Adoption options
There are several options for adoption. Some of these options are private adoptions, open adoptions, semi-private/open adoptions, international adoptions, and adoptions through Child Protective Services.
As with surrogate carriers or gestational carriers, some things to consider are the financial security you have, the family involvement, the relationship stability between yourself and your partner, what further plans you may have, and what is ultimately best for the child.
How does adoption work?
Adoption works similarly to surrogacy and gestational options. In the adoption process, you select an agency that can handle the entire process or find an agency that can help with part of the process. You will complete an application, undergo a home study, match with a child (typically the mother will pick you up through the agency you choose), placement of the child after the child is born, and the finalization of all paperwork.
Deciding the right adoption type for your family is the single most important part of this process. There are private domestic adoptions, foster care to adopt, relative adoptions, stepparent adoptions, or even independent adoptions. Each with its pros and cons.
Adoption fees in Texas range from $5,000 to $50,000 depending on the contracts that are drawn up. Make sure you are ready for this step. Be clear on your reasons for wanting to adopt and be realistic with any of your limits you may have.
Adoption Agencies
Adoption agencies can help biological mothers connect with their intended parents. Adoption agencies can provide professional services such as family selections, attorneys, counseling, and guidance in developing the right adoption plan for you and your soon to be family.
Here is a list of local and national professionals that serve the state of Texas for adoptions:
Foster Care
There are thousands of children in the foster care system ranging from newborns to late-aged teenagers who are waiting for love and permanency of belonging to a family. The average age of a child in the state of Texas for adoption is 8 years old.
Here are a couple of places you can go in Texas to adopt:
International Adoptions
Sometimes you may have to go outside the state of Texas to start your family. Millions of children around the world are waiting for a family and your family could be the family that provides love, permanency, and security that a child will need to grow and flourish.
You will need to find a Hague-accredited adoption agency first to work with. The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption is the framework for cooperation between authorities of different countries and sets the minimum safeguards to ensure that adoptions take place with the child’s best interest at the forefront.
Here are a couple of places you can go in Texas to adopt internationally: