What are the Different Types of Adoption Services?

Different types of adoption services include open adoption, semi-open adoption, closed adoption, and semi-closed adoption. Adoption services also are classified as international adoption or domestic adoption. Many adoption services include placements through an agency and those that are conducted through private adoption. Foster care adoption is done through foster care agencies.

Domestic adoption refers to placement of a child from the same country as the adoptive family. Through domestic adoption services, there may often be a longer waiting period to legally obtain a younger child or infant. Many couples or individuals longing to adopt domestically may have to wait for several years before receiving a child. In some cases, domestic adoptions can happen faster for families who adopt older children.

With domestic adoption of newborns, a birth parent may decide to select the adoptive parents based upon several factors. The birth parents may carefully sift through profiles to determine which individual or couples are best suited to provide a proper home for the child. This option is known as a domestic open adoption because both parties will have some information about each other.

In many open adoption services, both the birth parents and adoptive parents come to a mutual decision regarding the adoption. This may include sharing personal information and reaching an agreement over communication rights. This agreement will generally be enforced by a legal contract.

Other domestic adoption services place children who are in foster care with a permanent legal family. The child may become adopted by his foster parents or by a new family. The determination will generally depend upon what is in the child's best interest.

Closed adoption is a service that allows the adoptive parents the legal right to remain anonymous to the adopted child's birth parents. All records of adoption will remain confidential and sealed in a court of law. There will be no communication between the parties, and the adopted child will not have access to any information regarding his birth parents.

International adoption has become an option for those wishing to adopt a child without the typical extended time period often required for domestic adoptions. For couples adopting a child outside of their own country, the process will be administered in the country where the child is from. International adoption agencies assist prospective parents in their quest to find the best match. Many of these agencies can be found through Internet searches.