You deserve a family, and private domestic infant adoption in Ohio can be a life-changing experience full of joy and hope for a brighter future. 

• Our agency has helped thousands of parents grow their family through adoption. 

• Our goal is to make sure your adoption journey is exactly what you hoped it would be. 

• We offer an industry-leading risk-sharing program to protect your adoption finances. 

Adoption in Ohio is a deeply personal experience for everyone involved. The shared journey between you and the birth mother in creating a loving and nurturing environment for a child is something you will all cherish for years to come. 

At American Adoptions, many of our staff have their own first-hand adoption stories, and because of that, we have a unique perspective on the adoption process. Those personal experiences help us ensure that your adoption journey is just as special and life-changing. 

Take it from our founder, Scott Mars, who knows all too well what positive impact adoption has. 

“My mom and dad was a couple who weren’t able to become a mom and dad without adoption. Of all people in this world, my mom and dad deserve to be parents. And without adoption, they would not have been able to share their love, share their life, and give someone the life that I had.    

“Because of adoption, my life was filled with love and opportunity.”  You can watch Scott’s video to see his entire adoption story. 

We’re here to guide you through every step of adopting a baby in Ohio — so that you can finally have the family of your dreams. Get a head start by familiarizing yourself with the process below:  

If you’re ready to start the adoption process with our agency or want more information on adoption in Ohio, call us toll-free today at 1-800-ADOPTION or visit our online contact forms for prospective birth mothers and prospective adoptive parents. 

How to Adopt a Baby in Ohio with American Adoptions 

Adopting in Ohio is always an option, and for hopeful adoptive couples hoping to grow their family through adoption, you have a national agency with local Ohio ties that can help guide you through every step. American Adoptions offers a size and scope that makes finding the perfect match for adoption more likely, and gives you  a shorter average wait of time than other agencies. 

There are several ways to adopt a child in Ohio. Here’s everything you need to know:  

Step 1: Choosing Adoption for your Family. 

Deciding that adoption is the right way to grow your family is the first major step in your journey. You’ve now put yourself on track for a life-changing decision full of love and hope. Adoptive parents choose adoption for different reasons. But, at the end of the day, it’s a chance to make your dreams of growing your family come true. 

Working with an agency like American Adoptions that offers adoption professionals with first-hand experiences with their own adoptions makes it a perfect match for your Ohio adoption journey. 

Step 2: Decided Which Kind of Adoption is Right for You. 

There are different ways to grow your family through adoption. The most common is domestic adoption, but it’s good to know information about the different types of adoption in order to make the most informed decision for your family. 

There are three common types of adoption in Ohio, and the requirements for adoption in Ohio will depend on the type of adoption you choose. 

These primary adoption methods include: 

Domestic Adoption 

Domestic adoption focuses on the adoption of infants in Ohio and the across U.S. National domestic adoption agencies such as American Adoptions are usually able to provide all of the services that prospective birth and adoptive parents will need during the Ohio adoption process. If you don’t know how to adopt a child in Ohio, you’ll want to learn more about domestic adoption first. 

Fortunately, American Adoptions can help you do just that. We also offer:

• 24/7 counseling services for prospective birth parents.  

• Financial protection through a Risk-Sharing Program for prospective adoptive families.  

• Post-adoption birth parent scholarships.  

• And more. 

Foster Care Adoption 

While most kids that enter Ohio foster care are reunited with biological family members, 25 percent of Ohio children in foster care will be eligible for foster care adoption at some point. These children are often older, part of a sibling group that should not be separated, or have additional needs. 

Learn more about foster care adoption requirements in Ohio and how to adopt from foster care here. 

International Adoption 

Adopting a child internationally will have varying requirements and costs, depending on the country from which you adopt, as well as which Ohio international adoption professional you work with.  When pursuing an international adoption, you must first meet U.S. adoption requirements and your child’s home country’s individual adoption requirements. 

Learn more about international adoption here. 

Step 3: Decide What Kind of OH Adoption Professional You Will Work With. 

The professional you work with has a major impact on your experience adopting a newborn in Ohio. It’s important to carefully consider all of your options and find the professional who is going to put you in the best position. 

There are three different types of Ohio adoption professionals, including: 

National Adoption Agencies 

National adoption agencies such as American Adoptions are regulated, reviewed and licensed separately within each state. This allows them to work with prospective birth and adoptive parents within all 50 states, limiting financial risk and creating shorter adoption wait times. The size and scope of our agency give us national reach when it comes to finding and matching our birth mothers with the perfect adoptive family.  

Local/Regional Adoption Agencies 

Local Ohio adoption agencies are licensed by the state. Their outreach to both prospective birth and adoptive families is therefore limited to the surrounding area. This creates longer adoption wait times but more opportunities for in-person interactions. Even though our national size provides many additional benefits, we have local Ohio representation, allowing you to work with our professionals locally. 

Adoption Law Firms 

While an adoption attorney working within a law firm is a good option for handling all the legal processes of a baby adoption in Ohio, adoptive parents and prospective birth parents must be represented by separate attorneys. Adoption law firms are also unable to provide counseling services, which can be very helpful for both the adoptive family and the prospective birth parents. 

Adoption law firms are not to be confused with “adoption law centers,” which are very different operations that can expose prospective birth and adoptive families to potential malpractice. 

Step 4: Be Approved to Adopt an Infant in Ohio. 

Once you’ve begun working with your adoption professional, you’ve truly entered into the Ohio adoption process. This is where the paperwork begins! 

Prospective birth and adoptive parents working with American Adoptions fill out their Adoption Planning Questionnaires (APQs) at this point to determine their goals for the adoption. Adoptive parents will create adoptive family profiles, complete the Ohio adoption home study and undergo any required training to adopt. 

After you’ve completed these steps and you’ve been approved to adopt a child in Ohio, you’ll be eligible for matching with expectant mothers through our agency. 

Step 5: Receive an Adoption Opportunity. 

Once expectant mothers in Ohio start viewing their adoption profiles, our families benefit from wait times of an average of 12 months. But your individual adoption wait time will be affected by your openness to a wide range of potential birth mothers. 

Expectant mothers will be shown your adoption profile if you have similar goals for a domestic infant adoption in Ohio, including: 

• A desire for the same amount of post-adoption communication 

• A shared comfort with potential genetic medical histories in a child’s biological background 

• Openness to a child of any race and gender 

• And more 

Expectant mothers considering adoption in Ohio are of every age, race, relationship status and background. No two pregnant women are looking for the exact same thing in potential adoptive parents for her baby, which is why we work to find the right match for you based on what a birth mother is looking for in an adoptive family, as well as the wants and needs expressed by you for your adoption. 

Step 6: Get to Know the Prospective Birth Mother. 

Once an expectant mother has chosen you, you’ll be able to talk and get to know each other to whatever degree she’s comfortable with. After the birth of the baby, consent to adoption in Ohio may be given by the biological parent(s) 72 hours later, but no sooner. 

It’s only once a prospective birth mother gives her official consent to the adoption that she terminates her parental rights and places her child with the agreed-upon adoptive family. She’s under no prior obligation to consent to the adoption. 

Many adoptions occur across state lines, in which case you’ll need to wait within the birth mother’s home state for the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) to give you clearance before you return home to Ohio with your child after placement. This often takes 2-3 weeks. If you’re adopting a child in Ohio as a resident, the extra step of ICPC won’t be needed. 

After returning home with your child, your Ohio adoption home study provider will complete the required in-home post-placement visits. These occur between placement and the adoption finalization. The goal is to ensure that everyone is adjusting well to post-adoption life.

This is the foundational period of your life-long shared relationship. The opportunity to get to know each other and begin building a connection not only benefits you, but more importantly, keeps a connection with the child. 

Your Ohio adoption attorney will contact you during this period to arrange an adoption finalization hearing in your local county probate court, where Ohio adoption hearings take place. At the adoption finalization hearing, your parental rights will be officially granted in court with a final adoption decree. 

The adoption decree represents the completion of the Ohio adoption process and your child’s place as a legal member of your family. 

Step 7: Continue Post-Placement Contact. 

The Ohio adoption process legally ends with an adoption finalization, but adoption never really ends; it’s a constant part of life for all birth and adoptive families and adoptees. 

Experts recommend open adoptions whenever situations allow, and American Adoptions wholeheartedly agrees. Open adoptions are shown to be beneficial for both birth and adoptive parents, but in particular, the adoptee. Increased openness in Ohio adoptions keeps communication accessible and ongoing between birth and adoptive families. 

Open adoption communication can include the exchange of letters, emails, phone calls, texts and visits with any level of frequency, depending on the comfort level of everyone involved. There is no one definition of an open adoption — each one is unique and involves relationships that may naturally evolve over time. 

American Adoptions is happy to facilitate contact between birth and adoptive families who prefer a semi-open adoption for up to 18 years after placement. 

Ready to Start Your Private Domestic Adoption? [We’re here to Help]  

Michelle, a birth parent specialist and a birth parent herself, is ready to answer any questions you have about adoption.      

“I am available to answer any questions that arise, particularly from birth moms, as I have been in your shoes and know how you are feeling,” Michelle said. “It was most helpful to me when I had someone to talk to who would just listen to me without making any judgments or conclusions about who I was as a person.”      

You can ask Michelle questions about the Ohio adoption process online. You can also call us toll free at 1-800-ADOPTION, or get free information with our online contact form for prospective birth mothers considering adoption here. Adoptive families wanting more information on adopting a child can click here to get more information. 

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