Domestic Adoption vs. International Adoption People want to adopt for different reasons. A person or a couple decide to adopt domestically which is adopting child from the United States because they can receive a child at a young age and has access to the child health information. On the other hand, when a person or a couple decides to adopt internationally which means adopting a child from outside the United States but with a domestic adoption there is a possibility for the birth mother to ask for her child because she has a change of heart.

Conversely, some couples choose to have an international adoption where there are no opportunities for the birth mother to change her mind. In my essay, I would like to discuss the difference between domestic and international adoption. Having to work with a domestic private agency, the birth parents can have their child placed with an adoption agency. The birth parent may not want to work with the adoption agency so she decides to have an independent adoption which means she can have help with a lawyer for the legal process.

During a domestic adoption the birth mother decides to choose the adoptive parents based on seeing the couple or parents pictures and their biography also having one on one meeting with the adoptive parents or couple. In the states a birth mother must sign papers to turn over her parental rights. “Davenport (2006) “Estimates say that 50% of mothers who starts the adoption process change their mind because she want to raise her child also she can change her mind before or after the selecting the family and having the adoptive parents or parents paying for her financial situation before or after birth” (p. 1). When the child is adopted and the birth mother have to sign her parental rights over she still has six months to ask for her child back, this is a hard situation for a parent or a couple to go through that why they have to make sure that the birth mother is serious about the process. The birth mother will need an experienced adoption attorney if she wants to ask for her child back after her six months are over. Davenport (2006) “Working with an adoption agency sometimes the adoptive parents need just to apply and the agency with find a birth mother and show her personal background” (p. 1). Once that process is over sometimes a person or a couple might decide if they want to have an open adoption which means they will have some contact with the birth mother such as sending pictures and writing letters also having one on meetings with the adoptive family. This will help an adoptive family with help with the child has questions about their adoption and the birth mother will be able to answer the questions from her personal experience.

Davenport (2006) “Many adoptions professional believe having an open adoption will removes the mystery surrounding the adoption” (p. 12). Mintzer (2003) “On the other side, a couple or a parent decide to adopt internationally because they can choose to have a baby or a toddler who is usually in adoption agency “(p. 23). A couple or a person can chose the country and then pick the agency with who they want to work with. Or the family or a couple can pick an agency first and decide what country they would like to have.

In order to have an international adoption there is a lot of paperwork that must be completed before the process begins. Once the process is done the agency will send the paperwork over to the chosen birth country and the child is referred to the person or a couple. Davenport (2006)” Another thing is a couple or a person decides to go to that country and select their child. Once the process is completed the couple or the person can go back to the country and pick up their child or have someone to bring t (Davenport, pp. -11)their child to the United States” (p. 11). There is no contact with the birth parents before or after the adoption is completed however there are some countries that allow it. I never knew that the adoption process could be so much work because even once you have a domestic adoption the birth mother can still ask for the child back within her six months after she signed the termination papers. I believe it is well worth the time, energy, and the finances that went into the adoption process.

Be it international or domestic because in the end you will be a parent and that’s what adoption is all about. References Davenport, D. (2006). Is International Adoption Right for You? In The Complete Book of International Adoption (First Edition ed. , pp. 8-11). New York: Broadway Books. Retrieved from http://www. broadwaybooks. com Mintzer, R. (2003). Three Key Decisions. In Yes, You Can Adopt (First ed. , p. 23). New York, NY: Carroll& Graf Publishers.