ABA Family Legal Guide

Family Law

Children

Adoption

What is an agency adoption?

As the name implies, the parents work though a state-licensed agency. The agency often supervises the care of biological mothers who are willing to have their children adopted by others, and it assists in the placement of children after birth. Agencies screen adoptive parents--often extensively--before the adoption proceeds. Some agencies have long waiting lists of parents. Some agencies specialize in placing children born in foreign countries.