When growing your family through adoption, there are many different avenues to choose from. Many people choose to adopt through a private adoption agency or the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Others pursue a private adoption or independent adoption. There are potential advantages and disadvantages to each of these options. However, individuals pursuing an independent adoption are often especially vulnerable to adoption scams. If you are thinking about adopting a child, make sure you understand the common adoption scams and how to avoid them.

Scammers May Target Prospective Parents Hoping to Adopt

Although it is hard to believe, fraudulent adoption scams exist, and they can be difficult to detect. Scammers may target prospective parents hoping to adopt, posing as pregnant women or birth parents who are willing to put a child up for adoption. They will often provide false information and stories to the prospective parents, in order to receive money or other compensation from them. This is known as “adoption fraud.”

Some scammers are not after your money, but instead, your time and attention. One hopeful adoptive mother explained that she was scammed by a young woman who claimed to be pregnant and seeking someone to adopt her baby. Unfortunately, it was all a lie. The scammer was not actually pregnant, and she had no intention to put her baby up for adoption. Instead, she was simply looking for attention.

Raising children can be among the most rewarding and fulfilling things anyone ever does in their entire life. Few acts are more loving and sincere than deciding to pursue adoption to start or grow your family. If you are fortunate enough to be considering adoption as your avenue toward growing your family, you are likely filled with excitement and questions about how the process works. If you are considering adoption as an option you are interested in, consider consulting with an experienced adoption attorney who understands the process and will work to ensure your process is as smooth as possible. 

Steps to Pursuing an Adoption

 Once you have made the exciting decision to pursue an adoption, you must become aware of all the different dynamics that go into the process of adoption in Illinois. Generally speaking, in Illinois, an individual or couple is eligible to adopt if they can satisfy standard residency requirements and have a good reputation in the community. Prospective parents must also be financially stable and able to provide whoever they are adopting with adequate shelter and suitable housing. Single people, unmarried couples, and married couples can pursue adoption. 

Types of Adoption in Illinois

It is crucial to understand the options available to decide what is best for you and your situation. In general, Illinois features four primary types of adoption, including: 

Couples and individuals considering adoption in Illinois are considering one of the most generous and loving acts a family or person could do. The adoption process is often long and complex and requires serious commitment and the help of experienced attorneys and other professionals to complete. For this reason, it is important to learn as much as possible about the different kinds of adoption in Illinois and which one may be right for you. 

Related Adoptions

A related adoption is an adoption between a child and another family member, including grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, or stepparents. Related adoptions often happen after a child’s parents have passed away or lost their parental rights. Related adoptions are often the most straightforward of all adoptions because a relationship already exists between the child and the prospective parent. 

Standby Adoptions

Standby adoptions are somewhat similar to related adoptions because a child’s parent must designate a person to be a child’s new guardian if a certain event, like a parent’s death or permanent incapacitation, takes place. Standby adoptions are generally used when a parent is terminally ill and the adoption is finalized when the parent has passed away.