What Is Private Adoption? [A Complete Guide]

Private adoption refers to when birth parents choose to place their newborn or infant for adoption with an adoptive family through an agency.

If you want to become a parent and experience every precious moment with your baby, then private adoption could be the path for you. It allows you to build a loving relationship with your child right from the start.

Every year, we complete hundreds of adoptions all over the country. As a licensed full-service adoption agency, we can help you grow your family in Colorado. Reach out online or call 1-800-ADOPTION to learn more about the private adoption process.

What Is a Private Adoption?

In a private adoption, expecting parents directly place their baby with an adoptive family. The expecting mother can choose the perfect adoptive family and decide what level of contact she’s comfortable with. Typically, a licensed adoption agency will facilitate the process to protect the rights of everyone involved and ensure a safe, loving home for the child.

You might have also heard private adoption called “domestic adoption,” “infant adoption” or “newborn adoption.” All of these terms have the same fundamental definition of adopting an infant or newborn through a private adoption agency.

What’s the Difference Between Public Adoption vs. Private Adoption?

Public adoption, also known as foster care adoption, involves adopting a child whose birth parents’ rights were terminated by a state court. Often, these children were removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect or difficult living conditions.

Because many birth parents intend to raise their children but later lose custody, many of the children available for public adoption are older. In 2022, 83 percent of children in foster care were at least 2 years old, and the average age was 8.2 years old.

In contrast, private adoption involves direct placement. After childbirth, the birth parents voluntarily place their baby with the adoptive family they chose. If you want to raise your child from birth or infancy, this could be the path for you.

Remember, the goal of foster care is reunification. It is generally best for the child to return home if their birth parents resolve the issues that led to their removal. You can adopt through foster care, but you may need to wait for an opportunity.

How Do Private Adoption Agencies Help?

A full-service private adoption agency can assist you with every step of the adoption process. At American Adoptions of Colorado, we:

• Provide honest wait times

• Offer financial protection

• Complete your home study

• Help you create a print and video family profile

• Share legal referrals

• And more

We are dedicated to connecting families, and we can help you fulfill your dream of parenthood. Your adoptive family coordinator will be there to support you from your first call to finalization. To begin your journey, fill out our online pre-application.

What Factors Contribute to Private Adoption Costs?

Adoption is a wonderful way to start a family. However, it can be expensive because private adoption involves a lot of support from adoption specialists, attorneys, social workers, counselors, government administrators and more.

Here are some of the expenses associated with private adoption:

• Agency fees

• Home study costs

• Attorney and administrative fees

• Expecting mother’s medical and living costs

• And more

At American Adoptions of Colorado, our agency fees are set. You can trust that there will be no unexpected charges when you work with us. The agency fees encompass our essential operations, such as staffing and office space, as well as our services, including adoption advertising to reach expectant parents and counseling for pregnant women considering adoption.

Some expenses will vary based on your specific adoption situation. You will need to hire an adoption attorney to assist with paperwork and possible court appearances, and you should budget for travel expenses if you reside in a different state than the expectant parents. Additionally, adoptive families generally cover the medical and living expenses of the expectant mother, so you’ll want to consider these variable costs too.

Can I Pursue Private Adoption Without an Agency?

Yes, you can move forward with an independent adoption, but there are more risks and responsibility involved. You will need to find expecting parents who want to place their baby with your family. While it offers more autonomy, independent adoption requires you to handle all legal and logistical aspects independently or through individually hired professionals.

Here is what you will be responsible for without an adoption agency:

• Adoption attorney: You must find and hire an attorney to legally terminate parental rights and finalize the adoption.

• Home study provider: In order to legally adopt a baby, you’ll need to complete a home study that confirms you’re ready and able to raise a child.

• Your budget: You will need to budget for each step of the adoption process and be prepared for the risk of the expecting parents changing their minds.

• Marketing: You’ll need to promote yourself to expectant parents online or create your own adoptive family profile to show to expectant parents why you’re the best family to place a baby with.

• Communication with the birth parents: You will need to get to know the birth mother and create a post-adoption contact agreement that meets everyone’s needs.

If you work with American Adoptions of Colorado, we will handle the logistics of your adoption journey, walk you through each step of the process, coordinate with other professionals and ensure you and the expecting parents are fully supported. However, in an independent adoption, you must manage the process yourself.

This can be risky from a financial standpoint. If the pregnant woman changes her mind and decides to parent, you may lose your adoption investment. Our agency offers a Risk-Sharing Program to ensure adoption disruptions don’t result in financial disappointment.

Starting the Private Infant Adoption Process [Next Steps]

Want to begin the private adoption process and take another step toward your dream family? Our dedicated and experienced staff is here to help. You can speak with an adoptive family coordinator today by calling 1-800-ADOPTION or scheduling a free consultation online.

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