Crucial Factors to Consider When Choosing the Type of Adoption
When considering adoption, information is power. Choosing the best adoption type for you requires considering the requirements for that type or country, the adoption process, the types of children available, the program’s stability, and the cost. We analyzed the various types and countries for the factors we think matter most when choosing.
Comparing the Three Major Types of Adoption
These are the three main types of adoption prospective parents typically choose when building their family. Click the link to the Resource Page to learn more about each type.
CreatingaFamily.org maintains a comparison chart to help you quickly review these three major types of adoption and compare them “apples to apples” based on the factors we most commonly hear about 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 key factors in foster care and domestic infant adoption, we offer detailed information on 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 the PHILIPPINES (4)
- Adopting from TAIWAN (5)
Special notes:
- The People’s Republic of China (PRC) Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA) closed its intercountry adoption program on August 28, 2024.
- For updated information on the Ukraine Intercountry Adoption program, follow the US Department of State’s informational page 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.