Legal adoption rules in the USA

The legal requirements for adopting a baby vary in each country. If you are thinking about adoption to increase the family, there are legal aspects that you should know according to where you live. In the USA there are different possibilities of adopting a baby and the legal norms are governed by ea

The legal requirements for adopting a baby vary in each country. If you are thinking about adoption to increase the family, there are legal aspects that you should know according to where you live. In the USA there are different possibilities of adopting a baby and the legal norms are governed by each state.

In comparison with the adoption procedures in other countries, in the USA the rules are more flexible. You can opt for domestic adoption or within your own country or for international adoption and the intermediaries through whom you can find the baby are several, thus increasing the adoption possibilities.

First steps to adopt a baby in the USA

In the USA, adoption is surrounded by multiple possibilities. You can adopt a baby in the traditional way, but you can also accept the child for a certain time. In many cases, the adoption also includes some contact with the biological family of the baby, especially if you have siblings who have not been adopted by the same family.

There is not a single place where to start the procedures to adopt, as it happens in countries like Mexico, Colombia or Spain. There are National Public Agencies that are more oriented towards the adoption of children with problems. In these cases, the adoption process does not require much time and economically the disbursement is about $ 2,500.

Both time and money change if you opt for a Private Adoption Agency, a place where birth mothers who want to give their children up for adoption can choose the most suitable family for their baby. Families must pass a fitness test and enter a waiting list. You can also go to an Independent Adoption Agency, in which case it is necessary to have a lawyer so that all the procedures are done in a legal manner.

Requirements to adopt in the US

In the USA, the rules to adopt regarding the adoptive family are less strict than in other places. They can adopt couples, marriages or single people who present psychic and material guarantees so that the baby enjoys a good quality of life. However, the procedures to determine if a family or a person who wants to adopt is suitable are more relative than in other countries.

The minimum age for adopting a baby is considerably reduced compared to other countries, with the minimum age established for adopting 18 yearsin the USA. This age can vary in each state and the same happens with the years of difference that there must be between the adopter and the adopted child, which is only 10 years. In most states, adoption by same-sex couples is prohibited, but that impediment can be easily remedied by adoption by one person.