Adoption

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

Adoption process
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.

In The Sims 2 and The Sims 3, 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. In The Sims 2, the household must have at least 3000 simoleons on hand (though adoption itself does not cost any money) and below 8 household members to adopt.

In The Sims 2, if the family is approved, the Social Worker will bring the new child the next day at 10 AM. 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. Unless the baby who is being adopted was taken away from another household, the player will be able to name them. Children and toddlers will always come pre-named.

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. Not answering will give a child. 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. However, it has been reported that, on rare occasions, the adopted baby/toddler/child will have another last name.

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

Adopting children taken by the Social Worker
Children in The Sims 2 and The Sims 3 who have been taken away from a family by a Social Worker CANNOT be adopted by another family.

Adopting pets
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.

In The Sims 2: Pets, Sims can call the pet adoption service and adopt a kitten or puppy, or an adult cat or dog. If the call was made before 10 AM, the pet will arrive that day, otherwise it will arrive at 10 AM the next day. 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. Of course, players can also go into CAS, create a cat or dog, and merge it into an existing (non-University) household.

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. In Pets, a family can adopt a pet from a pet shop even if only one member travels to the shop.

In both games, Sims can adopt strays that wander onto their lot.

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 Pets, a lot can have a total of ten Sims and pets, but no more than eight Sims and no more than six pets.