There are many ways to build a family. Children often join their families by birth, IVF, surrogacy, various types of adoption, and a variety of other methods — and many parents use a combination of these methods to grow their families.
Whether you’re considering adopting when you have a biological child or having a biological child after adoption, you may be unsure of whether mixing biological kids and adopting a baby is a good idea. Know that many of American Adoptions’ families have done just that — and, with a little bit of education and preparation, you can do so successfully, too!
Our adoption specialists are always here to provide guidance and suggestions on this topic. We believe family is based in love, not genetics, and our agency’s families are beautiful no matter how they’re created.
Before you choose adoption after having a biological child (or having a biological child after adoption), learn more about the journey ahead of you with this helpful guide.
Adopting When You Have a Birth Child Already
There are many reasons you may be considering adopting a child after having a biological child. Perhaps adoption has always been something you’ve wanted to do, or maybe secondary infertility made having another child too difficult. Either way, adopting when you already have a birth child is definitely possible, and our agency will be happy to guide you through this process.
But, before you get started, here are some important things to think about:
Consider birth order.
Children naturally develop their own roles in the family, due in part to the order in which they were born. For this reason, many adoptive families choose to adopt a child younger than their youngest biological child. This maintains birth order and existing familial roles.
Parents who are considering adopting an older child should pay special attention to the displacement of their oldest child and consider their children’s feelings and personalities before adopting out of birth order.
You should also think about the age gap between your children. While there’s no guarantee that children closer in age will be best friends throughout childhood, it may be easier on you to deal with the same developmental stages at the same time.
Think about your adoption options.
If you’re considering adopting after having a biological child, you have a few paths available to you:
- Private domestic infant adoption
- Foster care adoption
- International adoption
Many families decide private domestic infant adoption is for them; it preserves birth order and avoids many of the challenges that come with foster care and international adoption. For example, when you pursue foster care adoption, you will need to prepare your biological children for foster placements that may result in reunification with birth parents; if you choose international adoption, you may have to wait years for a placement, increasing the age gap between your children.
Like all would-be adoptive parents, research your options before deciding which path is right for you.