What are the different types of adoption?

Types of adoptions include foster care child adoption, fost-adoption, infant adoption and independent adoption, according to the National Adoption Center. In addition, there are also stepchild, grandchild, relative, adult and international adoption types.

In a closed adoption, no contact or identifying information between the birth family and adoptive family is shared, explains the National Adoption Center. The records are sealed after the adoption is finalized but may be made available to the child at age 18. An open adoption allows for correspondence and contact. Open adoptions are more common when the adopted child is older, as the child may already know previous contact information and relatives.