adoptoday — Find Your Forever Family

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adoption

A complete guide — what they look for, what to prepare, and how long it takes in each state.

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adoption

A plain-language comparison with guidance on how to decide.

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legal

Step-by-step walkthrough of the legal process from consent to finalization.

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bearer

Honest perspectives on grief, love, and long-term experience.

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surrogacy

What happens medically, what the surrogate experiences, and what intended parents can expect.

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legal

Which states fully support surrogacy, which restrict it, and which make agreements unenforceable.

Glossary

Terms you'll encounter

Home study: A state-mandated evaluation of an adoptive household by a licensed social worker.
Relinquishment: The legal process by which a birth parent voluntarily terminates parental rights.
ICPC: Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children — federal law governing interstate adoptions.
Pre-birth order: A court order establishing intended parents' legal parentage before the child is born.
Open adoption: An adoption where the birth parent and adoptive family maintain agreed-upon contact.
Gestational carrier: A surrogate who carries a child with no genetic connection to herself.
Consent revocation window: The state-specific period after signing during which a birth parent may legally reclaim consent.
Finalization: The court hearing at which adoption is made legally permanent.