Adoption is the legal process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. It costs several thousand dollars to adopt a child in the US and varies depending on the type of adoption. Singles, married couples who have been married for at least 2 years, and those in civil unions can adopt. Children who can be adopted include orphans, children with unknown parents, children from abusive homes, minors at social risk, and disabled people without family support.