Legal Definitions - private morality

Private Placement refers to the arrangement of a child's adoption through individuals or private organizations, rather than through a state-run or government-operated child welfare agency.

This process typically involves birth parents working directly with an attorney, a doctor, or a licensed private adoption agency to identify and place their child with an adoptive family. It stands in contrast to adoptions facilitated by public agencies, which often involve children who have been removed from their biological parents due to neglect or abuse and are under the care of the state.

Here are some examples illustrating private placement:

• Example 1: A pregnant woman decides she cannot raise her child and contacts a specialized adoption attorney. The attorney helps her connect with a pre-screened, prospective adoptive couple who are clients of the same law firm. After the birth, the attorney facilitates the legal steps for the child to be placed directly with the adoptive couple, bypassing any state child protective services.

  Explanation: This is a private placement because the adoption is arranged and managed by a private attorney, acting on behalf of the birth parent and the adoptive parents, rather than through a government social services department.

• Example 2: A couple struggling with infertility decides to pursue adoption and registers with a reputable private adoption agency. The agency works with birth parents who choose to place their children for adoption, matching them with suitable adoptive families. When a birth mother selects this couple, the agency handles all the counseling, legal paperwork, and coordination for the child to be placed directly with the couple after birth.

  Explanation: This scenario exemplifies private placement because a private, non-governmental adoption agency is the entity facilitating the adoption process, from matching to legal finalization.

• Example 3: During a routine medical check-up, a doctor learns that one of his patients is considering placing her unborn child for adoption. Knowing another patient who has been hoping to adopt, the doctor, with the birth mother's consent, introduces the two parties. They then proceed to work with independent legal counsel to finalize the adoption directly between the families.

  Explanation: This is a private placement because the initial connection and subsequent arrangement for adoption were made through a private individual (the doctor) and then managed by private legal professionals, without the involvement of a government adoption agency.