The following guide can help you learn more about how to adopt a child in New Hampshire so that you can decide if it’s the right path to parenthood for you.

For any questions regarding the NH adoption process with American Adoptions, please call us at 1-800-ADOPTION or fill out this free online form.

Choosing to Pursue a NH Adoption

The New Hampshire adoption process is one of many ways that you can grow your family. However, adoption isn’t the right choice for everyone. Learning about how to adopt a child in New Hampshire can help you get a better understanding of whether or not you’re ready to commit to the process.

Prior to adopting a child in New Hampshire, you may need to take some time to assess where you’re starting from. For example, if you struggled with infertility, you’ll need to deal with any lingering grief resulting from that experience before you move on to your new dream of adoption. You’ll also need to be in sync with your spouse about your goals and expectations for the New Hampshire child adoption process before you begin.

Choosing Your New Hampshire Adoption Professional

If you’re sure that adoption is the way you want to grow your family, you’ll next choose the adoption professional that you want to complete your adoption in New Hampshire. Your decision may be influenced by the type of adoption that you wish to pursue and the requirements that you’ll need to meet for that particular type of child adoption in New Hampshire.

The most common types of adoption in NH are:

Domestic infant adoption

If you prefer to adopt an infant in New Hampshire, this is likely the right type of adoption for you. Using a national domestic adoption agency like American Adoptions is generally advised for this process, because this professional is better-equipped to offer all the services required to adopt a baby in New Hampshire or anywhere in the U.S. Smaller local agencies are limited to working with prospective birth and adoptive families within their region of NH, whereas national agencies can work throughout the country.

Foster care adoption

A foster care adoption in NH is a great option for adoptive families who are open to adopting children of a wider age range, who have additional needs or who are part of a sibling group. In 2010, the number of children in temporary foster care was 715 and the number of children waiting to be adopted was 77. Learn more about foster care adoption in NH here.

International adoption

International adoption in NH can be a good option if you’re comfortable without knowing much about a child’s background. Depending on the country you adopt from and the adoption professional you work with, the costs, requirements and restrictions will vary.

Learn more about international adoption in NH here, or find an agency to begin the intercountry adoption process here.

Starting the Process of Adoption in NH

Once you’ve found the New Hampshire adoption professional that you want to work with, you’re ready to begin the adoption process.

This is the stage where adoptive families with American Adoptions will complete their Adoption Planning Questionnaire (APQ), their adoption profile, their NH home study and more.

These steps, while heavy on the paperwork, will clear you to adopt in New Hampshire not only through the agency, but on a state and federal level. At that point, your adoption profile can start being shown to expectant mothers who are searching for adoptive parents in NH and across the country.

Entering into a NH Adoption Opportunity with Expectant Parents

For 75 percent of families adopting a child through American Adoptions, placement with a child occurs within an average of 12 months. But the adoption wait time is different for everyone. It can take a few weeks or a few months for an expectant parent to see your profile and want to enter into an adoption opportunity with you.

The adoption wait time involves several variables that can affect how long you’ll wait, such as your openness to many different birth mothers in your APQ, how open you are to sharing a post-adoption relationship with a birth family, and of course the personal preferences of expectant mothers who are looking for adoptive families.

When a prospective birth mother chooses you as her baby’s potential parents, you’ll be able to get to know her with the help of your adoption specialist. As her pregnancy progresses, you’ll be able to continue building your relationship together until it’s time for you to travel to her hospital for placement once it’s time for the delivery.

How to Finalize an Adoption in New Hampshire

Several months after placement occurs, you’ll finalize your adoption in NH.

But before finalization, the biological parents of your child will first need to consent to the adoption in accordance with New Hampshire adoption consent laws, no sooner than 72 hours after the baby is born.

It’s common to adopt a child born outside of New Hampshire when you work with a national adoption agency like American Adoptions. In those cases, you’ll need to abide by the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) before you may return home to NH with your child following placement. Any time a child is adopted across state lines ICPC must be observed to ensure that these children are going to safe and prepared homes, so this is also required of families who live outside of NH and adopt a child from New Hampshire. If you reside in NH and adopt a child in New Hampshire, then you won’t need to complete the ICPC process for your adoption.

After you’ve returned to New Hampshire with your child, you’ll need to complete a series of post-placement requirements prior to your adoption finalization hearing, which will take place in your local probate court several months after placement. This hearing will involve granting you legal parental rights as well as the final decree of adoption, officially completing the New Hampshire adoption process.

Life After Adoption in NH

Although adoptions in NH legally end with finalization, it’s an ongoing exploration for adoptees as well as birth and adoptive families. Studies have shown open adoptions to be the most beneficial option for everyone involved, but most of all, for adoptees. For this reason and more, American Adoptions advocates for open adoptions in New Hampshire whenever circumstances allow.

To learn more about how to adopt a baby in New Hampshire with our agency, please call us at 1-800-ADOPTION or request free NH adoption information online now.

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