ADOPTION IN
Arkansas
Domestic Infant Adoptions can be completed through agencies in Arkansas. They can help prospective adoptive parents to adopt domestically. A third option is the use of a private adoption attorney. Click here for a directory of adoption service providers in Arkansas.
International Adoptions must be completed through agencies in Arkansas. They can help prospective adoptive parents to adopt internationally. A third option is the use of a private adoption attorney. Find an international adoption service provider here.
Foster Care Adoptions in Arkansas can be completed through the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services (501-682-8462).
Gallery of children waiting to be adopted.
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The information contained on this website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional legal advice. Always seek the advice of a licensed and qualified professional. While the content of this website is frequently updated, information changes rapidly and therefore, some information may be out of date, and/or contain inaccuracies, omissions or typographical errors.
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Can I Adopt in Arkansas?
Foster care applicants must be at least 21. To adopt, it is preferred that parents be at least 10 years older than the child they adopt, but no more than 45 years older. You can be single, married, or divorced. Members of the household must pass a physical exam. Parents need to have a stable income in order to provide for the family. Bedrooms must have at least 50 square feet per occupant. All firearms must be in a locked and secured location. Children ages 4 and up of the opposite sex must have a separate bedroom. DCFS policy prohibits children to be placed in a home where adults smoke around the children. All adults 14 and up need to pass a background check.
What Adoption Regulations Exist in Arkansas?
Advertising: The use of advertisement or adoption facilitators is not addressed in Arkansas statues at this time.
Relinquishment: Consent to the adoption can be executed any time after the birth of the child. After the final adoption decree, consent cannot be withdrawn. Parents wishing to revoke consent have 10 calendar days after the child is born or the consent was signed (whichever is later) to revoke consent.
Birth parent expenses: Birth related costs such as prenatal care, delivery, postnatal care, including housing costs, food, clothing, general maintenance, and medical expenses are approved in Arkansas if they are reimbursements for fees for services rendered.
Post-adoption contact agreements: Birth and adoptive families can enter into a voluntary agreement to determine the amount of contact each have after adoption finalization. However, these agreements are not legally enforceable in Arkansas.
Birth father rights: There is a putative father registry established in Arkansas. Father’s wishing to receive notice of adoption proceedings can contact the Department of Health and Human Services to register their information.
Finalization: In Arkansas social workers are required to make two post placement visits before the final adoption decree. While no time requirement exists in Arkansas, the average amount of time in 2014 between termination of parental rights and adoption finalization was 11 months.
Is Adoption Assistance Available in Arkansas?
Many of the children waiting to be adopted in Arkansas have special needs. Federal (Title IV-E) and state (non-IV-E) programs exist to help adoptive parents meet their child’s needs. In Arkansas, payments range from $410-870 a month, depending upon your child’s needs and type of disability. To see if your child qualifies for an adoption subsidy, please visit NACAC.org.
Can I adopt a Child from another country?
You can always adopt a child from outside the U.S.. As part of this process, your only option is to find an adoption agency licensed to complete international adoptions. Arkansas currently recognizes foreign adoptions completed abroad as though a court within Arkansas finalized the adoption.
State Contacts
Gallery of children waiting to be adopted: https://adoption.com/photolisting?page=1&search_type=state&range=5
State subsidy contact person:
Rochelle Parker
Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
P.O. Box 1437, Slot S565
Little Rock, AR 72203
Phone: 501-682-8435
Fax: 501-682-8094
Summary
Adoptions in Arkansas can be completed through the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services.
Foster care applicants must be at least 21. To adopt, parents usually must be 10 years older than the child they adopt but no more than 45 years older. You can be single, married, or divorced. Members of the household must pass a physical exam. Parents need to complete a home study.
Consent to the adoption can be executed any time after the birth of the child. Parents wishing to revoke consent have 10 calendar days after the child is born or the consent was signed (whichever is later) to revoke consent.
The following expenses are permitted: prenatal, delivery, housing costs, food, clothing, general maintenance, and medical expenses.
Contact agreements are not legally enforceable. Arkansas utilizes a paternity registry for unmarried fathers.
The average time between TPR and adoption finalization in 2014 was 11 months.
