Wyoming Adoption Guide

Wyoming has the lowest population of all 50 states in the United States.

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Kids in foster care available for adoption in 2012: 185    
Foster adoptions completed in 2012: 78      
International adoptions completed in 2012: 18

Foster Statistics
International Statistics  

Adoption requirements in the state of Wyoming are as follows:

Age:  21+    
Marital Status: Can be single, married, or divorced      
Finances: Need to be able to financially support a growing family     
Housing: Must have safe, secure, stable housing
Work: Can work in or out of the home
DISQUALIFYING CRIMES: You will need to successfully pass a background check as part of the home study process before you will be allowed to adopt.

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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 Wyoming

In Wyoming, you can adopt through an agency, the state, or privately through an attorney.   

Some people pursuing a private adoption find it beneficial to work with a professional adoption facilitator, an individual or organization that matches birth parents with adoptive parents in exchange for a fee. Adoption facilitators are not addressed in the Wyoming state statutes.

You can browse and read reviews about adoption service providers in Wyoming here.

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

Regardless of whether you complete your adoption, you will need to complete an adoption home study.

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

Click here to learn more about the Home Study process.

Advertising for birth parents is allowed in Wyoming.  

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.

If advertising is allowed in your state, 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? Click here

Parental rights can be relinquished any time after the birth of the child. Once signed in court, consent to adoption and relinquishment of parental rights for adoption is irrevocable unless obtained by fraud or duress.

SOURCE: WY Stat § 1-22-109

A birth father, whether or not he is married to the birth mother, must consent to the adoption of his child. The right of the birth father to consent to adoption can be revoked if: the birth mother signs a sworn affidavit stating that the birth father is unknown and he has not registered with the putative father registry; he is provided notice of the adoption and fails to answer or appear at the hearing; he willfully abandons the child or fails to contribute to the child’s financial support; or if he fails to notify an agency of his intent to parent within 30 days of receiving a notice from the agency. Putative fathers may revoke their claim to paternity at any time.

SOURCE: WY Stat § 1-22-117

Hopeful adoptive parents and/or an adoption agency may provide legal and living expenses for an expectant mother. There are, however, requirements governing such support.

Adoptive parents could be asked to help with medical expenses if the expectant mother does not qualify for Medicaid or other public medical assistance.

Wyoming state statues currently do not address birth parent expenses, which means the amount and the reason for the payment will be up to the discretion of a judge.

Post-adoption contact agreements are not addressed in the state statutes.

Finalization can occur after post-placement supervision is complete, but no sooner than 6 months after placement.

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With private (usually domestic infant) adoptions, it is always possible to adopt a child within Wyoming, even if you live in a different state.

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 here.

Before you get started, click here to 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 Wyoming.   

There are hundreds of children in foster care. Many of these children are available for adoption. The average age of children in foster care is 11.

You can complete a foster adoption either through a private agency that is licensed to provide foster care services or directly through The Wyoming Department of Family Services        
To find adoption agencies in Wyoming and to read reviews, check out Adoption.com’s Reviews page for Wyoming here.

You will still need to complete a home study as part of this process

Foster care is meant to be a temporary solution until children can be reunited with their families. These children are known as "legal risk" placements and are not legally free to adopt. However, if reunification with the family is not possible, parental rights can be relinquished and the child will become legally free for adoption.

You can petition to finalize your adoption 6 months after placement.  

Post-adoption contact agreements are not addressed in the state statutes.

A post-adoption contact agreement is a voluntary agreement that can be entered into by adoptive and birth families. The agreement outlines details about how much contact the birth and adoptive families will have after the adoption is finalized.

In instances in which the child’s biological parents’ rights have been involuntarily terminated, the well-being of the child needs to be first and foremost in everyone’s minds if a post-adoption contact agreement is created. Caseworkers and therapists should be consulted in making decisions about contact after adoption.

Adoption assistance is available for families who adopt children with qualifying special needs. These needs are not limited to mental or physical difficulties but can be factors of age or race. This assistance is meant to help offset the difficulties of raising a child with special needs.

For more information, please visit NACAC.org.

If you are adopting one of Wyoming's waiting children, you must be a Wyoming resident.

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 here.

Before you get started, click here to 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 Wyoming.

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

Click here to meet some of them through our Photolisting.

With international adoptions, your only choice is to complete your adoption through an agency. Because of the Universal Accreditation Act, all adoption agencies completing international adoptions are required to be credentialed according to federal standards. Make sure to check with any agency before working with them to ensure they have this accreditation in place!

In selecting an international adoption agency, there are Four Essential Criteria you should probably consider. Click here to browse through reviews of adoption agencies in Wyoming.

Adoptions finalized abroad will be recognized in Wyoming if you went through a agency licensed for international adoption.

You will also need to request a U.S. birth certificate for your child.

Read more about post-adoption requirements < a href="https://adoption.com/wiki/Wyoming#Laws_Related_to_Intercountry_Adoption" target="_blank">here. 

Before you get started, click here to familiarize yourself with the overall process of stepparent adoption. Then, because laws and processes vary from state to state, come back here to get the details about stepparent adoption in Wyoming.

In order for you to adopt the child of your spouse, the corresponding biological parent’s rights will first need to be terminated, either voluntarily or involuntarily.

You will need to consult with an adoption attorney about your desire to adopt. He/she can help you decide if it’s likely that the biological parent would be willing to relinquish rights OR if it would be feasible to pursue involuntary termination of his/her parental rights.

Once parental rights have been terminated, you can file a petition to adopt with the courts. You and your spouse will both testify in court regarding the stability of your marital relationship, the bond you’ve developed with your stepchild, and your desire to become the legal parent of your stepchild.

You will generally not be required to complete a background check or home study as part of the stepparent adoption process.

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