Child Adoption: Costs, Legal Records & Finder's Guide

Adoption processes vary significantly, with options ranging from private arrangements to unsealing closed records. Prospective parents should evaluate the costs and legal requirements, including rules for specific backgrounds.

Father carrying baby daughter (15-18 months) outdoors, close-up

How to Adopt a Friend's Baby

Published Jun,13 2017 | By Sharin Griffin

Independent adoption is the term for adoptions arranged between birth parents and adoptive parents that already know each other or found each other without agency help. Adopting a friend's baby is a prime example of independent adoption.

Sharin Griffin has been a freelance writer since 2009, specializing in health-related articles. She has worked in the health-care industry as a certified nursing assistant and medical technician. Griffin's medical expertise encompasses bariatrics and geriatric care, with an emphasis on general medicine. She is completing an associate degree in health-care administration from Axia University.