ADOPTION IN
Wyoming
Domestic Infant Adoptions can be completed through an adoption agency or adoption attorney. Click here for a directory of adoption service providers in Wyoming.
International Adoptions must be completed through an adoption agency or adoption attorney. Find an international adoption service provider here.
Foster Care Adoptions in Wyoming can be completed through the Department of Family Services (307 777-3570).
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the content of this website is frequently updated, information changes rapidly and therefore, some information may be out of date, and/or contain inaccuracies, omissions or typographical errors.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 Wyoming?
Applicants must complete a home study, pass background checks, and contact the appropriate adoption agency in order to adopt in Wyoming.
What Adoption Regulations Exist in Wyoming?
Advertising: No laws currently regulate the use of advertising for adoption purposes in Wyoming.
Relinquishment: Consent can be signed any time after the birth of the child. Consent is irrevocable upon execution unless obtained by fraud or duress. The only exception is if the court denies the adoption on account of an objection to the adoption by a putative father. The mother may also in this case revoke her consent. § 1-22-109(d)
Birth parent expenses: Wyoming currently has no laws to regulate birth parent expenses.
Post-adoption contact agreements: Contact agreements are not legally enforceable in Wyoming.
Birth father rights: Unmarried fathers may register their information with the Department of Family Services’ putative father registry in order to receive notice of adoption proceedings.
Finalization: The average time between TPR and adoption finalization in 2014 was 9.6 months.
Is Adoption Assistance Available in Wyoming?
Many of the children waiting to be adopted in Wyoming have special needs. Federal (Title IV-E) and state (non-IV-E) programs exist to help adoptive parents meet their child’s needs. In Wyoming, the maximum monthly amount is $400. 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.
State Contacts
Gallery of children waiting to be adopted: https://adoption.com/photolisting?page=1&search_type=region&range=UnitedStates
State subsidy contact person:
Maureen Clifton
Department of Family Services (DFS)
Hathaway Building, 3rd Floor
2300 Capitol Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82002
Phone: 307-777-3570
Fax: 307-777-3693
Email: maureen.clifton@wyo.gov
Summary
Adoptions in Wyoming can be completed through the Department of Family Services.
No laws currently regulate the use of advertising for adoption purposes. Consent can be signed any time after the birth of the child. Consent is irrevocable upon execution unless obtained by fraud or duress. The only exception is if the court denies the adoption on account of an objection to the adoption by a putative father. The mother may also in this case revoke her consent.
Wyoming currently has no laws to regulate birth parent expenses. Contact agreements are not legally enforceable. Unmarried fathers may register their information with the Department of Family Services’ putative father registry in order to receive notice of adoption proceedings.
The average time between TPR and adoption finalization in 2014 was 9.6 months.
