Independent adoption is arranged without an agency. Initial contacts are made directly between the pregnant woman and the adoptive parents or by the pregnant woman and an attorney, depending on state law.

Independent adoption is legal in all states except Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts and Minnesota. In these states, however, "parties are able to achieve what is, in spirit, an independent adoption: the adoptive parents and birthparents identify each other without intervention by an agency and then arrange for the parental rights to be relinquished through an agency so that the adoption becomes a 'directed agency adoption'."

Locating a Birth Mother
To initiate an independent adoption, a prospective adoptive parent must first locate a birth mother interested in relinquishing her child. This can be done in several ways.

Presently, 32 states allow adoption advertising. Ads placed in the classified section of local newspapers have proved to be a successful method for bringing birth parents and adoptive parents together. An adoption attorney can usually advise you on where and how to advertise, or for a fee, you can use a national or regional adoption advertising consultant.