Crucial Factors to Consider When Choosing the Type of Adoption
When considering adoption, information is power. Deciding on the type of adoption that is best for you requires looking at the requirements for that type or country, the adoption process, the type of available children, the stability of the program, and the cost. We have analyzed the various types and countries for the factors we think are most important when choosing.
Comparing the Three Major Types of Adoption
These are the three main types of adoption from which prospective parents typically choose to build their family. Click the link to the Resource Page to learn more about that type of adoption.
CreatingaFamily.org maintains a comparison chart to help you quickly review these three major types of adoption and compare “apples to apples” by the factors of interest we most commonly hear from our users.
If you are curious about the current state of adoption in the US, you should also read the article, Adoption in the US ~ Our Annual Update. We update it annually using data from relevant government reports. You will also appreciate the detailed information about the various types of adoption in this recently updated CreatingaFamily.org podcast, How to Adopt in 2026.
The Top Five Sending Countries in International Adoption
In addition to breaking down vital factors to consider in foster care and domestic infant adoption, we offer detailed information on factors to consider in international adoption. The list below shows the top five countries (with their ranks) that have placed the most children, according to current US State Department data.
- Adopting from INDIA (1)
- Adopting from COLOMBIA (2)
- Adopting from BULGARIA (3)
- Adopting from TAIWAN (4)
- Adopting from SOUTH KOREA (5)
Special notes
- The People’s Republic of China (PRC) Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) closed its intercountry adoption program on August 28, 2024.
- Updates on changes to Ukraine’s international adoption program will be published here during the current military crisis. You can also stay updated on the changing status by following the US State Department’s Intercountry Adoption Information on Ukraine.
Though we strive to update these resources yearly, the information in these charts may change outside that schedule. Therefore, please always check with an accredited agency approved to place from the country you are researching to gain the most current information.