How Long Does Adoption Take?
Why Some Families Wait Months While Others Wait Years
One of the first questions most hopeful parents ask is simple:
How long does adoption take?
You may see agencies advertising wait times of 12 months, 18 months or even two years. But many families discover that adoption timelines can vary significantly. Some families are matched within a year, while others spend several years waiting.
The difference usually isn’t luck.
Adoption wait times are largely influenced by two factors:
• How many women considering adoption an agency reaches.
• How many families are waiting for those opportunities.
When an adoption professional consistently connects with expectant mothers considering adoption and carefully manages the number of waiting families, adoption timelines can remain relatively predictable. When those two things fall out of balance, waiting lists grow, and families may wait much longer than expected.
Below, you’ll find an overview of the three main types of adoption and how wait times typically vary for each.
Domestic Infant Adoption Wait Times
Domestic infant adoption is when adoptive families are matched with an expectant mother who has chosen adoption for her baby.
With American Adoptions, families typically adopt in about 12 months on average, though every situation is unique.
Why Wait Times Vary
Adoption opportunities are relatively rare. Out of every 100 women who consider adoption, only about one ultimately moves forward with placement. Because of this, agencies must reach a large number of women considering adoption in order to create opportunities for waiting families.
Today, most expectant mothers begin researching adoption online. Agencies that invest in national outreach and online visibility are able to connect with more women considering adoption, which creates more opportunities for adoptive families.
For example, take a look at recent online web traffic among some of the top agencies in the country:
As you can see, there can be a sharp drop in reach from one agency to another, which directly impacts success.
Another important factor is how many families are waiting with the agency.
For example:
If an agency has 200 waiting families but completes 50 adoptions each year, the math alone suggests a wait of around four years.
That’s why it’s important to ask adoption professionals:
• How many families are currently waiting?
• How many adoptions do you complete each year?
• How do you reach women considering adoption?
The answers to these questions can help you understand whether an agency’s advertised wait time is realistic.
How American Adoptions Helps Reduce Wait Times
We work to keep wait times consistent through:
• National marketing and outreach that helps expectant mothers learn about adoption.
• Careful management of the number of waiting families in the program.
• A large, experienced team of licensed social workers supporting both families and expectant mothers.
Families can also influence their timeline by being open to a wider range of adoption situations, such as race, medical history or substance exposure.
Foster Care Adoption Wait Times
Foster care adoption follows a very different process from domestic infant adoption.
The primary goal of foster care is reunification with the child’s birth family, which means not every placement results in adoption.
Most families spend about six months becoming approved foster parents. After that, they may receive placements, but adoption only occurs if a child becomes legally available.
Families typically pursue adoption through foster care in two ways:
Adopting a waiting child
These children are already legally free for adoption.
Foster-to-adopt
Families foster children first and may adopt if reunification with the birth family is not possible.
Because reunification is the primary goal, adoption timelines through foster care can vary widely.
International Adoption Wait Times
International adoption timelines depend largely on the country you adopt from and the requirements of that country’s adoption program.
In many cases, international adoption takes two to three years from start to placement. In recent years, international adoption has decreased as a form of family-building due to the legal challenges it presents to families.
Several factors influence the timeline, including:
• Home study completion.
• Dossier preparation and documentation.
• Background checks and approvals.
• Country-specific requirements.
• Referral and matching timelines.
Each country’s adoption program operates differently, so timelines can vary significantly.
Learn More About Adoption Wait Times
If you want to learn more about adoption wait times or how the adoption process works with American Adoptions, our team is here to help.
You can request free adoption information online or speak directly with an adoption specialist by calling 1-800-ADOPTION or contacting us online.
Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.
