Adoption

There are many reputable professionals, agencies and organizations that provide adoption education and support. You must be approved as an adoptive parent before a child is placed with you. At a minimum, this involves a home study by a state-approved provider. Cancer survivors are not excluded from adopting solely because of a cancer diagnosis, but they may need to provide a doctor's note to provide an accurate assessment of health and prognosis. Our blog post on adoption after cancer features many resources for families considering this option. 

Types of Adoption

• Private Placement Adoption, birth parent(s) place the child directly with the adoptive parent(s) without an agency as an intermediary.
• Private Agency Adoption involves a state-authorized agency as an intermediary to match adoptive and birth parents. 
• Public Agency Adoption occurs when the state provides adoption services for children who are in its custody— usually because of parental abuse and/ or neglect. Most of these children remain in foster care until their parents’ rights are terminated and an adoptive placement is found. 
• International Adoptions are usually accomplished through agencies with programs in foreign countries. You must satisfy the adoption requirements of both the country of the child’s origin and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.