ADOPTION IN
Nevada
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 accredited adoption agency and/or adoption attorney. You can learn more about international adoption here.
Foster Care Adoptions in Nevada can be completed through the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
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the content of this website is frequently updated, information changes rapidly and therefore, some information may be out of date, and/or contain inaccuracies, omissions or typographical errors.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 Nevada?
Applicants must be 21 years old or older (also 10 years older than the child). You can own or rent a home. Parents can be single, married, or divorced. You must be a legal resident of Nevada and own a landline phone. Parents will need to successfully complete a home study. As part of this process, applicants need to submit a criminal background check, character references from individuals who know the family, and a physical/mental background check showing the parents are in good health.
What Adoption Regulations Exist in Nevada?
Advertising: Only adoption agencies can advertise a child’s information for adoption placement purposes. In all advertisements the adoption agency must state that they hold a valid license and show the license number. No person can place or assist in the placement of a child without first securing a valid license. § 127.283; 127.310; 127.240; 127.290(1); 127.285(1)
Relinquishment: Unmarried fathers may consent to an adoption before the birth of the child. Birth mothers must wait at least 72 hours after birth of the child to give consent. A consent given from an unmarried father becomes invalid if: he marries the mother before birth of the child, the mother does not consent to an adoption before the child is 6 months old, or no petition has been filed within 2 years after birth of the child. § 127.070; 127.080
Birth parent expenses: A person may pay birth related medical and reasonable living expenses for the birth mother, so long as the payment is not contingent upon consent or placement of the child from the natural parents. § 127.287(3)
Post-adoption contact agreements: Contact agreements between birth and adoptive parents are legally enforceable in Nevada. § 127.187; 127.1885
Birth father rights: Unmarried fathers may have their name entered on the child’s birth certificate if at the time of birth the father signs a voluntary acknowledgement of paternity. A declaration of paternity establishes a parent child relationship, and the father gains the right to receive notice of adoption proceedings. § 440.280; 440.283; 126.053
Finalization: Out of 726 adoptions completed in 2014, the average time between TPR and adoption finalization was 111.2 months. (acf.hhs.gov)
Is Adoption Assistance Available in Nevada?
Many of the children waiting to be adopted in Nevada have special needs. Federal (Title IV-E) and state (non-IV-E) programs exist to help adoptive parents meet their child’s needs. In Nevada, the maximum monthly amount ranges between $682-773. Additional assistance may be available dependent upon your child’s needs. For more information 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.
In Nevada hopeful adoptive parents wishing to receive a State birth certificate for their child must submit a validation or readoption of foreign adoption decree.
State Contacts
Gallery of children waiting to be adopted: https://adoption.com/photolisting?page=1&search_type=region&range=UnitedStates
State subsidy contact:
Ashley Hice
Department of Human Services
Division of Child & Family Services
4126 Technology Way, Third Floor
Carson City, NV 89706
Phone: 775-684-4454
Fax: 775-684-4456
Email: ashleyhice@dcfs.nv.gov
Summary
Adoptions in Nevada can be completed through the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
Applicants must be 21 years old or older (also 10 years older than the child). You can own or rent a home. Parents can be single, married, or divorced. You must be a legal resident of Nevada and own a landline phone.
Only adoption agencies can advertise a child’s information for adoption placement purposes. Unmarried fathers may consent to an adoption before the birth of the child. Birth mothers must wait at least 72 hours after birth of the child to give consent.
A person may pay birth related medical and reasonable living expenses for the birth mother. Contact agreements are legally enforceable. Unmarried fathers may have their name entered on the child’s birth certificate.
The average time between TPR and adoption finalization in 2014 was 11.2 months.
