For families who want to learn how to adopt a child in Oklahoma, the following guide will help you begin the process. Understanding more about the process of adoption in Oklahoma can help you decide if adopting a child is the right family-building method for you.

Call American Adoptions at 1-800-ADOPTION to ask any questions you may have about adoption in Oklahoma with our agency. Otherwise, the following guide will outline the OK adoption process so you can have a better understanding of what it takes to adopt a child in Oklahoma:

Step 1: Deciding Whether or Not an OK Adoption is Right for You

First, you’ll need to decide if adoption is the right way to grow your family. There are many different ways to add to your family, and while the child adoption in Oklahoma process is a great way to do that, it’s not the right option for everyone.

The newborn adoption process has both pros and cons that will affect every individual family differently, so this is something you’ll need to reflect on. It should be noted that couples considering adopting a child in Oklahoma must be united in their adoption goals before beginning the process, and you may need to process any grief from infertility or release dreams of having a biological child if you’ve struggled with either of these.

This is needed in order to fully embrace your new dream of completing the Oklahoma child adoption process.

Step 2: Choosing the Oklahoma Adoption Professional that’s Best for You

If you’ve decided that adoption is the right path for your family, then next you’ll need to decide which adoption professional you want to work with. To do that, you’ll first need to determine which type of Oklahoma adoption you want to pursue. There are different adoption requirements for each different type of child adoption in Oklahoma, including:

Domestic adoption

Families who wish to adopt an infant in Oklahoma will want to choose a domestic adoption agency like American Adoptions. National adoption agencies are able to offer the full range of services needed to adopt a child in Oklahoma and, unlike smaller local agencies, are able to work with prospective birth and adoptive parents in OK and throughout the U.S.

Foster care adoption

For adoptive families who are flexible about the age and needs of the child you adopt in OK, a foster care adoption may be the right option for you. Many of the 500 children in Oklahoma foster care who are eligible for adoption are older, part of a sibling group, or have additional needs.

Learn more about the requirements of foster care adoption in Oklahoma here and here, or begin the process of a foster care adoption in OK with one of these foster care professionals.

International adoption

If you’re flexible about not knowing much about a child’s background, an international adoption in OK may be a good option for you. The requirements, restrictions and costs of adopting a child internationally will vary depending on the country you adopt a child from as well as the agency you work with.

Learn more about international adoption in Oklahoma here, or begin the intercountry adoption process with one of these Oklahoma international adoption agencies.

Step 3: Planning Your Adoption in OK

After educating yourself about the different types of Oklahoma adoption professionals and establishing which agency you want to complete your adoption in OK, you can officially start the adoption process.

For adoptive families working with American Adoptions, this includes filling out your Adoption Planning Questionnaire (APQ), creating an adoption profile, completing the Oklahoma adoption home study and more.

By complete these steps, you’ll be working to be approved to adopt in Oklahoma on a state, federal and agency level. After approval, your adoption profile can be shown to expectant mothers who are searching for adoptive parents in Oklahoma and throughout the U.S.

Step 4: Entering into a OK Adoption Opportunity with Expectant Parents

Once your adoption profile begins being shown to expectant parents considering adoption, it can take several weeks or several months before you’ll enter into an adoption opportunity with expectant parents whose adoption goals align with your own.

Your adoption wait time will vary due to several factors, including how open you are to a range of adoption opportunities on your APQ and the individual preferences of each expectant mother.

However, for 75 percent of families who adopt a child through American Adoptions, the adoption wait time is 1 to 12 months after their adoption profile becomes active on our website.

Step 5: Finalizing Your Adoption in Oklahoma

The final step of adoption in OK is adoption finalization.

Prior to adoption finalization, the biological parents of a child must issue their consent to the adoption in writing before a judge of a district court, and in Oklahoma, that consent is rarely revocable. American Adoptions provides legal representation for both birth and adoptive parents to ensure that both parties fully understand the legal processes of adoption in OK before proceeding.

Many families working with national adoption agencies like American Adoptions will adopt a child from outside of Oklahoma, so Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) clearances will need to be obtained before you can return to Oklahoma with your baby after placement. Any time children are adopted across state lines, ICPC is necessary to ensure that children are going to safe homes, so this is also required for adoptive families who reside outside of OK and adopt a child who is born in Oklahoma. But, if you reside in and adopt a child in Oklahoma, ICPC is not needed for your adoption.

Once you’ve returned to Oklahoma with your baby after placement, you’ll need to complete the post-placement home study requirements under the guidance of your home study professional. Several months after completing your post-placement study, your adoption finalization hearing will be scheduled in your local district court, which maintain jurisdiction over adoptions in OK.

Your adoption finalization hearing is where you will receive your legal parental rights and the final decree of adoption, which legally completes the Oklahoma adoption process.

Step 6: Life After Adoption Finalization in Oklahoma

Adoptions in Oklahoma officially end with finalization, but they’re a lifelong journey for everyone involved.

American Adoptions encourages open adoptions whenever situations allow, as studies have shown increased openness in adoptions to be beneficial for birth and adoptive parents, but especially for adoptees.

Open adoptions in Oklahoma allow birth and adoptive families to stay in touch throughout the adoptee’s life. They’re able to share the kind of post-adoption relationship that everyone is happiest with. Open adoption contact is based on a prospective birth mother's desires; some birth parents prefer to have direct contact (phone calls, emails and in-person visits), while others prefer indirect contact through semi-open adoption. American Adoptions will educate and support all parties about their open adoption obligations, whatever they may look like.

Call 1-800-ADOPTION to request free Oklahoma adoption information online, or learn more about how to adopt a baby in Oklahoma with our agency today.

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