Adopting a child can be one of the most important and fulfilling things you could ever do. The adoption process is exciting, and results in a life changing union for your family; it can also be overwhelming and confusing. Not all adoptions are the same; the processes for different types of adoption differ. In determining what type of adoption is best for your situation, consider the various types of adoption.
Types of Adoption
Open
The adoptive family and the child know the identity of the birth parents and may have an ongoing relationship with them
Closed
The adoptive family and the child don’t know the identity of the birth parents
Private Adoptions
Adoptions facilitated either through adoption agencies or independently through you and the birth parents.
State Adoptions
Adoptions facilitated through the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) of New Mexico
Family
A relative formally adopts a child from another relative
Step Parent
For situations where one birth parent either consents to the adoption, has their rights terminated, or dies, and then the spouse of the other birth parent wishes to adopt the child.
LGBTQ
For situations where an LGBT couple wishes to adopt a child together. Or where one member of the couple has a biological child and the other member wishes to become a legal parent.
Domestic
All parties to the adoption are from the U.S.
International
Birth parents and the child are from countries outside of the U.S.
If any of these types of adoptions are right for your situation, as the birth parents or adoptive parents, you’ll want to contact an experienced New Mexico lawyer on your side to help you through to complicated process and protect your rights
My sister and her partner are planning to adopt soon since she doesn’t want to give birth but wants to have a child to raise as her own. I appreciate you letting us know that private adoptions refer to those facilitated through agencies or independently through the birth parents themselves. I’ll keep this in mind while I help them find an adoption counseling service to help prepare them for this huge responsibility.
I appreciate your point about the variation in adoption processes based on the type of adoption. It’s essential to assess which adoption approach suits your aunt’s situation, especially since she cannot have biological children according to her doctor. I’ll be sure to pass along this article to her so she can gain insights into the appropriate steps to take. Thank you!