Domestic Adoption in the U.S.: A Complete Guide

What is Domestic Adoption? 

Domestic adoption means adopting a child—often a newborn or infant—who was born in and currently lives in the United States. The process typically involves voluntary placement by birth parents who are looking for the right person to care for their child. 

This guide covers everything you need to know about domestic infant adoption, from paths to adoption and medical histories to typical costs, wait times, and challenges. 

Types of Domestic Adoption 

There are two main paths to domestic adoption: adopting through an agency and hiring an adoption attorney, which is sometimes called independent adoption. If you opt for a licensed child placing agency, they will often handle a lot of the legal and planning aspects of the process and help you match with a child. When you hire an attorney, you often have to find the match yourself. 

Agency Adoption 

All 50 states keep a list of approved child-placing agencies for adoptions. These agencies have earned approval from each state’s department that manages foster care and adoptions. 

In most cases, these agencies provide a complete set of services, handling all legal matters related to the adoption in addition to providing counseling and helping match children with adoptive parents. 

Usually, you can find a list of your state’s approved child-placing agencies by Googling your state’s main adoption/foster care department and visiting its website or using an online directory like adoptiondirectory.com.. 

Independent (Attorney) Adoption 

Hiring an adoption attorney is another pathway when you’re considering domestic adoption. This path often requires finding a child match yourself and then hiring a lawyer to handle the legal aspects and paperwork involved in the process. 

To find a reputable adoption attorney, you can visit your state’s directory on the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys website. 

The Benefits of Domestic Adoption 

There are several advantages to adopting a child within the United States. In most cases, you can access domestic children’s medical histories more easily than those of international children, allowing you more information to provide the care your child needs. Moreover, since you live in the same country, it’s easier to maintain an ongoing relationship with the birth family. 

Adopting a Newborn

Most children available through international adoption and in the foster care system are at least two years old. If you want to adopt a newborn, domestic adoption is your best fit.

Access to Medical History 

Unlike international adoption, when you adopt domestically, you can often gain access to your adopted child’s medical and social history. Domestic adoptions typically involve some level of communication with birth parents, making this type of information more accessible. 

It’s rare for anyone to have a completely picture perfect health history. If you have concerns about anything in your child’s family health history, a conversation with a doctor can often ease some of your concerns.

Open Adoption Opportunities

Open adoptions—in which adoptive families are in long-term contact with birth families—are common these days and more possible within a domestic adoption. An open adoption allows you and your child to maintain a relationship with their birth family and can be very rewarding. Birth and adoptive families agree to communication cadence and guidelines ahead of time.

The Challenges of Domestic Adoption 

While domestic infant adoption has a lot of advantages, it’s important to be realistic about the difficulties you might face. We cover some of them below. 

High Costs

Domestic infant adoption can be expensive due to agency, application and legal fees, and other costs. You will also need to provide support for birth parents and pay for a home study and background check. 

The Child Welfare Information Gateway estimates that domestic infant adoptions can cost anywhere between $30,000 to $60,000. Specific agency fees vary, and some agencies will adjust fees depending on your income, so it’s always a good idea to ask questions about costs up front.

Wait Times 

Wait times for domestic infant adoption can be unpredictable and long. The average wait time is between six months and several years to finalize a domestic adoption. 

However, it’s difficult to put an exact timeline on any one adoption as every adoption journey is unique. The best approach is to expect the unexpected and be prepared to stick with it even through uncertainty. 

The Domestic Adoption Process Overview 

Domestic infant adoption generally includes the following steps:

• Find an agency or attorney
• Complete a home study
• Match with a birth family
• Bring your adopted child home and file paperwork
• Finalize the adoption

Is Domestic Adoption Right for You? 

While domestic adoption can certainly bring great joy into your life—as well as into the life of your adopted child—it’s a major decision. Before starting the process, make sure you consult with professionals, are ready to support a child, and weigh the pros and cons of making this choice.