Adoptions fall into the following categories:
- Agency Placement Adoptions: In Agency Placement Adoptions the birth parents give their child to an adoption agency and the agency in turn place the child with prospective adoptive parents.
- Direct Placement Adoptions: Direct placement adoptions are independent adoptions where neither a government department nor an agency is a party to the adoption petition. Such adoptions give birth parents the right to select and consent to the adoption of their child to particular approved adoptive parents.
- Stepparent Adoptions: A stepparent adoption is an adoption of a child by a stepparent. This type of adoption is possible only when one birth parent retains custody and control of the child.
- Relative Adoptions: A relative adoption is an adoption of a child by a person related to the child within a certain degree by blood or marriage.
- International Adoptions: International Adoption is the adoption of a foreign-born child by U.S. citizens for whom federal law makes a special immigration visa available.
- Domestic Adoptions: An adoption where the adoptive parents and adoptee are citizens and residents of the United States.
- Closed Adoption: In a closed adoption the adoptive parents will not have information about the adoptee’s birth parents or the adoptee’s social and medical history.
- Open Adoption: The birth parents will meet the chosen adoptive family prior to placement of the child for adoption. Identifying information will be shared by both adoptive parents and birth parents.
- Adult Adoptions: Adult adoption is an adoption of a person above the age of majority by another adult, except the spouse of the prospective adoptive parent.
