Private or private domestic adoption refers to any adoption not arranged by an agency or organization. In this instance, a child is adopted when the adoptive parents find a birth mother or baby or child privately. Instead of seeking the help of an adoption agency, some people choose to search for a child on their own.
In North America, rules for private domestic adoption vary from state to state and province to province. The government has laws regarding private adoption, while some areas may be flexible, others are not. To find out rules and laws for a particular state or province, a person might consult the government's social services department or perhaps they might find information on the Internet via a government website.
Private adoption requires commitment and work. It can be challenging but it helps to have some insight into the process of private adoption. The key to a successful private adoption is to gather as much information as possible regarding rules, regulations and protocol for the state or province adopting from. There are rules regarding what adoptive parents can and can't do to find a potential adoptive baby or child.
It's essential to know what fees are required for a private adoption and also to whom these fees must be paid. There are requirements concerning consent in a private adoption. It's imperative to know who must consent to the private domestic adoption and also know how and when the consent can be signed. There are notifications and approvals needed prior to placing a child in an adoptive home. It's important to be informed about these requirements. When adopting privately, it's nice to know what sort of timeframe the adoptive parents are working with. Knowing when the final adoption order can be issued is important.
A private adoption is similar to a public adoption with one key difference. In a private domestic adoption the waiting time for a healthy newborn baby is usually shorter than with a public adoption. Prospective adoptive parents as well as the birth mothers, have more control over a private adoption process. Instead of having an agency choosing a child for the adoptive parents, in some provinces and states, adoptive parents have the option of finding a child themselves.
The advantages of private adoption put the baby's health at the forefront. In a private domestic adoption, the adoptive parents have an open relationship with the baby's natural parents. This provides access to the newborn baby's medical and social history. It provides an opportunity for the adoptive parents to learn all they need to know about the health of the newborn baby which will equip them for the child's care in the future. Another advantage of private adoption is less expense. Adopting within North America is much less expensive than an overseas adoption.
As with any adoption process, private adoption has disadvantages as well. The number one disadvantage is the lack of available newborn babies. Nowadays when women have unwanted pregnancies, many choose to terminate. Other women with unplanned pregnancies decide to raise their children themselves. Because the number of available newborn babies is unpredictable, if potential adoptive parents are unwilling to wait, private adoption may not be the best option for them.
Of course, there is always the major risk in private adoption that the birth mother might change her mind and decide to keep her baby. In private adoption, there are rules regarding a timeframe in which a birth mother can do this but the risk is still there. Many people are not willing to take this risk and so they choose other adoption routes like International adoption.
Because there has been contact with the birth mother during a private adoption, the adoptive parents may take the opportunity to find out about their new baby's family medical history, or make a brief family tree. Perhaps even to put together a small 'memories' box, a photograph of the mother, of grandparents, of momentos of the pregnancy or birth. This box will be invaluable if your adoptive baby ever wants to find out more about his birth family later in life.