Types of adoption
Interracial Adoption
Interracial Adoption is also known as transracial or transcultural. This is when parents who adopt, adopt a child of another race. This is usually done because, fewer Caucasian children are available. Caucasians, who are adopted, usually don’t accept singles or applicants older then forty, so most adopt interracially.
("Introduction to Tran racial or Tran cultural adoption")
In the survey we conducted, we decided to add a question which asked the teen’s views on interracial adoption. We wanted to know how they felt about people adopting their own race. They could only answer a yes or no to the question. The teen’s ages were from fourteen and eighteen years of age. In all, there were fifty teenagers surveyed; thirty-two females and eighteen males.
International Adoption
This is the process of adopting a child outside of the U.S. It is mostly done through private attorney, or an international adoption agency. Only 88 countries in the world allow international adoption. These countries include 6 countries in Africa, 20 in Asia, 32 in Europe, and 30 in Latin America. The age range would be from infants to teens. The approximate cost averages between $7,000 to $30,000. It depends on the agency country to decide who can adopt. It may take six months to several years to actually receive a child depending on the age. ("Adoption Types")
Stepchild Adoption
The stepchild adoption process is very similar to any other adoption process. The most common form of adoption, stepchild adoption is the process where someone “assumes financial and legal responsibility” for the child of their spouse. The stepparent must file for a petition to claim the child ("Stepchild Adoption"). In addition, the stepparent must have documents to present to a judge that the absent biological parent gives consent to the stepparent. In certain cases, like the biological parent’s death or his/her lack of parental rights, consent is not necessary ("Stepchild Adoption").
Although the process seems practical enough, the stepparent who is adopting will be well informed. The stepparent should be aware of the specific laws concerning the adoption process that vary from state to state. Some of these laws include, but are not limited to, that the stepparent has to be married to the biological parent of the child for at least one year and the judge may require a home study on both the stepparent and the biological parent ("Stepparent Adoption"). They should also understand that to complete the process, parental consent from the absent biological parent is needed. Due to different domestic situations, including a strain in the relationship between the biological parent and the absent biological parent, the process can be t ime-consuming, dealing with the mother and the father of the child. Stepparents should also familiarize themselves with the regulations regarding visitation rights for the grandparents of the child. ("Stepchild Adoption").
Relative Adoption
“Most state laws define "relative" by degree of relatedness. For example, Arizona adoption law defines a "relative" as "uncle, aunt, adult sibling, grandparent or great-grandparent of the child of the whole or half-blood or by marriage or adoption”. ("Adoption of a Relative")
In many cases relative adoption would be thought of after a family member has passed away. Instead of putting the family member’s child up for adoption, the relative would adopt them instead, so they can have legal rights to the child. ("Adoption of a Relative") There is another case in which the parent is not taking responsibility for he/she’s child or no longer can take care of the child. This would lead to the state coming in to help the child, for example, Child Services. To prevent this from ending in the child in a whole new family, the family can come in and adopt the child.
Adopting Adults
Adopting an adult is not the type of adoption that is heard about often. To consider choosing the adopting adult method, the adoptee has to be at least the age of 18 and has to accept wanting to be adopted by the person who is willing to do the adoption. ("Adult Adoptions") There are several reasons why a person might consent to adult adoption. One reason that is most common is inheritance. This is done so that the adoptee can legally get an inheritance from the adopter. The next reason is because the adoptee has grown very close to his/her step-parent and wants to make the relationship as real as possible. ("Adopting an Adult") Another reason is that the adopted adult finds their biological family. The family can adopt them back into the family just as long as they are of age.
After an adult is adopted, he/she will receive a new birth certificate that will have the adoptive parents in place of the adoptee’s birth parents. Then the adoptee’s last name would be changed to the adoptive parents’, but this can be optional. The way our government is set up lets states make separate laws from others, so there are different rules and regulations on adult adoption in each state. Some laws the rules and regulations may be similar, but others may be entirely opposite.
("Adopting an Adult")
hom*osexual Adoption
For the gay community adoption seems good in one part of the country or world, but frowned upon in the others. In the United States, it has been a struggle for separate states to decide whether to allow or deny hom*osexual adoption. To this day some states remain neutral on the subject matter because there are reasons why it would be good and reasons why it should not be able to happen; it is neither legal nor illegal to do.
States such as California, Massachusetts, Ohio, Washington, New Jersey, New York, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Oregon, Alaska, Minnesota, and even the District of Columbia have welcomed the gay community to the adoption process. There is a catch though; one partner first has to apply for the legal right to the adoptee. After this process has gone through the necessary frustrations, the second “parent” can come in. This parent now has to apply for a second parent adoption which is where this parent can adopt the child also, but it does not take away the rights from the other parent. Adding the second parent, allows both parents to have the same right to the child.
("Are You Thinking About Gay Adoption")
The states which have not allowed legal gay and lesbian adoption, the adoption has been done secretly. The gay and lesbian couples have just used one parent to adopt a child without the other being involved. The only states thus far that have strictly prohibited gay and lesbian adoption have been Florida and New Hampshire.
("Working with Gay and Lesbian Adoptive Parents")
