Adoption brings a child born to other parents into a new family. Birth parents have a number of reasons for putting children up for adoption. In the end, it's usually because they want better lives for their children than they feel they can provide.
Children who are eligible for adoption come from many different settings. Some are in foster care, a temporary home setting. Other children live in orphanages or with birth relatives until they can be adopted.
There are different kinds of adoption. Whether the adoption is international versus domestic depends on whether a child is born in another country or born within the United States.
- Adoption(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/families/adoption.html
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Adoption: Where Do I Start?(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_start.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/empiezo.cfm
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What Is an Adoption Plan?(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/845.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/845.printerview.html
- Adoption(American Society for Reproductive Medicine) - Links to PDF - http://www.asrm.org/Patients/FactSheets/Adoption-Fact.pdf
- Adoption(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec23/ch287/ch287g.html
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Adoption Options(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_adoptoption.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/hoja.cfm
- Adoption Process(American Pregnancy Association) - http://www.americanpregnancy.org/adoption/adoptionprocess.html
- Men More Likely Than Women to Adopt Children(08/07/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_67911.html
- New Report Provides Demographic Profile of Adoptive Parents(08/07/2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r080807.htm
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Impact of Adoption on Adopted Persons(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_adimpact.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/impactoadoptadas.cfm
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Impact of Adoption on Birth Parents(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_impact/
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/impactobio/
- Adopting Children with Developmental Disabilities(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_devdis.cfm
- Foster Parents Considering Adoption(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_fospar.cfm
- Gay and Lesbian Adoptive Parents: Resources for Professionals and Parents(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_gay/f_gay.cfm
- International Adoption: Health Aspects(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/children/parents/kidshealthy/healthy-choice/321.printerview.html
- International Adoptions(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh8-Adoptions.aspx
- Military Families and Adoption(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_milita.cfm
- Openness in Adoption(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_openadopt.cfm
- Transracial and Transcultural Adoption(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_trans.cfm
- Adoption and School Issues(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_school/
- Adoption and the Stages of Development(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_stages/
- Adoption Home Study(American Pregnancy Association) - http://www.americanpregnancy.org/adoption/homestudy.html
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Adoption Home Study Process(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_homstu.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/proceso.cfm
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Are You Pregnant and Thinking about Adoption?(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_pregna/
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/esta.cfm
- Benefits of Adoption(American Pregnancy Association) - http://www.americanpregnancy.org/adoption/benefitsofadoption.html
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Can I Breastfeed My Adopted Baby?(La Leche League International) - http://www.llli.org//FAQ/adopt.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.llli.org/Lang/Español/faqadopt.html
- For Pregnant Women, Birth Mothers, Fathers, & Relatives(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/birth/for/index.cfm
- Foster Care(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Foster+Care§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Guidelines for Choosing an Adoption Agency or Attorney(American Pregnancy Association) - http://www.americanpregnancy.org/adoption/guidelineschoosingagency.html
- Helping Your Foster Child Transition to Your Adopted Child(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_transition.cfm
- Hepatitis B Vaccine Is Imperative for Families Adopting from Abroad(Immunization Action Coalition) - http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/4153adop.htm
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Kinship Caregivers and the Child Welfare System(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_kinshi/
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/cuidadoresfam/index.cfm
- Medical Issues in Adoption(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/medical_problems/medical_adopt.html
- Obtaining Background Information on Your Prospective Adopted Child(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_background.cfm
- Parenting the Sexually Abused Child(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_abused/
- Postadoption Services(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/postadoption/
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Searching for Birth Relatives(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_search.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/buscando/index.cfm
- Selecting and Working with an Adoption Therapist(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/r_tips.cfm
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What Is an Adoption Plan?(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/articles/845.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/articles/845.printerview.html
- Adoption Assistance by State(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/adopt%5Fassistance/
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Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted from Foster Care(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_subsid.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/sp_subsid.cfm
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Costs of Adopting(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/s_cost/
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/s_costsp/index.cfm
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Employer-Provided Adoption Benefits(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_benefi.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/sp_benefi.cfm
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Tax Topics: Adoption Credit(Internal Revenue Service) - http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc607.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.irs.gov/espanol/article/0,,id=127895,00.html
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Adoption
(National Institutes of Health) - http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=adoption
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Court says French government's refusal to authorize adoption violates woman's... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18727204&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Adoption practices in Enugu, Nigeria. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18689130&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: TRICARE; certain survivors of deceased active duty members; and adoption... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18605407&tool=MedlinePlus
- Adoption -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=adoption[majr]+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Adoption: Glossary(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/admin/glossary/
- AdoptUSKids - Includes photographs and descriptions of children available for adoption in the U.S. - http://www.adoptuskids.org/
- National Adoption Organizations That Provide Support to Adopted Persons, Adoptive Parents, and Families(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp.cfm?svcID=135&rate_chno=AR-0011A
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National Foster Care and Adoption Directory Search(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/index.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/nfcad/index.cfm?event=viewNamSearchForm
- National Organizations(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/
- State Adoption Information Websites(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp_website.cfm?typeID=8&rate_chno=AZ-0001E
- U.S. Adoption Agencies That Place Children from Abroad(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/country_resource_lists.cfm
- Administration for Children and Families - http://www.acf.hhs.gov/
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - http://www.uscis.gov/
- Benefits for Grandchildren(Social Security Administration) - http://www.ssa.gov/kids/parent5.htm
- Child Citizenship Act Program Update(U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) - http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=1fb596981298d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=b6f4194d3e88d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1____
- Compliance Assistance — Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)(Dept. of Labor) - http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/fmla/
- How Do I Apply to Bring a Foreign-Born Orphan to the United States?(U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) - http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/menuitem.5af9bb95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/?vgnextoid=5da2194d3e88d010VgnVCM10000048f3d6a1RCRD&vgnextchannel=2f719c7755cb9010VgnVCM10000045f3d6a1____
- Intercountry Adoption: Where Do I Start(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_inter/
- Legal Considerations for Prospective and Adoptive Parents(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/adoption/adoptive/legal.cfm
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Stepparent Adoption(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_step.cfm
Also available in Spanish http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_step_sp.cfm
- Adoption Data(Administration for Children and Families) - http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/statistics/data06.htm
- Children in Public Foster Care Waiting to Be Adopted: FY 1999 thru FY 2006(Children's Bureau) - http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/waiting2006.htm
- Trends in Foster Care and Adoption --FY 2002 - FY 2006(Administration for Children and Families) - http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/trends.htm
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Being Adopted(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/home_family/adoption.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sentimientos/adoption_esp.html
- Foster Families(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/home_family/foster_families.html
- What's the Best Way to Handle My Child's Questions about Her Adoption?(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_adoption.htm
- Adoption(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/families/adoption.html
- Parenting the Adopted Adolescent(Children's Bureau) - http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/f_adoles/
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Pregnancy and Reproduction - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/pregnancyandreproduction.html
- Social/Family Issues - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/socialfamilyissues.html