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  • Frequently Asked Questions: Adoption

Frequently Asked Questions: Adoption

  • Questions and answers for prospective and adoptive parents
  • Questions and answers for adopted people
  • Questions and answers for expectant and birth parents
  • General resources
  • Frequently requested information

Questions and answers for prospective and adoptive parents

  • I want to adopt. What are the requirements? How do I find a reputable adoption agency?
  • What are the adoption laws in my State? How do I find out about my State laws governing adoption (e.g., consent to adopt; who can adopt, etc.)?
  • What is an adoption home study? What type of information is included in it?
  • I can't afford to adopt a child. Where can I get help with adoption costs?
  • What are the requirements to adopt a child from foster care?
  • I want to adopt a child. Am I eligible for adoption assistance (also called adoption subsidy)?
  • I need help with my adopted child. What resources are available to me in my State?
  • How do I adopt a child living in another State? How do I adopt across State lines?
  • How do I adopt a child from a foreign country?

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Questions and answers for adopted people

  • How can I find my birth parents or birth relatives?

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Questions and answers for expectant and birth parents

  • I'm pregnant and thinking about adoption. Where do I start?
    Adoption: Considering Your Options and Making a Plan
    This factsheet provides information and guidance for exploring parenting and adoption options and about making an adoption plan. It points to resources that may help those contemplating adoption come to a choice that feels best for them and their child. Others who are affected by adoption decisions, such as relatives, also may find this factsheet useful for answering some of their important questions. In addition to resources highlighted throughout this factsheet, a list of blogs and websites with more information is provided after the conclusion.
  • What do I do if my child's adoptive family does not live up to our postadoption contact agreement?
    In most States postadoption contact agreements are not legally enforceable, so there may be no legal action for you to take. The Child Welfare Information Gateway publication Postadoption Contact Agreements Between Birth and Adoptive Families has more information.
  • What is a putative father registry? How do I find out if my State has one?
    A putative father is the "presumed" legal father of a child. Some States maintain putative father registries to provide information on presumed fathers. These registries vary but may include:
    • Name, address, social security number, and date of birth of putative father and birth mother
    • Name and address of any person adjudicated by a court to be the father
    • Child's name and date of birth, or expected month and year of birth
    • Registration date
    • Other information deemed necessary

The Child Welfare Information Gateway publication The Rights of Unmarried Fathers has more information about these registries.

  • I am a biological father and my partner is thinking about making an adoption plan for our child. What are my rights?
    The Rights of Unmarried Parents
    This publication provides an overview of State laws related to the rights of unmarried parents and the methods by which a person may establish a legal parent-child relationship with their child. The circumstances in which a person may be presumed to be the other parent of a child, the use of parentage registries, the use of genetic tests to establish parentage, and the right of rescission of parentage claims are discussed. This publication presents a general overview of this aspect of child welfare law. Summaries of laws on this topic for all individual States and U.S. territories are available from the Statutes Search page.
  • I am a pregnant minor and my parents want me to place my child for adoption. What are my rights?
    State law varies in regard to minor parents' rights; however, in no State could a child be placed for adoption without the minor parent's consent. In some States, minor parents are able to place their child for adoption without additional consent. In other States, the pregnant minor's parents or guardian would also need to consent to an adoption. The Child Welfare Information Gateway publication Consent to Adoption has more information. To determine how these laws would apply in a specific situation, it may be helpful to contact an attorney familiar with adoption law in your State.

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General resources

Adoption Assistance for Children Adopted From Foster Care

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Factsheets for Families
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published
2020
In every State there are children with special needs waiting in foster care for adoptive families. The most recent data estimate that 126,000 children are available to be adopted from foster care. In the past, the costs of care and services were major obstacles to parents who would otherwise adopt and love these children, and most were not placed for adoption. The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 provided the first Federal subsidies to encourage the adoption of children from the nation's foster care system. These subsidies, known as adoption assistance, serve to minimize the financial obstacles to adoption. In addition, other types of assistance often are available to help with medical care or other services. Adoption assistance serves to remove barriers and contribute to an increase in adoption of children with special needs. This factsheet discusses this assistance by reviewing: Federal Title IV-E adoption assistance, State adoption assistance, and how to arrange adoption assistance.

Exploring the Pathways to Adoption

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Factsheets for Families
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
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2021
Introduces families to the various pathways to building your family through adoption. It addresses how prospective adoptive parents make the decision to adopt, such as with the help of an agency or adoption service provider. It also introduces the different types of adoption and guides you to relevant resources. Exploring your adoption options will help you understand the needs of children you may adopt and your family's strengths and challenges in caring for and supporting those children. Understanding your family's abilities can help you make thoughtful decisions about the child you are best suited to embrace as part of your family.

Planning for Adoption: Knowing the Costs and Resources

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Factsheets for Families
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
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2022
Describes adoption-specific fees for services and resources to assist with those costs. The factsheet addresses adoption from foster care, adoption from a private agency, independent adoption, and intercountry adoption. It also provides a list of support services to help you consider the kind of assistance you and your child or youth may need.

The Impact of Adoption

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Factsheets for Families
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
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2019
Provides an overview of the seven core issues in adoption and how they may affect the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of children and adults who have been adopted, birth parents, and adoptive parents. Although adoption is often a joyful and exciting occasion, it can also give rise to lifelong challenges for members of the adoption constellation. Awareness of these issues can help families better understand each other and the personal effects of the adoption experience.

The Adoption Home Study Process

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Factsheets for Families
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
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2021
Discusses common elements of the home study process and addresses questions you may have about this important adoption requirement. A major step in building your family through adoption is the home study. Specific home study requirements and processes vary greatly from agency to agency, State to State, and (in the case of intercountry adoption) by the child's country of origin. They are also subject to change.

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Frequently requested information

Adoption Statistics
Links to the latest facts and figures on adoption trends, both intercountry and domestic.

Federal Laws
Resources on the Federal laws that provide overarching standards and guidelines for State laws related to adoption.

National Foster Care & Adoption Directory Search
Child Welfare Information Gateway
Provides contact information for public adoption agencies by State. 

Stepparent Adoption

Series Title
Factsheets for Families
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Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published
2022
Describes legal issues and help for parents seeking stepparent adoption and discusses the steps involved when a person wishes to adopt the child of their spouse. The bulletin addresses requirements for home studies, obtaining the consent of the child's noncustodial parent, and the process for completing the adoption. This factsheet for families also describes the adoption of a foreign spouse’s child and provides resources for parents.

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