Adoption in Wyoming can be complicated, which you realize pretty quickly when you begin to research it. If you’re considering adoption, you’ve probably felt overwhelmed by all of the details you’ve discovered.

While it may be tempting to bury your head and leave all the nuances of adoption up to the professionals, it can be very beneficial to understand the process for yourself. A great place to start is learning the basics of Wyoming adoption laws.  Each state has its own unique laws, and each step of the adoption process has some sort of law or regulation associated with it. The more you understand these laws, you less unpredictable this process will feel.

We won’t be able to give you the details of every legal aspect of adoption you’ll encounter, and this article certainly shouldn’t be considered legal advice, but these adoption laws in Wyoming are a good place to start in your research. You can also contact us online at any time to learn more about adoption in Wyoming.

Adoption Requirements

Seems like a good place to start, right? If you don’t meet the requirements to adopt, there’s really no point in moving on to the rest of the adoption laws in Wyoming. Thankfully, the requirements in Wyoming’s adoption laws allow most people to begin the adoption process.

Those requirements are:

• You must be an adult

• You have to reside in the state for at least 60 days immediately prior to filing a petition for adoption

• You must be determined to be a fit and competent parent by a court

There are other things, like a poor home study report, that could potentially make someone unable to complete an adoption in Wyoming. However, if you meet these three standards, you have passed the initial requirements in Wyoming adoption laws.

Consent to Adoption

A birth mother gives her official consent to the adoption after the baby is born, not at the beginning of the adoption process. Each state has unique laws about consent. Some states have mandatory waiting periods; others require specific counseling before consent can be given. In Wyoming adoption laws, a birth mother can give her consent to the adoption any time after birth. No additional counseling is required, as long as it is clear that the birth mother is giving her consent knowingly and voluntarily.

Birth Father Rights

Another person, besides the birth mother, of whom consent may be required is the birth father. Adoption laws in Wyoming, and every other state, about a birth father’s rights can be very complicated. In most situations, it comes down to a case-by-case basis. However, there are a few things that stand out about birth father rights in Wyoming’s adoption laws.

• If the birth father is known, he must consent to the adoption, except in cases of abuse, neglect or other termination of parental rights.

• Wyoming does have putative father registry for cases where the birth father is unknown.

• If a father would like to attempt to claim custody of a child, he has a right to petition for custody.

As we said, birth father rights are complex. If you have specific questions about birth father rights in Wyoming’s adoption laws, you should ask your adoption attorney.

Adoption Expenses

Many states allow prospective birth mothers to receive adoption financial assistance during the process. Some states put a limit on the amount of financial assistance a prospective birth mother can receive, while others may limit the type of need that assistance can be provided for. However, neither of these things are covered in Wyoming adoption laws. The law doesn’t have anything to say about adoption expenses that can be provided for prospective birth mothers. When you are considering adoption in Wyoming, this is something worth discussing with your adoption specialist. You can work together to figure out the best way to move forward where adoption laws in Wyoming don’t give you specific direction.

Advertising for Adoption

“Advertising” in adoption doesn’t mean “advertising” in the way you are thinking. In adoption-speak, it is the process of finding a placement between a prospective birth mother and hopeful adoptive parents. Not everyone can advertise, and different states have unique laws about adoption advertising. Once again, as with adoption expenses, adoption laws in Wyoming have nothing to say about advertising.

This is important to know, because it makes it even more necessary to work with a fully-licensed organization. Just because the law doesn’t restrict who can advertise in adoption doesn’t mean you should trust anyone to do it. Working with a fully-licensed agency ensures that your adoption with be completed in a safe, ethical and legal way.

ICPC

The Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) is not just a part of Wyoming adoption laws, but is a federal regulation that all states adhere to. ICPC ties together all 50 unique adoption laws that exist in this country, and it comes into play when the child being adopted is born in a different state than the hopeful parents are residents of.

Questions About Other Adoption Laws in Wyoming

Something you read may have sparked a question about your specific adoption process, or we may have missed the Wyoming adoption law you are most curious about. Either way, you can always speak with a local adoption attorney in Wyoming. They’ll answer your question and give you a better understand of adoption in Wyoming. To learn more about adopting with our agency, please call 1-800-ADOPTION at any time or request free information online. 

Disclaimer
Information available through these links is the sole property of the companies and organizations listed therein. American Adoptions provides this information as a courtesy and is in no way responsible for its content or accuracy.