ADOPTION IN
Minnesota
Domestic Infant Adoptions can be completed through an adoption agency or adoption attorney. Click here to connect with an adoption professional.
International Adoptions must be completed through an adoption agency or adoption attorney. You can learn more about international adoption here.
Foster Care Adoptions in Minnesota can be completed through the Department of Human Services (651-431-2000).
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the content of this website is frequently updated, information changes rapidly and therefore, some information may be out of date, and/or contain inaccuracies, omissions or typographical errors.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 Minnesota?
Every adoption agency has different requirements for adoptive parents, so be sure to check with the agency first to know the steps to qualify for adoption. In general, parents can be single, married, or divorced. They can own or rent a home. Applicants don’t need to be rich, but they do need a stable income to support a family. Parents need to be in good physical and mental health. They will need to pass a criminal background check, and the home needs to have enough space for another child. Parents will need professional character references.
What Adoption Regulations Exist in Minnesota?
Advertising: c Hopeful adoptive parents cannot give money or anything of value in exchange for adoption placement. § 259.21; 259.47; 259.55, Subd. 3; 260.93
Relinquishment: Parents must wait at least 72 hours after birth to execute consent for adoption, but no later than 60 days after a child has been placed in a prospective adoptive home will anyone who is required to give consent execute their consent. Parents have 10 days after written acknowledged consent to revoke for any reason. After the 10 day period, consent can only be revoked in court upon a finding that consent was obtained by fraud. § 259.24, Subd. 2a; Subd.6a
Birth parent expenses: Prospective adoptive parents may pay on behalf of the birth parents any of the following expenses: counseling, medical, and legal fees; adoption related transportation, meals, and lodging; agency expenses upon the request of the birth parent paid directly to the agency; reasonable living expenses due to pregnancy needed to obtain an adequate standard of living. Living expenses can only be paid for up to 6 weeks after birth. § 259.55, Subd. 1
Post-adoption contact agreements: Contact agreements are only legally enforceable when in a written court order. § 259.58
Birth father rights: A father’s adoption registry exists in Minnesota where unmarried fathers may submit their information and gain the right to receive notice of adoption proceedings. § 257.57
Finalization: Out of 614 adoptions completed in 2014, the average time between TPR and adoption finalization was 13.9 months. (acf.hhs.gov)
Is Adoption Assistance Available in Minnesota?
Many of the children waiting to be adopted in Minnesota have special needs. Federal (Title IV-E) and state (non-IV-E) programs exist to help adoptive parents meet their child’s needs. In Minnesota, the maximum basic monthly amount ranges from $283-790 depending upon your child’s age and how old they were at the time of the adoption. For more information on Minnesota adoption assistance please visit NACAC.org.
Can I adopt a Child from another country?
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.
Readoption or validation of a foreign adoption is an option but not a requirement in Minnesota. When birth parents wish to receive a state birth certificate for their adopted child, they must submit documentation from readoption or validation of a foreign adoption decree in a State court. Read more about Minnesota intercounty adoption regulations here.
State Contacts
Gallery of children waiting to be adopted: https://adoption.com/photolisting?page=1&search_type=region&range=UnitedStates
State subsidy contact person:
Heidi Ombisa Skallet
Department of Human Services
PO Box 64944
St. Paul MN 55164-0944
(651) 431-5889 • fax: (651) 431-7491
heidi.ombisa.skallet@state.mn.us
Summary
Adoptions in Minnesota can be completed through the Department of Human Services.
Parents can be single, married, or divorced. You can own or rent a home. Applicants need a stable income. Parents need good physical and mental health. You will need to pass a criminal background check. Homes needs to have enough space. Parents will need professional references.
It is unlawful in Minnesota for anyone besides a licensed adoption agency or an individual approved by the commissioner to place or accept a child for adoption.
The following expenses are permitted: counseling, medical, legal, transportation, agency expenses, and reasonable living expenses.
Contact agreements are only legally enforceable. A paternity registry exists for unmarried fathers. The average time between TPR and adoption finalization was 13.9 months.
