Adoption--Family Ties By Twists of Fate : ADOPTION INFORMATION

There are no absolutes in adoption. Each private agency has different rules and requirements, ranging from the time it takes to acquire a child to the costs involved. These statistics were compiled from information provided by four private agencies and Los Angeles County: * Number: In 1989, private agencies arranged 285 adoptions. From July, 1988, to June, 1989, the county arranged 1,925 in the following categories: agency adoptions, in which abused children are placed in homes; stepparent adoptions, where parents adopt children from a spouse’s previous marriage; and independent adoptions, in which families identify a particular child they want to adopt.

* Cost: Fees are based on a sliding scale, dependent on the adopting family’s income. Agency fees range from $3,000 to $20,000. The county charges a maximum of $500 for agency and independent adoptions; the fee can be waived if the family is deemed unable to pay. Stepparent adoptions cost $100.

* Wait: With county-arranged adoptions, the wait depends on the baby’s health. A family adopting a child with abuse or drugs in the youngster’s background could have a six-month wait. For a healthy child, it can take as long as four years.

* Age: The average age of adoptive couples is early 30s.

* Rejections: Prospective adopting parents are turned down if agencies deem the parents’ marriage unstable or believe the parents can’t meet their financial responsibilities. Couples also have been rejected if either parent has a criminal record.

* Adoptive family income: Although agencies have no minimum required annual income, the combined earnings of families generally range from $25,000 to $50,000 a year. Those with higher incomes often seek adoptions through a private attorney, agency representatives say.

* Single adoptive parents: At private agencies, a small percentage of adopting parents are single. Los Angeles County reports that 229 single parents adopted last fiscal year and county officials are looking to expand in that area.

( The agencies are Children’s Home Society in Los Angeles, Bethany Christian Singles in Bellflower, Vista Del-Mar Child Care Service in West Los Angeles and Christian Adoption and Family Services in Anaheim. )