Domestic Adoption Facts

Here are some quick facts about domestic adoption for you to consider when deciding on the type of adoption you’d like to pursue.

• Families adopting domestically usually receive a more detailed medical record and social history of the birth parents. When adopting internationally, parents may not have access to a child’s medical history.
• Information about birth parents in a domestic adoption can include pregnancy records, medical background, social situation, and family history. The more information you can get about your baby’s birth parents, the better.
• It is a common misconception that domestic adoptions cost more than international adoptions. The reality is that the cost of adoption varies greatly depending on a number of factors.
• Domestic adoption allows your child to get more information about his or her birth parents as well as a true picture about his or her background, allowing them to have a solid understanding about where they came from.
• Families pursuing a domestic adoption should be ready to travel anywhere within the country. They should plan to visit their expectant mother at least once before birth whenever possible. Once the baby is born, they need to travel to the state in which she delivers and stay wherever the hospital is until after the baby is born and the legal paperwork has gone through.
• Some families can wait two years or more to adopt a baby, but the truth is that around 75% of families adopt a baby within two to twelve months. The waiting time depends on the family’s adoption plan, which usually includes considerations of the race of the baby, whether the adoption is going to be closed or open, the family’s budget, and more.
• Domestic adoption accounts for a significant portion of all adoptions. In the United States, nearly 45% of all adoptions are domestic adoptions.