Before a couple decides to adopt a child, they should first determine whether the adoption is to be done internationally or domestically. It is not possible to determine which form of adoption is better or which is faster because each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. It also depends a lot on what is more suitable for the adoptive families. While some may prefer domestic adoption as it is generally less costly, others may prefer to adopt internationally for other reasons.

It is important to note that domestic adoption is generally more affordable than international adoption because you cut down on travel cost and additional paperwork that need to be prepared. Sometimes, the adoptive parents are also required to ‘donate’ an additional sum of money to the orphanage where the child is from. As compared to international adoption, it is less time and money spent on the adoption process if it is carried out domestically because it is usually the case studies officers and representatives from the adoption agency who will be carrying them out.

One other advantage of adopting domestically is the higher chance of parents getting a newborn baby or a younger infant. Should the adoption be done internationally, it will usually take quite some time before the infant is united with his or her adopting family due to the paperwork that must be done and by that time, the child will already be a few months old. Some parents prefer to adopt infants, especially very young ones, because it will be easier to bond with the child from young. An exception of a long waiting time would be if the countries are very near to each other. It is possible for parents to adopt newborn babies from a neighbouring country though. 

Requirements for domestic adoption in some countries are quite strict and qualifications for adopting families are also high. This is one of the cons of domestic adoption that somehow lead adopting families to adopt internationally. However, it depends on the country involved because the criteria for some international adoption can also be set very high for foreign adoptive parents.

Another important disadvantage of domestic adoption is the possibility that the biological mother may change her mind or refuse to give up her child for adoption at the last minute. This may cause the adoption process to delay or even be terminated if the biological mother changes her final decision. This happens more often during the final stage of the adoption process where the adopting family is expecting a child but is disappointed when the adoption process is unable to pull through.

It is also possible that there are fewer children available for domestic adoption especially if an adopting family prefers to adopt a child from a minority group. This is one of the major advantages of international adoption, where there are many children of different races available.

There’s another way to adopt domestically and that is through closed or confidential adoption. No contact is allowed between the adopting and the biological families in this kind of adoption. This may be a more suitable choice especially for adoptive parents who do not wish for their adopted child to look up his or her biological parents. There is less likelihood of the adopted child’s identity being disclosed or even if it is disclosed, the chances of locating the biological families are slimmer.

Although there are many pros and cons of adoption whether it is done domestically or internationally, if adoptive parents have an open mind and heart they will be able to overcome any problem and will succeed in finding their child one day. When that happens, they will know that all the problems they have gone through are definitely worthwhile.