Child Adoption

Child adoption, although the phrase seems intuitive, is actually used to differentiate between the adoption of an infant and a child over the age of 2. Infant adoption is used almost exclusively to describe adoptions in which a birth mother places a child shortly after his or her birth. Older child adoption, on the other hand, is something handled by the government-run public agencies, which place children from the foster care system.

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Not every adopter wants the experience of having an infant. Older couples or individuals who do not have great amounts of time to put into the raising of a new born are more likely to want to bypass the experience of adopting and raising an infant. However, some adopters are still interested in caring for and raising a child of their own. These individuals are more likely to adopt an older child.

Older child adoption, while not every adopter's first choice, has its advantages. Older children will already have developed a unique personality and exhibit certain traits that may or may not be manageable for an adoptive parent. There are few surprises with older children. A possible disadvantage to public adoption is the number of waiting children with special needs. Adoptable children over the age of six are more likely than their peers to have anxiety, depression and attention deficit disorders, according to the chart book Adoption USA. It's important that in addition to the possible medical, emotional and behavioral issues an older adoptee may have, adopters is not intimidated by a child's past. Older children may also have the disadvantage of a tumultuous life prior to coming into an adoptive family, which may make the child distrusting of adults or uncomfortable with "normal" family dynamics. It can be thought instead that older children bring a potential for a lot of bonding and appreciation and love. This may be a good choice if a couple is particularly active and are looking for someone who can go out with them rather than keep them in as an infant would.

The process for adopting an older child is similar to other domestic adoptions. It requires a home study and some states may require a prospective adoptee to be fostered in the household for a trial period.