Adoption

Adoption is an option in all games: The Sims, The Sims 2, The Sims 3, and The Sims 4. It allows a couple (opposite- or same-sex) or a single Sim to adopt a child.

The Sims
In The Sims, Sim couples get random calls from adoption centers asking if they want to adopt a baby. The adoption center will not call a single Sim.

The Sims 2
In The Sims 2, Sims can initiate the adoption of a child over the phone by calling the "Adoption Center" under the Service menu, but only if the Social Worker has not taken one of their kids. The household must have at least §3,000 on hand (though adoption itself is free of charge) and below 8 Sims or 10 household members (including pets and roommates).

When the adoption approval succeeds, the Social Worker will bring the new child at 10 AM the next day. To make sure someone is there to receive the child, it's best to call the day before a Sim's day off. The player gets to decide if the Sims adopt a baby, a toddler, or a child, but cannot select the adoptee's gender. If a baby is being adopted, and the baby was not taken away from another household, the player will be prompted to name the baby. Children and toddlers will always come pre-named. If any children have been taken by the social worker in that neighborhood, they will be first-in-line for adoption. If a Sim has a memory of having a child taken away by the Social Worker they will not be allowed to adopt a new child. It's still possible to have another adult Sim in the household adopt a child however. If the game generates the baby, toddler, or child to be adopted, that Sim may be subject to the "first born effect".

The Social Worker will usually remain on the lot for a while after the child has been dropped off, and Buy and Build modes will be disabled until she has left. If the player exits without saving after Buy and Build modes are re-enabled, the adoption will be undone, and can be re-done the next time the player loads the lot.

The Sims 3
In The Sims 3, the social worker will arrive immediately but will opt to come back later if there are no adult or elder Sims on the lot. The player will be asked to pick the age and gender of the adoptee. Unless the adoptee was taken away from another household, the player will also get to pick his or her name.

In both The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 an adopted child will have the last name of the Sim who made the call.

Families will not be allowed to adopt a child at all if the Social Worker has previously taken away a child in their household.

The Sims 4
In The Sims 4, a Sim can use a computer to initiate an adoption by choosing "Household", then "Adopt". Each adoption costs §1,000. The player will be shown a pool of adoptable babies and children, and can choose from that pool. After selecting a child, the Sim will walk off the lot and will return home with the baby or child after a period of time. Once the Sim has returned, the child's first and last name can be changed if the player so desires.

Adopting children taken by the social worker
Children in The Sims 2 who have been taken away from a family by a social worker are first in line to be adopted by another family. Of course, the adopting family will have to select that child's age.

When a child who was taken away from another family is adopted, their old parents and siblings will remain known to them but only as friends. Also, their memories will be erased. However, on rare occasions the adopted child will keep their old family tree and will not be related to their new adopted family.

Adopting pets
When planning to have Sims adopt a pet, players should remember that each pet will take up a family slot. In Unleashed, a lot can only have a total of eight pets or Sims in one house. In The Sims 2: Pets and The Sims 3: Pets, a lot can have a total of ten household members, but no more than eight Sims and no more than six pets.

The Sims: Unleashed
In The Sims: Unleashed, pets can be adopted on community lots in Old Town that have the Frisky Feline Promo Pen and/or the Fluffy Puppy Pet Bin. By default, these displays can be found in Pet Paradise, at 70 Elm Street. Adopting a pet costs §399. Players will be able to choose the gender of the pet, and to select from a number of breeds, but the pet will have a random personality. Players can use custom pet skins, but a pet cannot be customized once it has been selected.

For a Sim to be able to adopt a pet in Unleashed, the player must use the "Explore Old Town" option to call the cab to Old Town. If the Sim took a date to Old Town, the option to adopt will not appear.

Sims can also befriend and adopt strays. If the stray is on the Sim's home lot, the "Adopt" interaction will appear if the relationship between the stray and the Sim is high enough to allow adoption.

The Sims 2: Pets
In The Sims 2: Pets, Sims can use a telephone to call the pet adoption service and adopt a kitten or puppy, or an adult cat or dog. The pet adoption service has a "pool" of pets that are available for adoption; players cannot customize them in any way. What happens after they call is made may depend on which other expansion packs are installed.. With FreeTime installed, the pet will arrive shortly after the call was made, and will have an extra day added to its lifespan if it arrives before roughly 11 AM. Another possibility is that, if the call was made before 10 AM, the pet will arrive that day, and will otherwise arrive at 10 AM the next day. Sims can also call the pet adoption service to give a pet up, in which case it will go into the adoption pool.

Sims can adopt adult cats and dogs on community lots that have the Cat-Crazy Pet Display and/or Doggonit Pet Display. Players can use one of the premade pet shops in the Lots and Houses bin, or can build their own. These displays allow players to access a streamlined version of Create a Pet. Unlike the version in CAS, this one does not allow players to select collars, and can create both cats and dogs. So, regardless of whether a display shows a cat or a dog, the player will be able to create either species. The base fee for adoption is §399, but it may be higher if the pet has learned any behaviors or commands. Unlike The Sims: Unleashed, a family can adopt a pet from a pet shop even if only one member travels to the shop.

Players who want to simulate a free adoption of an adult or elder pet can go into CAS, create a cat or dog, and merge it into an existing (non-University) household.

Sims can also befriend and adopt strays. If the relationship between the stray and the Sim is high enough to allow adoption, the "Adopt" interaction will appear if the stray is on the Sim's home lot, and may appear if the stray is on a community lot. Players should note that adopting a stray may not fulfill the want to obtain a pet.

If a household has a pet, it can be given up for adoption by using the telephone and selecting that option from the "Services..." menu.

Players should note that playable Sims autonomously visiting a pet shop may autonomously adopt a pet. The next time that Sim's household is played, the player will be notified of this, and given the opportunity to accept or reject the adoption. A mod from More Awesome Than You will prevent autonomous pet adoptions.

The Sims 3: Pets
Pets can be either adopted or given up for adoption. The option to give up a pet for adoption can be found on Sims' computers, laptops and cell phones. Sims can also call the adoption service via a computer, newspaper, or cell phone in order to adopt a pet. The player is able to choose to either adopt a neighborhood pet given up for adoption, or one from the pet shop. When adopting from the pet shop, a list will show up. It will show various pets categorized by species, and will have information about their life stages and traits.

After choosing the desired pet, a randomly generated NPC will arrive and deliver the pet to its new home. If the Sim neglects the pet, the adoption service will come back to remove it from the owners.