Abandonment:  The act of leaving a child in a safe public area, typically a location where the child will be easily seen  (bus station, market, steps of a building) and taken to the authorities.

Adoption: The legal transfer of parental rights and obligations of a child from a person(s), agency and/or government to another person(s).

Adoption Agency: A state licensed, authorized and approved organization, legally empowered to assist prospective adoptive parents through services and programs in the adoption of a child.  Some agencies are established as not-for-profit, while others are established as profit-making enterprises.  Some states, like New York, require all adoption agencies to be not-for-profit.

Adoption Attorney: An an attorney who is an expert in adoption law that will help guide the adoption to ensure that it proceeds smoothly. This individual will provide an explanation of the process, the legal issues; the risks associated with adoption and review the adoption documents.

Adoptive Parent: The parent(s) who legally finalize the adoption of a child through the court system which makes them the child's parent(s).

Authentication: The process by which documents are proved to real and accurate.

Birth parent: The biological parent of a child who becomes available for adoption..

Closed Adoption: None to very limited information regarding the birthparents and adoptive parents is made available to either set of parents by the Adoption Agency or Adoption Attorney. Any information exchanged between the birth parents and adoptive parents is de-identified (no identifying data is revealed in the information). Neither set of parents meet or talk.

De-Identified: Documents exchanged between parties during an adoption which contain complete and accurate data (i.e.; health, financial; occupation, etc.), without revealing the individual(s) identity or contact information.

Domestic Adoption: The adoption of a child within the United States. The adoption laws of the state where the adoption will be finalized must be followed.

Dossier: A set of authenticated documents (documents that have been proved and notarized as real and accurate) that are used in international adoptions to present an adoptive parent(s) qualification to another country for the purpose of assigning the guardianship of an orphan in a foreign court.

Foster Care: A temporary place where the child lives, arranged by the agency's staff, until the adoptive parents choose to take possession of the child. Adoptive parents have a right to take the child within 72 hours after birth, or they may choose to place the child in foster care until the birth mother’s revocability period is complete.

Hague Accreditation: An international accreditation status for an adoption agency that qualifies an agency to participate in foreign adoptions. It indicates that the accredited agency has met the requirements of the regulating body and has been deemed as satisfactory to conduct the services and programs to assist adoptive parents with an international adoption.

Home Study: A required report completed by a licensed, certified social worker that reviews the background of prospective adoptive parent(s), along with their ability to raise a family. An important element of the home study is the educational aspect for prospective parent(s) regarding the risks and benefits of adoption. Throughout the adoption process the home study must be current.

International Adoption: The adoption of a child from a foreign country. It requires that adoption laws from both countries be followed, and typically the adoption can occur in two (2) years. In some foreign countries the adoption is finalized in that country.

International Adoption Decree: A certificate of adoption through the country in which the child was adopted

Notarization: Certification by a person who is qualified by, and registered in, a specific county and state, who confirms that the person signing a document in the presence of the Notary is, to the best of the notary’s knowledge, the person he or she claims to be.

Open Adoption: Both the birthparents and the adoptive parents are provided with identifying information, and typically meet prior to the adoption being finalized. An agreement can be established regarding how, when and the frequency of contact they will have and it may include how the child will have the ability to interact with the birthparents.

Placement: A legal change regarding whom the child will live with and where a child will be raised.

Post-Placement: The supervised timeframe after an adoption, typically no more than one (1) year, where adoptive parents complete reports, submit pictures and medical reports to the adoption agency, along with completing a minimum of two (2) visits with their social worker to ensure the transition of the adoptive child into the family is going smoothly.

Pre-Certification: The legal process that an agency guides to determine if prospective adoptive parents will be able to adopt. This process and data collection is included in the home study, and it contains; background checks, child abuse clearances, fingerprints, health status, employment verification, personal reference checks along with other documents required for the court's (domestic or foreign) review to approve the transfer of guardianship of an orphaned child.

Profile: A collection of documents that represents you as a family, including a “Dear Birth Mother” Letter as well as several photographs of you, your family, house, hobbies, pets, etc. A written and visual description that truly shows birth parents the life that you can offer their child.

Qualifications: The minimum requirements (e.g.: age, financial status) established by the agency, the regulating body, and if applicable the foreign country, that a prospective adoptive parent must meet to in order to proceed with the adoption process.

Referral: A photograph of the child(ren) that has been referred to a family which includes medical information on the child(ren) in its original format as well as in an English translated format.

Revocability Period: A duration of time after the birth of a child where the birth mother has a legal right to change her mind about the finalization of an adoption; the duration of this revocability period various from State to State. New York State allows the birth mother 30 days to change her mind.

Social Worker: The certified, licensed and trained individual who conducts the home study, any updates to the home study and post placement reports for an adoption. Typically the individual has achieved the titled CSW; Certified Social Worker.

Special Needs: The designation of children who may have defined physical, emotional and/or health disabilities that may require more extensive help for daily living.

State Approved, Authorized and Licensed Agency: The status of an adoption agency, as deemed by a state regulating body, that the agency meets the requirements to conduct adoption services and programs within the state to assist adoptive parents with an adoption.

USCIS (formerly BCIS):  US Citizenship and Immigration Services, is a part of the Department of Homeland Security, and it oversees the application process by which a family is approved to bring an internationally adopted child into the country

Waiting Period: The timeframe that an adoptive parent(s) waits between being approved for adoption and actually being united with the child they will adopt. It is typically undetermined, and can range from months to years.

Welfare House: The home or orphanage where the child has lived since abandonment.