Private adoptions

Private adoptions usually “occur when the placement of the child is arranged through an private individual, often an attorney, physician, friend, or adoption facilitator.” (http://www.adoptionservices.org/birth_mother/birth_mother_adoption_private_agency.htm)

How a Private adoption looks is a birth mother has either been approached by a couple wanting to adopt her baby or the adoptive parent have been asked to asked by the birth parents to adopt their child. The couple then will usually hire a lawyer to address the legal issues of the adoption, its proceedings and then to finalize the adoption. There are some pros and cons to this approach:

The pros:

1)      It allows the adoptive parents to have more control over the adoption process and gain parental rights from the birthparents directly, not from an agency. (http://adoption.legalrow.com/private_adoption.php)

2)      The adoptive couple can gain parental rights directly from the birth parents rather than it going through an agency.

3)      Many websites have also indicated that through private adoption, the amount of information gathered about the birthparents may be greater than that of an agency adoption.

The Cons:

1)      The cost. This seems to be the biggest thing against private adoptions is that there is not a set cost. It could cost anywhere from $5,000 to $30,000 to adopt a child.

2)      Time. The timing can be very sporadic as well since the adopting couple has to market themselves. Also the court proceedings can take a long time because each state requires something a little different.

3)       For the birthparents, this option can be a negative experience because many times the facilitators of the adoption may have only the best interested of the adoptive couple in mind and not that of the birth parents.