If you’re interested in learning how to adopt a child in Minnesota, the following information will provide general guidelines for completing the process. Learning about the process of adoption in MN can help you to determine whether or not adopting a child is the right way to grow your family.

For any questions about adoption in Minnesota with our agency, please call 1-800-ADOPTION.

Deciding Whether or Not You Should Pursue a MN Adoption

The first step of the Minnesota child adoption process is to decide if adoption is truly the right family-building path for you. There are many ways to bring children into your life, and while adoption is a wonderful way to do just that, it’s not going to be right for everyone.

The newborn adoption process is full of both benefits and difficulties that you’ll need to consider. Couples who are considering adopting a child in Minnesota must be united in their adoption goals before proceeding, and you may need to address any grief from infertility or let go of the dream of having a biological child.

All of this must happen before a couple can be truly committed to their new dream of the MN child adoption process.

Choosing Which Minnesota Adoption Professional Is Best for You

If you’ve decided to pursue adoption, your next step will be deciding on the type of Minnesota adoption that’s right for you. Remember that there are different adoption requirements for the different types of child adoption in Minnesota.

Domestic Adoption

If you want to adopt an infant in the U.S. you’ll likely want to choose a domestic adoption agency like American Adoptions.

You should choose to work with a national adoption agency over a smaller local agency if you want all the services needed to adopt a child in Minnesota, as they’re able to work with both prospective birth and adoptive parents in MN and throughout the U.S. Local agencies are limited to working within the immediate area, and may not be able to complete every step in the adoption process for you, unlike national agencies.

Foster Care Adoption

If you’re flexible about the age and needs of the child that you adopt in MN, then a foster care adoption may be right for you. Many of the twenty-five percent of children who will become eligible for adoption from foster care are part of a sibling group, are older, or have additional needs.

You can learn more about the requirements of foster care adoption in Minnesota here and here.

International Adoption

If you’re comfortable knowing very little about a child’s background, you may consider an international adoption in MN. The costs, requirements and restrictions of adopting a child internationally vary based on the country you adopt a child from and the agency you work with.

You can learn more about international adoption in Minnesota here.

Envisioning Your Adoption in MN and Putting it to Paper

Once you’ve learned about the different types of Minnesota adoption professionals and have decided which agency will complete your adoption in MN, you’ll begin the adoption process and the paperwork that comes with it.

Adoptive families who work with American Adoptions fill out their Adoption Planning Questionnaire (APQ) at this stage, then create an adoption profile, complete the Minnesota adoption home study and more.

Completing these steps will determine if you’ve been approved to adopt in Minnesota on a state, federal and agency level. Once you’ve been approved, we’ll begin showing your adoption profile to expectant mothers who are looking for adoptive parents like you.

Entering into a MN Adoption Opportunity with Expectant Parents

Once your adoption profile starts being shown to expectant parents considering adoption, it may be several weeks or several months before you’ll enter into an adoption opportunity with one of those expectant parents who has decided that you will be their baby’s prospective family.

Adoption wait times vary for a number of reasons, including your openness to a range of adoption situations and the individual preferences of an expectant mother.

But for 75 percent of those who adopt a child through American Adoptions, placement with a child occurs within anaverage of 12 months.

Finalizing Your Adoption in Minnesota

An adoption finalization is the final legal step of adoption in MN.

The biological parents of a baby must wait a minimum of 72 hours after the birth of the baby before they may issue their consent to an adoption in Minnesota, and signed consent becomes irrevocable after 10 days. American Adoptions retains legal representation for both birth and adoptive parents so that both parties have someone to walk them through all the legal steps of adoption in MN.

When you’re working with a national adoption agency like American Adoptions, you may be adopting a child from outside of Minnesota, in which case Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) clearances must be obtained before you can return home to Minnesota with your baby. However, if you live and adopt a child in Minnesota, the ICPC process isn’t necessary for your adoption. Whenever children are adopted across state lines, the ICPC process will be involved, including for families who live outside of MN and adopt a child born in Minnesota.

After returning home to Minnesota with your child following placement, you’ll need to complete the required post-placement assessment under the guidance of your home study professional. Several months after this, your adoption finalization hearing will be scheduled.

Your local juvenile court holds jurisdiction over adoptions in MN. This is where your adoption finalization hearing will take place. At the finalization hearing, you’ll receive legal parental rights and the final decree of adoption, legally completing the Minnesota adoption process.

After Adoption Finalization in Minnesota

Adoptions in Minnesota are a lifelong journey for everyone involved, and the relationships created by adoption will continue to evolve.

Open adoptions have been shown to be beneficial for both birth and adoptive parents, but most of all, for adoptees. For this reason and more, American Adoptions recommends open adoptions whenever situations allow.

Through an open adoption in Minnesota, birth and adoptive families are able to remain in touch throughout the adoptee’s life and are able to share a unique post-adoption relationship. For most, this means direct contact through phone calls, emails, texts and in-person visits. American Adoptions will educate you for and support you through your open adoption relationship with a prospective birth mother.

Ready to learn more about how to adopt a baby in Minnesota with American Adoptions? Call 1-800-ADOPTION or request free Minnesota adoption information online now to begin your MN adoption journey.

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