To clarify, there is no such thing as an “Open Adoption” as a type of adoption; this has become a very confusing and misused description of an adoption. In court, all adoptions are the same and governed by the state adoption statutes, which may or may not include an Open Adoption Agreement. This extra contract “rides” with the adoption and details contact between the birth family/parent(s), the adopted child(ren) and the adoptive family.

Private placement agencies more or less work for you as your adoption representative, most of these agencies are nonprofits but generally all of them charge a placement and home study fee for their services. These agencies arrange and help with adoptions between private parties, more commonly known as birth-parent-placements, or in a situation where the birth parent(s) release their children to an agency for adoption placement. Under the right state license, a private placement agency can also place children from the state foster care system for adoption and foster care.

There are four “types” of adoption – public, private, independent and international. Each carry varying degrees of differences, some legal and some “cultural," but for gay and lesbian individuals, singles and couples the major consideration is how open you are about your life in the home study process. We are sure you have heard this before, but it stands repeating – “You don’t like living a lie in your life; do not start your family on a lie.”