospective parents who can meet that child’s needs. In other cases, families may choose a child either before or 

during a visit to the country. Families often have the opportunity to review whatever information is available about a child 

before accepting a placement. However, in many cases very little is known about the child’s medical or other history. 

Find a list of pediatricians who specialize in helping parents evaluate information from intercountry adoption referrals at 

http://www2.aap.org/sections/adoption/directory/map-adoption.cfm. 

Since the United States ratified the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of 

Intercountry Adoption in April 2008, a number of requirements have changed for adoptions of children from countries 

that are also party to the Hague Convention. The Hague Convention was enacted to safeguard children and families 

involved in intercountry adoption. It includes requirements for adoption service providers (agencies), home studies, 

parent training, and more. Prospective parents who decide to pursue an intercountry adoption need to decide early 
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in the process whether they will adopt from a Hague Convention country or a country that is not a party to the Hague 

Convention, since many requirements will differ. The two types of intercountry adoption are described below.

Resources on Intercountry Adoptions

 Information Gateway’s factsheet Intercountry Adoption: Where Do I Start? offers more detailed information on 

intercountry adoption at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-inter/.

 Information Gateway’s factsheet Intercountry Adoption From Hague and Non-Hague Convention Countries allows 

you to compare the two types of intercountry adoption at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/hague/. 

 The U.S. Department of State offers information on the two types of adoption at http://travel.state.gov/content/

adoptionsabroad/en/hague-convention/hague-vs-non-hague-adoption-process.html.

5. Hague Convention Country Adoption

Parents who adopt from a Hague Convention country must use the services of a provider that is specifically approved 

or accredited to provide Hague Convention adoption services. Parents will need to identify the desired country before 

obtaining a home study. Children adopted from Hague Convention countries must be determined to be “adoptable” by 

their country of origin and must meet the definition of a Hague Convention adoptee. Before entering the United States, 

the child must obtain an immigrant visa.

To find out if the country you are considering adopting from is a party to the Hague Convention, visit the Department of 

State website at http://travel.state.gov/content/adoptionsabroad/en/hague-convention/convention-countries.html.

6. Non-Hague Convention Country Adoption

Parents adopting from a non-Hague country may obtain a home study before choosing the country from which they will 

adopt as long as the home study meets State and Federal requirements. The adoption provider (agency) must also be 

licensed in their home State. The child identified for adoption must meet the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services 

(USCIS) definition of “orphan” and will need to obtain a visa before being allowed to enter the United States. (See the 

USCIS definition of “orphan” at http://www.uscis.gov/tools/glossary/orphan.)

Adoption by Type of Family

Your own family circumstances impact the type of adoption you choose to pursue. Find resources for specific types 

of adoptive families—including single parents, families formed by second-parent adoption, families with stepparents, 

transracial/transcultural families, kinship or relative families, military families, foster families, and LGBT (lesbian, gay, 

bisexual, and transgender) families—on the Information Gateway website at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/

adoption/adoptive/adoption-by-family-type.

Step 2: Understand the Laws

State laws and regulations govern U.S. adoptions. These laws govern who can adopt and be adopted, confidentiality of 

records, inheritance rights, postadoption contact agreements, adoption expenses, and more; these laws also vary from 

State to State. Learning about the adoption laws in your State, or any States involved with your adoption, can smooth the 

process and help you avoid frustrating situations.

Resources on Understanding the Laws

The State Statutes Search on the Information Gateway website provides a brief overview and summaries of State laws on 

a variety of adoption topics, including who may adopt, timeframes for consent and revocation of consent to adoption, 

termination of parental rights laws, and more at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state/. 
Adoption Options: Where Do I Start? https://www.childwelfare.gov

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Other resources include the following:

 Family and Youth Law Center at http://www.familyyouthlaw.org

 American Academy of Adoption Attorneys at http://www.adoptionattorneys.org/aaaa/home

 American Bar Association at http://www.americanbar.org/aba.html

 U.S. Department of State’s web section on intercountry adoption at http://travel.state.gov/content/adoptionsabroad/

en.html

Step 3: Select an Adoption Services Provider

Once you have decided what type of adoption to pursue, you will then need to choose an adoption services provider or, 

in some cases, an attorney. 

If you decide to adopt from foster care, your public child welfare agency can provide information, guidance, and 

training. They can work with you to identify children who are waiting for homes. You can also look at AdoptUSKids’ 

photolistings of children around the country in foster care and available for adoption at http://www.adoptuskids.org/

meet-the-children/search. 

If you decide to adopt through a private agency, you will probably want to attend orientation sessions and visit several 

agencies before deciding on one. Some States contract with private agencies to perform foster and adoptive services 

for children in foster care. You can check with your public child welfare agency to identify potential adoption agencies in 

your area. All private providers of adoption services follow the same rules and standards set by the public child welfare 

agency; however, the service provision can vary based on individual agencies. 

The following steps can help you assess the reputation of licensed, private adoption agencies (and many of these steps 

can also apply for selecting an adoption attorney):

 Contact the State Licensing Specialist in the State where the agency is located (find that person on the National 

Foster Care and Adoption Directory Search at https://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/). The State Licensing Specialist 

will be able to tell you if the agency is in good standing, if there have been any complaints lodged against the 

agency, and how long the agency has held the license. 

 Contact the State’s Attorney General’s Office (http://www.naag.org/naag/attorneys-general/whos-my-ag.php) to see 

if any legal action has been taken against the agency. Ask whether there is pending litigation against the agency or 

whether the agency has an established complaint file.

 Request at least three references. Ask the agency to provide you with the names and contact information of families 

whose adoptions were completed at least 3 years ago. You may also want to speak with families whose adoptions 

were similar to the type of adoption you are considering. You may ask those adoptive parents how the agency 

handled the adoption process and if they had any problems or concerns with agency.

 Join an adoptive parent support group in your area and talk with other parents about their experience(s) with local 

agencies. 

Resources on Selecting an Adoption Services Provider or Attorney

 Information Gateway’s National Foster Care and Adoption Directory Search at https://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/

 Adoption Advocate’s article on “Choosing an Adoption Agency” at https://www.adoptioncouncil.org/files/

large/99b593431281c3a.

 American Academy of Adoption Attorneys’ tips and directory at http://www.adoptionattorneys.org/aaaa-page/

adopting-parents/adopting-parents
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Step 4: Complete a Home Study

No matter which type of adoption you choose to pursue, all prospective adoptive parents must have a home 

study or family study. A home study involves education, preparation, and gathering information about the 

prospective adoptive parents. This process can take from 2 to 10 months to complete, depending on agency 

waiting lists and training requirements. States vary regarding home study requirements, so you should check with 

your State Adoption Program to learn the specific regulations in your State (see https://www.childwelfare.gov/

organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspROL&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=14 for a list). Intercountry adoption 

may carry special home study requirements, depending on the country and agency involved.

Resources on Home Studies

 The Information Gateway factsheet The Adoption Home Study Process provides more information about what is 

generally included in a home study at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-homstu/.

 Home Study Requirements for Prospective Parents in Domestic Adoption provides information on State laws and 

policies at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/homestudyreqs-adoption.

 The National Foster Care & Adoption Directory lists public adoption agencies in each State and territory at https://

www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad. 

Step 5: Engage in the Placement Process

Once your home study is completed, you are ready to begin the placement process—the time when a specific child 

is identified. Depending on the type of adoption you are pursuing, the characteristics of the child or children you are 

seeking, and a variety of other factors, this process and the time involved in waiting for your child can vary greatly.

 If you are pursuing a public agency adoption, you may review information about a number of children who are 

waiting for families. Your agency may have adoption events, a photolisting service, TV or video segments describing 

waiting children, or other ways to let you know about available children waiting for families. You can also view waiting 

children and register as a resource family at the national photolisting website at http://www.adoptuskids.org/meetthe-children/search. You will often have the opportunity for preplacement visits to get to know a child before he 

or she moves into your home. Your family may also be able to serve as a resource, foster, or concurrent planning 

family, working with the agency to support the child’s return to his or her birth family as well as being considered as a 

potential permanent family for the child if reunification does not occur. 

 If you are pursuing adoption through a licensed private agency that does not involve a child in foster care, the 

expectant parents may select your family from among several prospective adoptive families.

 If you are pursuing an independent adoption, an attorney or facilitator may help you identify expectant parents, or 

you may locate them on your own if allowed by State law.

 If you are pursuing intercountry adoption, you may review information about your prospective child and may have 

the opportunity to meet your child in his or her placement setting (foster home or orphanage). This varies greatly 

from country to country; some countries allow you to select a child in advance or while visiting the country, and other 

countries match children with parents.
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Resources on Engaging in the Placement Process

 Information Gateway’s Obtaining Background Information on Your Prospective Adopted Child provides suggestions 

for obtaining a child’s medical, social, and educational history at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-background. 

 Foster Parents Considering Adoption, also from Information Gateway, outlines considerations in this type of adoption 

at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-fospar. 

 AdoptUSKids offers this web section on Receiving an Adoption Placement at http://www.adoptuskids.org/

for-families/how-to-adopt/receiving-an-adoptive-placement. 

Step 6: File Necessary Legal Documents

All domestic adoptions need to be finalized in court. The process varies from State to State. Generally, a child must have 

lived with the adoptive family for at least 6 months before the adoption can be legally finalized. During this time, a social 

worker may visit several times to ensure the child is well cared for and to write up the required court reports. After this 

period, the agency (or attorney in an independent adoption) will submit a written recommendation of approval of the 

adoption to the court. You or your attorney can then file with the court to complete the adoption. 

For intercountry adoptions, the actual adoption procedure is just one of a series of required legal processes. In 

addition to the laws of your State, you must also follow the laws of the child’s country of origin and U.S. Citizenship and 

Immigration Services requirements (see http://www.uscis.gov/adoption). If you adopt from a country that participates 

in the Hague Convention, the process carries further requirements to safeguard the parties involved. The process to 

finalize the adoption depends on the type of intercountry adoption, the type of visa the child has, and the laws in your 

State.

Resources on Filing Necessary Legal Documents

 The National Foster Care & Adoption Directory provides an attorney referral service for each State at https://www.

childwelfare.gov/nfcad/. 

 Several Information Gateway factsheets provide more information about the finalization of intercountry adoptions:

○ Intercountry Adoption: Where Do I Start? at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-inter/

○ Intercountry Adoption From Hague and Non-Hague Convention Countries at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/

factsheets/hague/

○ State Recognition of Intercountry Adoptions Finalized Abroad at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/

laws-policies/statutes/intercountry

Step 7: Parent Your Child

The final, and most important, step in the adoption process is to be a loving and supportive parent to your adopted 

child. Like all families, you and your child will experience joys and sorrows, ups and downs. Your family, like many families, 

may need support adjusting to life with your new child, and your child may need special help at times, too. 

Adoption is a lifelong process, and you and your child may have new questions or needs for services and supports at 

different developmental stages. Questions may arise about the adoption process, the birth family, and the child’s life 

before adoption. Adolescence is a key developmental period, and young teens often reprocess the stories of their 

adoption, seeking more information about their history and birth family. While the majority of adopted children and their 

families adjust well after adoption, children and families can often benefit from postadoption services. Many families 

seek postadoption services 8–10 years after the adoption. These services range from resources and referrals to intensive 

support services and peer support groups and can be a critical component of maintaining successful adoptions. 
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Children adopted from another country, especially older children, will require sensitivity to their change in culture, 

including (possibly) language, food, customs, societal expectations, etc. You may want to contact your agency about 

finding a support group for families with children from your child’s home country. 

All children will need time to adjust to new people, surroundings, schools, family rules, and more. You should feel free to 

take advantage of postadoption services offered by your agency, as well as support groups for adoptive parents and for 

children who have been adopted. 

Resources on Being a Parent

 Read more in the Parenting After Adoption section of the Information Gateway website at https://www.childwelfare.

gov/topics/adoption/adopt-parenting.

 Find adoption support groups in the National Foster Care and Adoption Directory at https://www.childwelfare.gov/

nfcad/.

 Information Gateway offers a variety of factsheets on specific topics:

○ Finding and Using Postadoption Services at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-postadoption/

○ Helping Your Foster Child Transition to Your Adopted Child at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-transition/

○ Parenting a Child Who Has Been Sexually Abused: A Guide for Foster and Adoptive Parents at https://www.

childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-abused

○ Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Abuse or Neglect at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/parenting-CAN/

○ Parenting a Child Who Has Experienced Trauma at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/child-trauma/

○ Parenting Your Adopted Preschooler at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/preschool/

○ Parenting Your Adopted School-Age Child at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/parent-school-age/

○ Parenting Your Adopted Teenager at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/parent-teenager/

○ Selecting and Working With a Therapist Skilled in Adoption at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-therapist

○ Stepparent Adoption at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-step/

Additional Resources

 Adoptive Families magazine and website at https://www.adoptivefamilies.com/

 AdoptUSKids at http://adoptuskids.org

 Information Gateway factsheets (not cited above):

○ Adopting as a Single Parent at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/single-parent

○ Costs of Adopting at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/s-cost

○ Employer-Provided Adoption Benefits at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-benefi

○ Frequently Asked Questions From Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Prospective Foster and Adoptive 

Parents at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/faq-lgbt

○ Impact of Adoption on Adoptive Parents at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheets/impact-parent

○ Military Families Considering Adoption at https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f-milita

○ Who May Adopt, Be Adopted, or Place a Child for Adoption [State laws] at https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/

systemwide/laws-policies/statutes/parties/
Recommended citation: 

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2015). Adoption options: Where do I start? Washington, DC: U.S. Department of 

Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 

Administration for Children and Families 

Administration on Children, Youth and Families 

Children’s Bureau

Adoption Options: Where Do I Start? https://www.childwelfare.gov