Colorado Adoption Guide

Fountain, Colorado is the most accurate representation of the American "melting pot". It is considered the one city in the country that best represented the population make-up of the United States.
Source

Kids in foster care available for adoption in 2012: 1,715      
Foster adoptions completed in 2012: 798      
International adoptions completed in 2012:  275    
   

Adoption requirements in the state of Colorado are as follows:

Age: at least 21 years old   
Marital Status: can be single or married  
Finances: must be able to provide for the child    
Housing:  can rent or have own home        
Personality: have a good personality     
Experience:  none needed         
DISQUALIFYING CRIMES:  In this state, you may not adopt if you have been convicted of any of the following:  homicide, crimes against children, drug abuse, sexual assault or other crimes of battery or abuse.
   
SOURCE      

It’s essential to have a good network of family, friends, and neighbors to support you through your adoption process.

It’s also important to connect with other adoptive parents. You can begin making these connections in our adoption forums. You may also want to consider joining a support group for adoptive parents.

Before you get started, click here to learn more about the overall process of adopting an infant in the United States. Then, because laws and processes vary from state to state, come back to get the details about adoption in Colorado.

According to Colorado Foster Care and Adoption, only the county department of social services or a licensed child placement agency can facilitate an adoption. There needs to be a child placement agency involved in every adoption (except stepparent adoptions) within the State of Colorado. An adoption attorney may assist a client with communication among agencies.

Some people pursuing a private adoption find it beneficial to work with a professional adoption facilitator, an individual or organization that matches birth parents with adoptive parents in exchange for a fee. However, it is illegal to use adoption facilitators in Colorado.  

You can browse and read reviews about adoption service providers in Colorado here.     

For more information about picking an adoption agency, learn about the Top Fifteen Things to Look for In An Adoption Agency.

Regardless of whether you complete your adoption, you will need to complete an adoption home study.

Your home study social worker will help educate you about adoption and ensure that you (and your partner, if applicable) meet the requirements outlined on slide four.

Click here to learn more about the Home Study process.

Advertising is allowed in Colorado. This means prospective parents are allowed to place adoption ads.    

One of the most important things you can do while waiting for an adoption match is to let everyone know about your hope to adopt. Many adoption connections are made through word-of-mouth referrals.

If advertising is allowed in your state, creating a profile on Adoption.com Parent Profiles allows you to easily share your story with those considering placing their child for adoption. Features like videos and photos, posts, Pinterest-like favorites, and recommendations and endorsements make it easy to create a profile as unique as you are, increasing the likelihood that you will stand out and connect with that right person.

Rich communication options like video chat and instant messaging make connecting easy. A mobile-responsive design means that you will never be out of reach.
What’s more, Adoption.com receives over 650,000 monthly visits, which means your profile will receive unparalleled exposure. You can even view and monitor your progress through a detailed statistics page.

Ready to get started? Visit adoption.com/profiles

Adoption Navigators provides you with quality expertise in sharing your dream of adopting. We provide unparalleled adoption marketing and one-on-one coaching to beautifully show expectant parents who you are and tell your story. With Adoption Navigators you receive premier advertising exposure on Adoption.com, assistance building your profile and creating a video, and expanded reach through social media and search engines such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!. Adoption.com has more than 16 years of experience helping families connect with potential birth parents.

Let us help you increase your exposure to potential birth parents and decrease your adoption wait time.

Click here to get started.

Creating a listing on Adoption.com Parent Profiles is an excellent way to connect with potential birth parents across the country. If you want to maximize your exposure to potential birth parents and receive personalized coaching and support, consider using Adoption Navigators. Coordinate these services with your adoption professional.

Birth parents can relinquish their parental rights and allow their child to be considered legally free for adoption.

To do this, you must fill out a petition to relinquish parental rights. This form can be found here.

A paternity registry is not addressed in the state statutes. A birth father can relinquish his rights if he has established paternity.

   
    

Hopeful adoptive parents and/or an adoption agency may provide legal and living expenses for an expectant mother. There are, however, requirements governing such support.

In Colorado, you cannot pay for the birth mother to relinquish her child. The only expenses that are allowed are those charged by the agency in charge of the adoption.

Post adoption contact agreements are not addressed in Colorado's statutes.

You can finalize adoption after the child has been living with you for six months.

With private (usually domestic infant) adoptions, it is always possible to adopt a child within Colorado, even if you live in a different state.

The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children (ICPC) was adopted in the 1960s to provide for oversight and protection of children placed for foster care or adoption between states.

If you are adopting a child from another state, you will need to receive permission from the ICPC office in the state where the child is from. Your agency or attorney will send the office copies of your home study and some other paperwork. They will need to approve your packet before you can bring your child home.

Before you get started, click here to familiarize yourself with the overall process of adopting children through foster care. Then, because laws and processes vary from state to state, come back here to get the details about foster adoption in Colorado.    

In 2015, 640 children were adopted from foster care in Colorado. At the beginning of 2016, there are still at least 288 children available for adoption through foster care.   

Colorado does not currently feature children in our photolisting.

You can complete a foster adoption either through a private agency that is licensed to provide foster care services or directly through your county's Department of Social Services.      

To find adoption agencies in Colorado, click here.

You will still need to complete a home study as part of this process.

Becoming a foster family means that you will have the opportunity of caring for children in the foster care system. You may adopt children from foster care.

Colorado allows for children who are considered "legal risk" placements. This means that these children have birth parents who have not yet relinquished their rights. If no hope of reunification is possible, these children are able to be adopted through the foster care system.

You will need to wait until six months after placement to finalize adoption in Colorado.  

Post adoption contact agreements are not addressed in Colorado state law.

Colorado provides adoption assistance for families adopting children with special needs, and can receive up to $800 per child for non-recurring expenses.

Before you get started, click here to familiarize yourself with the overall process of international adoption. Then, because laws and processes vary from state to state, come back here to get the details about international adoption in Colorado.

  

With international adoptions, your only choice is to complete your adoption through an agency. Because of the Universal Accreditation Act, all adoption agencies completing international adoptions are required to be credentialed according to federal standards. Make sure to check with any agency before working with them to ensure they have this accreditation in place!

In selecting an international adoption agency, there are Four Essential Criteria you should probably consider. Click here to browse through adoption agencies in Colorado.

In order to be approved to adopt internationally, you will need to complete an international adoption-specific home study.

Finalization of international adoptions is not addressed by the state of Colorado. You will however need to request a U.S. birth certificate for your child.

Read more about post-adoption requirements: here

Before you get started, click here to familiarize yourself with the overall process of stepparent adoption. Then, because laws and processes vary from state to state, come back here to get the details about stepparent adoption in Colorado.

In order for you to adopt the child of your spouse, the corresponding biological parent’s rights will first need to be terminated, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

You will need to consult with an adoption attorney about your desire to adopt. He/she can help you decide if it’s likely that the biological parent would be willing to relinquish rights OR if it would be feasible to pursue involuntary termination of his/her parental rights.

Once parental rights have been terminated, you can file a petition to adopt with the courts. You and your spouse will both testify in court regarding the stability of your marital relationship, the bond you’ve developed with your stepchild, and your desire to become the legal parent of your stepchild.

You will generally not be required to complete a background check or home study as part of the stepparent adoption process.

Adoption Forums

Colorado Wiki   

Parent Profiles

Adoption Stories 

Child Welfare Information Gateway

Colorado Foster Care and Adoption   

Colorado Directory