“Adoption cannot cure infertility, but it can cure childlessness,” writes Randall B. Hicks in his book “Adopting In America: How To Adopt In One Year.” The adoption attorney from southern California said there are several types of adoption under the umbrellas of agency adoption and independent adoption.

While an agency adoption, either locally or internationally, is completely handled by an agency, an independent or “open” adoption is completely handled by the adopting couple and their lawyer.

In the adjoining story, Ken and Kelly Coker chose to go with an open adoption when adopting their daughter, Arianna, and they are trying open adoption again in their efforts to adopt a second child.

Open adoption is flexible because it allows the adoptive parents to have and maintain a relationship with the birth mother, whether through indirect contact or face-to-face contact. The birth mother is able to choose who she wants to adopt her baby and the newborn child is immediately taken home by the adoptive parents.

There is some paperwork involved with open adoptions and an adoption attorney is needed for the legal issues, but the long wait with agency adoptions is eliminated. There also are no waiting lists in open adoption like there are with agency adoptions.

Independent adoption expenses are less than agency adoption expenses because the only costs involved are attorney fees and pregnancy-related fees for the birth mother.

Agency adoption are either private or public. Private adoption agencies are privately-owned businesses while public adoption agencies, such as Department of Human Services, are operated by the county or state and funded by tax dollars.

There is much paperwork involved and adoptive parents often have to wait until they can legally take the child home. But because adoptions are handled by the agency and fees are directly paid to them, adoptive parents don’t have to worry about the ins and outs of the adoption process. Agency adoptions also offer seminars to teach about adoptive parenting and related issues.

Adoptive parents may or may not have contact with the birth mother, depending on the agency. Years ago agency adoptions were strictly closed adoptions, but the landscape is changing.

In either open or agency adoption, a home study is required. The adoptive parents are investigated to assure there are no criminal records or child abuse allegations.

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Information: “Adopting In America: How To Adopt In One Year,” by Randall B. Hicks.