For many infant adoptions in the United States, however, the criteria for applicants can be more restrictive depending on the agency. Often agencies will only consider couples married at least 1 to 3 years, between the ages of 25 and 40, and with stable employment income. More and more women are deciding to keep their babies. In the 1950s and 1960s it was estimated that 40 to 50 percent of unmarried women placed infants for adoption. Between 1989 and 1995, just under 1 percent of babies born to single women were relinquished for adoption.
Many persons prefer to adopt newborns.
Additionally, more and more persons are choosing to adopt. Many prospective parents seek to adopt healthy infants, often of a background similar to their own. In the United States, a relatively small percentage of healthy, Caucasian infants are placed for adoption. Most Caucasian infants are placed through agencies and independent adoptions. Fees and waiting times for infants vary tremendously, depending on the type of adoption involved.