ADOPTION IN
Michigan

Applicants can be single, married, or divorced. You can own or rent a home. Parents need to be at least 18 years old in order to foster or adopt. While adoptive parents do not need to be rich, they need a stable income to support a growing family. Applicants must be in good mental and physical health. Members of an adoptive household must be in good health as well. Parents need to provide 3 professional references. Adoption training classes may be required in order to become a foster/adoptive parent. For a more complete list of adoption FAQ, visit michigan.gov.

Advertising: Adoption facilitators in Michigan are defined as licensed adoption agencies and attorneys. These two professionals may distribute pamphlets highlighting their services offered. They must present interested parties a written document including the following: the types of adoptions they handle, the services they provide, eligibility requirements for adoptive families, the procedure used to select adoptive parents for the child (in agency adoptions), amount of contact between families after adoption finalization, and a schedule of all fees. § 722.124b(c)-(d); 722.956

Relinquishment: When a father refuses to consent to adoption for children born out of wedlock, adoption consent from the mother can be taken at any time pending the termination of the father’s parental rights and request for custody of the child. Consent cannot be executed until a judge or other authorized individual explains to the parent or guardian the parental rights and that consent permanently terminates those rights. If consent from a child is required, consent cannot be executed until an authorized individual explains to the child that their consent to acquire permanently an adoptive parent is as though they were legally born to that parent. Any person who grants consent may petition the courts to revoke consent up until the child is placed for adoption. After placement, parents may revoke only if an appeal for termination of parental rights is pending, and a petition for a rehearing has been filed within the appropriate time. § 710.31; 710.44; 710.29

Birth parent expenses: Adoptive parents may pay reasonable charges for the following: medical, hospital, pharmaceutical charges for the birth mother/child in connection with the pregnancy, counseling charges for birth parent or child, living expenses before birth and up to 6 weeks postpartum, adoption related traveling expenses. § 710.54(3), (5)

Post-adoption contact agreements: Contact agreements are not legally enforceable in Michigan.

Birth father rights: While no putative father registry exists in Michigan, unmarried fathers can take alternate steps to establish paternity. Before the birth of the child, father’s can file with any court in Michigan a notice of intent to claim paternity. As long as the mother does not deny the claim, the father becomes a presumed father and has the right to receive notice of adoption proceedings. The unmarried father may also sign an acknowledgement of paternity along with the birth mother. § 710.33; 722.1003; 722.1004

Finalization: The child must live with hopeful adoptive parents for at least 6 months before adoption finalization.

Review Michigan adoption laws in detail.

Many of the children waiting to be adopted in Michigan have special needs. Federal (Title IV-E) and state (non-IV-E) programs exist to help adoptive parents meet their child’s needs. In Michigan, the maximum daily amount ranges from $17.83-21.26. Children with advanced medical needs may qualify for up to an additional $18 a day. For more information please visit NACAC.org.  

It is always possible to adopt a child from another country, even if you live in the United States. Children under 18 adopted from a Hague Convention country entering the U.S. with an IH-3 visa may automatically receive U.S. citizenship.

Children adopted from a non convention country must qualify as orphans before receiving U.S. citizenship. When U.S. citizens finalize an adoption abroad, they must apply to the USCIS for an IR-3 visa for the child. An IR-3 visa classifies the child as an immigrant and provides the child with citizenship upon arrival in the States.

A court order of adoption completed in another country is presumed to be issued in accordance with that country’s laws and is recognized in Michigan as though a Michigan court completed the order. § 710.21b

Gallery of children waiting to be adopted: https://adoption.com/photolisting?page=1&search_type=region&range=UnitedStates

State subsidy contact:

Dawn Ritter, Adoption Subsidy Manager

Michigan Department of Human Services

235 S. Grand Ave, Ste 412

Lansing, MI 48909

Phone: 517-241-6849

Fax: 517-335-4019

Email: RitterD@michigan.gov

Web: http://www.michigan.gov/dhs

Adoptions in Michigan can be completed through the Department of Health and Human Services MARE program.

Applicants can be single, married, or divorced. You can own or rent a home. Parents need to be at least 18 years old. Adoption agencies and attorneys may distribute pamphlets highlighting services offered.

For children born out of wedlock when a father refuses to consent to adoption, adoption consent from the mother can be taken at any time pending the termination of the father’s parental rights and request for custody of the child. Parents may revoke consent up until the child is placed for adoption.

Adoptive parents may pay reasonable charges for the following: medical, hospital, pharmaceutical, counseling, and living expenses before birth and up to 6 weeks after.

Contact agreements are not legally enforceable in Michigan. While no putative father registry exists in Michigan, unmarried fathers can take alternate steps to establish paternity.