Can People from a Different State Adopt My Baby?

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Do you want your child to live in a particular part of the country? Did you find the perfect adoptive parents, but they live in another state? Not a problem. Placing your baby for adoption in another state can be an option for you. Here's how.

As a prospective birth mother, you want to find the perfect adoptive family for your baby. There are waiting couples in your area, but you may decide that you want to place your child for adoption in another state. You may be asking these questions:

  • Can you give your child up for adoption in a different state?
  • Can people from another state adopt my baby?
  • How do I place my child for adoption out of state?

The short answer is yes; with the help of a national adoption agency, you have the ability to find hopeful adoptive parents in a different state. Some prospective birth mothers wish to place their child for adoption in their own state or even hometown, but for various reasons, other potential birth parents wish to find a family from another state.

These are some reasons why you may prefer to place your child for adoption in another state:

  • You want more space in your adoption
  • You don’t find that your community is right for your child
  • You have a specific area or place in mind for your child
  • You’ve decided your child could benefit culturally and in his/her experiences by living in a different part of the country
  • You’ve already found the perfect adoptive parents, and they happen to live in a different state than you

Keep reading to learn how interstate adoptions work and the process of placing your child for adoption in another state.

HOW CAN YOU PLACE A CHILD UP FOR ADOPTION IN ANOTHER STATE?

You’ll find that placing your child for adoption in another state isn’t all that different from doing so in your own state. An adoption professional will help you with the adoption process starting with finding an adoptive family. starting with finding an adoptive family.

STEP 1: FIND THE ADOPTIVE FAMILY AND BUILD A CONNECTION

First, you’ll want to think about what you’re looking for in an adoptive couple. You have complete control in choosing the right adoptive family for you. These are some common considerations when searching for a hopeful family:

  • Age – You might have a preference for an age range of the adoptive parents. Younger, middle-aged and older adoptive couples are all available, and there are advantages and disadvantages to each.
  • Educational background – If the education of your child and being parented by academically successful individuals is important to you, finding a highly educated family may be a priority.
  • Religion – You may have grown up in and still practice a specific religion and would like your child to experience the same religious teaching and beliefs from a similarly religious family.
  • And more.

With the help of your adoption professional, you’ll put together your adoption plan, which includes all of the preferences you have for a prospective adoptive family, before choosing and meeting them. While developing this plan, you can come up with a list of questions to ask, which can help you get a better feel for who the adoptive parents are and the environment your child will enter. Part of that process includes where the adoptive parents live.

For example, a prospective birth mother living in a small town in the Midwest might want her child to live in a more urban environment. Conversely, a potential birth mother hailing from a bigger city may choose to find a family from a quieter place in the country. Once you found an adoptive family, your adoption professional can help arrange a first meeting — taking place via phone, video, email, or face to face — where you can get to know them better by asking questions as well as describing yourself and your own interests.

STEP 2: MEET THE FAMILY AT THE HOSPITAL

When it comes time for labor and delivery, you will have already decided on what your hospital stay will include. This means the choice of if/when you will see the adoptive parents. When choosing an adoptive family from another state, their travel and timing of arrival could be impacted by the distance. However, your adoption specialist will be in constant contact with them so that when it’s time for the baby to arrive, they’ll be ready to travel at a moment’s notice. In many cases, the adoptive family will visit with the prospective birth mother and baby at the hospital, sharing an incredible moment together. However, you can choose to leave the hospital without having any contact with the adoptive parents.

STEP 3: FINALIZE THE ADOPTION

When placing your baby with a family from out of town, meeting all of the legal requirements will serve as one of the biggest differences between local and out-of-state adoptions. Different states have different adoption legalization standards, and your adoption professional and adoption attorney will navigate these steps. The adoptive parents will follow the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children before they can leave your state with the child. While awaiting this process, you and the adoptive parents can spend more time getting to know one another, if you choose.

STEP 4: POST-PLACEMENT CONTACT

If you’ve chosen an open adoption, you and the adoptive family will agree on what type of contact you intend to have after the completion of the adoption. There are a variety of ways the both of you can maintain communication and share information and important moments, including:

  • Email
  • Phone
  • Video Calls
  • Letters
  • In-person visits

If choosing a family out of state was done in order to keep some space between you and your adoption, communication like email and letters can be a good way to stay connected with far less pressure, allowing each side to respond when it’s convenient. There may be times when you and the adoptive family decide to visit in person. If you intend on meeting with the adoptive family and child, it’s important to take into account the potential travel involved. It’s also worth noting that choosing a family from your own state doesn’t guarantee they’ll remain there.

Are you considering “giving up” your child for adoption out of state and ready to begin your open adoption journey? Get free information and advice from a trained specialist now. Contact us any time to be connected with a helpful adoption professional.

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