Adopting a child Adopting a child Adopting a child is when a couple takes a child who is not theirs and raises them as a member of their family. Some people think adopted children are the same as foster children but they are not. When you adopt a child, the child has all the legal rights as all the other members of the family. Licensed social agencies all the ones who plan most adoptions in the United States. The others are planned by physicians and lawyers.
Adoption agencies prefer that a married couple adopt a child as opposed to a single parent.
There are some cases where a single parent can adopt a child. About half of the children adopted in the United States are adopted by family members. There are many reasons why people give their children up for adoption. Some people feel they are not capeable of taking care of their children. Some unwed people don t want to take care of a child.