ADOPTION IN
Oklahoma
Domestic Infant Adoptions can be completed through adoption agencies/attorneys to adopt a child domestically. Click here for a directory of adoption service providers in Oklahoma.
International Adoptions must be completed through adoption agencies/attorneys to adopt a child internationally. Find an international adoption service provider here.
Foster Care Adoptions in Oklahoma can be completed through the Department of Human Services (918-794-7575). 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the content of this website is frequently updated, information changes rapidly and therefore, some information may be out of date, and/or contain inaccuracies, omissions or typographical errors.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 Oklahoma?
Parents must be at least 21 years old. You can be single, married, or divorced. You can own, rent, or live in a trailer home. The only income requirement is that you make enough to provide a stable living for the child. Parents must complete 27 hours of preservice training. Applicants must pass a home study including the following: background checks, medical checks, fingerprinting, family assessment, home assessment, auto insurance verification, and income verification.
What Adoption Regulations Exist in Oklahoma?
Advertising: Only licensed child-placing agencies/attorneys may advertise for compensation to assist with the placement of a child. Adoptive parents who complete a favorable home study may reach out to birth parents for the placement of their child in the home, so long as nothing of value is offered in exchange for placement of the child. § 866(A)(1)(g)-(h)
Relinquishment: Married fathers and mothers must wait until after birth to consent to an adoption. Putative fathers may consent before or after birth. Consent is irrevocable unless the court finds that revocation is in the best interest of the child and the consenting party proves: a petition to adopt was not filed within 9 months after placement; a parent with legal rights of the child did not give their consent to the adoption; that the consent came under fraud. § 7503-2.7; 7503-2.6
Birth parent expenses: The following expenses are allowed: attorney, medical, adoption counseling, living expenses, and travel expenses for the birth mother. Living expenses may not extend past 2 months after birth, while counseling expenses may extend up to 6 months after brith. § 7505-3.2(B)
Post-adoption contact agreements: Contact agreements are not legally enforceable unless the agreement is included in a written court order. § 7505-1.5
Birth father rights: Unmarried fathers may register with the Department of Human Services’ paternity registry in order to receive notice of adoption proceedings, claim or acknowledge paternity of the child, or deny paternity of the child. § 7506-1.1
Finalization: The average time between TPR and adoption finalization in Oklahoma in 2014 was 12.5 months. (acf.hhs.gov)
Is Adoption Assistance Available in Oklahoma?
Many of the children waiting to be adopted in Oklahoma have special needs. Federal (Title IV-E) and state (non-IV-E) programs exist to help adoptive parents meet their child’s needs. In Oklahoma, the maximum monthly amount ranges between $500-650. For more information on 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 may provide the child with citizenship upon arrival in the States.
Readoption in Oklahoma after a foreign adoption decree is an option but not a requirement. Parents wishing to receive a State birth certificate for their child can submit a 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:
Jacquelyn Hill-Anderson
Department of Human Services (DHS)
P.O. Box 25352
Oklahoma City, OK 73125
Phone: 405-522-4487
Fax: 405-522-2433
Email: Jacquelyn.Hill@okdhs.org
Summary
Adoptions in Oklahoma can be completed through the Department of Human Services. Hopeful adoptive parents can use adoption agencies/attorneys to help them find a child to adopt.
Parents must be at least 21 years old. Applicants can be single, married, or divorced; you can own or rent a home; you must complete a home study when applying to adopt a child; you must finish 27 hours of preservice training in order to become an adoptive parent.
Only licensed child-placing agencies/attorneys can advertise for compensation to assist with the placement of a child.
Married parents must wait until after birth to consent, while putative fathers may consent at any time. Consent can only be revoked if in the child’s best interest and certain factors are proved by the consenting part in court.
The average time between TPR and adoption finalization in 2014 in Oklahoma was 12.5 months.
