Differences Between Foster and Private Adoption in Summerville, SC

If you are considering adoption, there are many options available to you. The most common choice is between foster (or agency) adoption and private adoption in Summerville, SC. How you choose depends on your preferences and current connections within the adoption system. Here are five differences between foster and private adoption that will help you make the best decision for your family:

• Wait time: Adoptions always have a wait time between when you find a child eligible for adoption and when the process is complete. For private adoptions within U.S. borders, the wait time can be as little as one month or as long as 12 months. An international adoption will vary from a few months to years, depending on the requirements of the child’s home country. When you adopt through foster care or a state agency, your wait will range from one month to five years, depending on the child’s situation. If you already foster children and have one picked out to adopt, an agency adoption is likely to take less time.
• Uncertainty: In agency adoptions, the main goal is to rehabilitate the birth parents and then eventually reunify the child with them. This adds a large portion of uncertainty to an agency adoption, because the child on whom you have your heart set may end up being returned to the parents. Your wishes are not paramount in this situation. With a private adoption, there is a moderate risk of the adoption not going through. Birth parents have a set time limit for when they can contest or dispute the adoption, and if they fail to do so, the adoption works out in your favor. However, there are instances where birth parents change their minds, so you will be in uncertain territory until the deadlines run out.
• Age of child: Private adoption normally involves infants. When you adopt through an agency, you still have a chance to adopt an infant. However, there are more older children available for foster care adoptions. Your adopted child can be as old as 18, which works out great if you would like to provide a stable influence for a young adult or older teenager. If adopting an infant is your preference, you may accomplish that better through a private adoption.
• Cost: A private adoption can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000. Again, this will depend on whether this is a U.S. adoption or an overseas arrangement. For foster adoption, the main cost is in time, and you will only pay fees for a home study.
• Involvement of birth parents: A private adoption can either be open or closed. A closed adoption is when the child has no contact with his or her birth parents, and your child will grow up only knowing you as their parents. If it is an open adoption, the birth parents will remain involved, and you need to develop coping strategies to manage that. State adoptions can vary between open and closed. Again, it depends on the circumstances of the child.

If you are considering a foster care or private adoption in Summerville, SC, you will find the needed legal representation at Lister Law Office. Call today to schedule a consultation.

Categorised in: Private Adoption

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