Agency vs. Private Adoption 

Bonnie Hilton | June 2, 2020 

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"First Mothers"

There are many expecting mothers that do not desire to have an abortion, but realize that they are not able to provide financially or emotionally for their future child. These brave, courageous, selfless women choose to place their child for adoption. We call these women “Birth Mothers”, but they could be called “First Mothers” because they choose to put the life of their child first.   

 

Each year, there are approximately 18,000 women that choose to place their child for adoption.  Sometimes these women find and use an adoption agency and other times they find their adoptive family on their own and use an attorney; hence, there are basically two ways to adopt an infant domestically: Agency Adoption and Private Adoption.  

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Agency vs. Private

An agency adoption involves placing or adopting a child through a licensed child-placing agency.  A private adoption involves a direct placement between the birth mother and the prospective adoptive parent, or parents, with the help of an attorney.

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It makes sense for an adoptive family to do a private adoption when they have found a birth mother on their own. They can always pay a counselor ad hoc to support them and their birth mother.  If an adoptive family does not have their own birth mother, it makes more sense for them to use an adoption agency.

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Agency adoptions are typically more expensive because they perform the services of finding a birth mother and supporting both the adoptive family and the birth mother throughout the process.  Private adoption may be less expensive, but there is not much support for either the birth mother or adoptive family along the way. 

 

Infant domestic adoptions can be open, closed, or somewhere in between on this spectrum. Most birth mothers and adoptive families choose to have a semi-open relationship with varying degrees of openness depending on the wants and needs of each party.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Agency adoptions typically run at about $40,000+ Private adoptions run between $20,000 - $40,000 depending on how many expenses the family covers for the birth mother, the attorney’s fees, and whether or not they hire a social worker for support. There are grants and subsidies available and sometimes the agency itself will provide financial guidance.  

Because both the birth mother and the adoptive family care deeply for the child, the child is surrounded by love that brings these two families together in a way that is amazing to witness. Domestic infant adoption is a wonderful way to rescue children at risk. 

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If you are interested in learning more about domestic infant adoption, whether to adopt or place your baby with a family, please contact us. 

Thank you!​​​​​