ADOPTION IN
Washington
Domestic Infant Adoptions can be completed through an adoption agency or adoption attorney. Click here for a directory of adoption service providers in Washington.
International Adoptions must be completed through an adoption agency or adoption attorney. Find an international adoption service provider here.
Foster Care Adoptions in Washington can be completed through the Department of Social and Health 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the content of this website is frequently updated, information changes rapidly and therefore, some information may be out of date, and/or contain inaccuracies, omissions or typographical errors.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 Washington?
You must be at least 18 years old to adopt a child. Parents must complete preservice training called Core Training. You must complete a home study to be approved for adoption.
Photolisting See All
Waiting children, foster, US & International.
What Adoption Regulations Exist in Washington?
Advertising: Only licensed adoption agencies, authorized agents of the department, and parents with completed home studies may advertise for adoption. § 26.33.400(1)-(2)
Relinquishment: Birth parents may consent to an adoption before the child’s birth. In the case of indian children, parents must wait until 10 days after the child’s birth to give their consent. Consent is revocable at any time before the consent is approved in court. § 26.33.080; 26.33.160
Birth parent expenses: A person receiving a child for adoption is permitted to pay: birth related hospital fees, medical fees, and attorney fees. § 9A.64.030(2)(f)
Post-adoption contact agreements: Contact agreements are only legally enforceable in a written order approved by the courts. § 26.33.295
Birth father rights: The mother and unmarried father may sign an acknowledgement of paternity with the intent to establish the man’s paternity. § 26.26.300; 26.26.305
Finalization: The average time between TPR and adoption finalization in 2014 was 10.4 months.
Is Adoption Assistance Available in Washington?
Many of the children waiting to be adopted in Washington have special needs. Federal (Title IV-E) and state (non-IV-E) programs exist to help adoptive parents meet their child’s needs. In Washington, the maximum monthly amount is determined when the child is placed. Starting at $0, the monthly amount cannot exceed 80% of the amount the child would receive in a foster home. 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.
Parents wishing to receive a US state birth certificate for their child must submit documentation from readoption or validation of a foreign adoption.
State Contacts
Gallery of children waiting to be adopted: https://adoption.com/photolisting?page=1&search_type=region&range=UnitedStates
State subsidy contact:
Melanie Meyer, MSW
Adoption Support Program Supervisor
P.O. Box 45713/
Olympia, WA 98504
Phone: 360-902-7567
Fax: 360-902-7903
Email: Melanie.Meyer@dshs.wa.gov
Summary
Adoptions in Washington can be completed through the Department of Social and Health Services.
You must be at least 18 years old to adopt a child. Parents must complete preservice training called Core Training. You must complete a home study to be approved for adoption.
Only licensed adoption agencies, authorized agents of the department, and parents with completed home studies may advertise for adoption. Birth parents may consent to an adoption before the child’s birth. In the case of indian children, parents must wait until 10 days after the child’s birth to give their consent. Consent is revocable at any time before the consent is approved in court.
Contact agreements are only legally enforceable in a written order approved by the courts.
Unmarried fathers may sign an acknowledgment of paternity in or to receive notice of adoption proceedings.
The average time between to finalization in 2014 was 10.4 months.
