South Dakota Adoption Guide

-Gutzon Burglom, the architect who created Mount Rushmore, took 14 years to complete his masterpiece. Despite the extended time period, the project only cost a measly $1 million.

-Jack McCall was convicted and later hanged for killing Wild Bill in 1877 just outside of Yankton, SD.

-South Dakota is home for the Lakota, Nakota, and Dakota tribes, which make up the Sioux Nation.

-South Dakota will be home to The Crazy Horse mountain carving, which will set a new world record for largest sculpture of any kind

-Badlands National Park contains nearly 244,000 acres of land, making it the largest protected prairie in the U.S.

SOURCE: 50states.com

IMAGE: Edwin Verin

Kids in foster care waiting to be adopted in 2013: 354

Foster adoptions completed in 2013: 177

International adoptions completed in 2015: 26

SOURCE: cwla.org
travel.state.gov

Age: 21 or older for foster care adoptions, no age requirement for other types

Marital Status: Single or married

Work: Stable income to provide for a family, enough room to house a child, do not need to own home

Personality: Warm, trustworthy, willing to adapt to new situations

Experience: None required

Other Requirements: In order to be a foster parent the state requires hopeful adoptive parents to complete special training

DISQUALIFYING CRIMES: Spousal or child abuse/neglect, crimes against children, and violent crimes including homicide, sexual assault, or rape

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 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 South Dakota.

In South Dakota, you are able to work with local and private agencies or attorneys to complete an adoption.

You can browse and read reviews about adoption service providers in South Dakota.

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

Some people pursuing a private adoption find it beneficial to work with a professional adoption facilitator, an individual that matches birth parents with adoptive parents in exchange for a fee.

Paid adoption facilitators are banned or restricted in many states, including South Dakota. Adoption facilitators are not allowed in South Dakota. The use of advertising is not addressed in the statues reviewed.

SOURCE: § 25-6-4.2

Regardless of whether you choose to adopt through an agency or adoption attorney, hopeful adoptive parents need to complete a home study to qualify for adoption. This is different than a single home visit. In a home study a caseworker may visit multiple times in order to write a report culminating in approval for adoption.

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

Click here to learn more about the Home Study process.

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.

Another great way to spread the word is social media. 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 Parent Profiles.

Without relinquishment of parental rights or consent no adoption in South Dakota is final.

Consent cannot be given until 5 days after the birth of the child. The hopeful adoptive parents and birth parents or any other person who has legal custody of the child to be adopted must consent in writing to the adoption before the adoption petition in court. The consent forms are then filed with the courts.

At the time of the hearing for an adoption petition, the birth parents and hopeful adoptive parents must appear in court. A guardian or the Department of Social Services may appear in court on behalf of the child.

The court decides after a full hearing whether or not the petitioners are fully aware of their actions.

Biological parents have 1 year from the date when the adoption proceedings were finalized to revoke consent. In the case of the Indian Child Welfare Act, parents have 2 years from finalized adoption proceedings.

SOURCE: §§ 25-6-12; 25-5A-16; 25-6-21

South Dakota currently utilizes a paternity registry for unmarried fathers. Fathers who wish to receive notice of adoption proceedings may sign an affidavit of parentage before the child is discharged from the hospital.

Fathers have 60 days from the date of signing the affidavit or the adoption proceedings, whichever comes earlier, to rebuttal a claim to parentage.

SOURCE: §§ 25-8-7; 25-8-7.1; 25-8-59

Hopeful adoptive parents and/or an adoption agency may provide certain expenses for expectant mothers. In South Dakota, any expenses covered for expectant mothers must be approved by the court.

SOURCE: § 25-6-4.2

A post-adoption contact agreement is a voluntary agreement that determines the amount of contact birth and adoptive families have after the adoption becomes final.

In South Dakota, biological parents have no rights to post-adoption contact/visitation unless voluntary termination of rights occurred and a pre-adoption agreement was made by both hopeful adoptive parents and biological parents.

In the case of a stepparent adoption where the stepparent is the spouse to the current natural parent terminating rights post-adoption contact is also a right for the natural parent.

Post-adoption contact agreements are legally enforceable if in the child's best interest.

SOURCE: § 25-6-17

Children need to live with adoptive parents 6 months before the adoption becomes final.

SOURCE: § 25-6-18

In adopting a child from foster care, there are opportunities to adopt a child from a different state. If this is the case, you will need to comply with the requirements of The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children.

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.

Read more about the ICPC.

IMAGE: welcomia

The health of the adopted child and the length of court procedures will determine the length of your stay in South Dakota. Hotels in South Dakota average around $100 a night.

Places to visit in South Dakota:
-Mount Rushmore
-Crazy Horse Memorial
-Badlands National Park
-Custer State Park
-Minutemen Missile National Historic Site

IMAGE: welcomia

Before you get started, 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 South Dakota.

There are currently 354 children waiting to be adopted in the state of South Dakota.

In the state of South Dakota, you can complete a foster adoption either through a private agency that is licensed to provide foster care services or directly through the Department of Social Services.

To find adoption agencies in South Dakota and to read reviews check out Adoption.com’s South Dakota page.

In South Dakota, a child can be placed with you for adoption before his/her biological parent’s rights have been terminated.

This is called a "legal risk" placement, meaning that is is possible that the child may return to live his/her birth family. However, these placements are not made unless the agency responsible for the child is actively pursuing the termination of his/her birth parents’ rights.

During a placement like this, you will be considered a foster parent and will need to meet all the requirements for foster parents in the state of South Dakota.

Not all foster-adoption placements are “legal risk” placements, however. Some children’s parents’ rights have been terminated, leaving them free and clear for adoption.

A post-adoption contact agreement is a voluntary agreement that determines the amount of contact birth and adoptive families have after the adoption becomes final.

In South Dakota, biological parents have no rights to post-adoption contact/visitation unless voluntary termination of rights occurred and a pre-adoption agreement was made by both hopeful adoptive parents and biological parents.

In the case of a stepparent adoption where the stepparent is the spouse to the current natural parent terminating rights post-adoption contact is also a right for the natural parent.

Post-adoption contact agreements are legally enforceable if in the child's best interest.

SOURCE: § 25-6-17

Children need to live with hopeful adoptive parents 6 months before the adoption becomes final.

SOURCE: § 25-6-18

Financial aid is available for hopeful adoptive parents wishing to adopt a child with special needs. The amount you receive varies greatly depending upon your child’s specific needs and circumstances. In order to be eligible your child must meet one of the following criteria considered to be a barrier for adoption:

-8 or older
-Race or religion
-Member of sibling group to be placed for adoption
-Physical, emotional, intellectual disability
-Therapy needed for speech, physical, or psychological disability
-Adoption by foster parent who is the only appropriate permanency plan

For a list of maximum monthly rates and specialized rates visit NACAC.org.

SOURCE: NACAC.org

In adopting a child from foster care, there are opportunities to adopt a child from a different state. If this is the case, you will need to comply with the requirements of The Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children.

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.

Read more about the ICPC.

IMAGE: Sopotnicki

The health of the adopted child and the length of court procedures will determine the length of your stay in South Dakota. Hotels in South Dakota average around $100 a night.

Places to visit in South Dakota:
-Mount Rushmore
-Crazy Horse Memorial
-Badlands National Park
-Custer State Park
-Minutemen Missile National Historic Site

IMAGE: Nagel Photography

Before you get started, 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 South Dakota.

IMAGE:

28. International Adoption: Photolisting

There are millions of beautiful children across the world who are hoping to find a forever family.

Meet some of them through our Photolisting.