I recently wrote about choosing between international and domestic adoption, and shared some of our experiences with both types of transracial adoption.

Deciding what type of adoption is right for your family is not often an easy thing. While some people feel strongly pulled in one direction or the other early on, many are unsure. And I would say that even if you do feel strongly towards one type of adoption, that it would still be in your best interest to research both domestic and international adoption, so you are truly making an educated choice.

Today I am going to talk about domestic adoption (meaning private adoption, not foster care adoption... I will write about that another day).

When we started our first adoption, we did not consider domestic adoption. All that I “knew” about domestic adoption were the stories I had heard through the media…stories of broken-hearted adoptive parents handing the baby they loved back over to the birthmother. I did not think that I could handle that, and it was not a risk I was willing to take.

A few years later (after two successful and one failed international adoption), we got some info on domestic newborn transracial adoption and learned that there was actually a very big need for adoptive parents wanting black babies in the U.S. We did some research, found a program we felt good about and were “matched” with a pregnant mother quickly. Our son was born a month later, and being in the room for his birth was one of the most miraculous things I’ve ever experienced.

Keeping in mind that these are generalizations and my opinions, and that there are often exceptions, here are the “benefits” (for adoptive parents) of domestic newborn transracial adoption.

-The adoptive parents get a very young baby, often even a newborn. Since many adoptive parents want a baby as young as possible, and since attachment risks are minimized with a newborn, this is usually a big plus for adoptive parents. With international adoption, babies are typically at least several months old before they are ready to come home.

-Open adoption is possible, and even encouraged now. Adoptive parents have the opportunity to meet and have a relationship with the birthmother, and no matter what amount of contact is decided on, the adoptive parents often have answers to the questions, “where did I come from?” and “why did my birthmother place me for adoption?” when their child gets older. Adoptive parents are also usually able to get the medical background of their child’s birth family.

-The process can move very quickly. While many people have the impression that it takes a very long time to adopt a baby domestically, that is not always the case. Parents that are open to newborns of any race, are often matched with a child very quickly.

-No international travel. The travel aspect of international adoption is intimidating to many, and with domestic adoption, that worry is eliminated. While adoptive parents often do have to travel to another state, there is no international travel.

-Going along with the no international travel, is that there is no language barrier. The birthmother and people you will be interacting with, will all be Americans who speak English.

-The paperwork is minimal (especially compared to an international adoption). Typically there is a homestudy, a family profile/“dear birth mother letter” and some basic paperwork for the adoption agency. No dossier, no immigration forms (BIG plus), etc.

-Since the child is being born in the U.S., there are usually accurate medical records and information for parents, and medical concerns that are common with international adoption, such as parasites, bacteria, malnutrition, etc. are usually not an issue.

I am sure that there are more. If you have a benefit of domestic infant adoption that I have neglected to mention, please leave a comment below.

In my next post, I will look at some of the risks associated with domestic infant transracial adoption.