The private domestic adoption group is defined as children who were adopted privately from within the United States, and who were not part of the foster care system at any time prior to their adoption. These adoptions may be arranged independently or through private adoption agencies. The International adoption group includes children who originated from countries other than the United States. For this process normally, adoptive parents work with private United States adoption agencies, who coordinate with adoption agencies and other beings in children's countries of origin (Adoption USA).
The concept of adoption was not legally documented in the United States until the 1850's, which were mostly informal adoptions. An informal adoption is when another family or a relative take in an orphaned child. Around this time, many kids were orphaned due to war, poverty and diseases. As the number of these informal adoptions increased, the need for legalizing the process became obvious. In 1851, Massachusetts passed the nation's first adoption law (Pearson Education). It required that judges determine if adoptive parents had consent from the adoptee's guardian or parent, "sufficient ability to bring up the child," and if it was "fit and proper that such adoption should take effect" (Pearson Education). After Massechusetts, more states began to make more laws.
For example, Minnesota required the intervention of the welfare department and recommendation from the court. Soon all states required that law. The year 1928 began a period known as the Butter box Babies. A home was established to allow illegal trading between Canada and the United States. The home was operated by a couple named the Youngae. Parents brought their infants to the house. Depending on the way the infants looked the Youngae either starved them or sold them for big money. The children who died were placed in a box that was meant for dairy products and then buried.
