When you’re thinking about adoption, one of your first steps is to look for the perfect adoptive family for your baby. But is it possible if the adoptive couple lives outside of your state? Right now, you may be wondering:
- Can I place my baby for adoption in a different state?
- Part of giving my baby a bright future is for him to grow up someplace out of state — is that even possible?
- Can people from another state adopt my baby?
Thankfully, the answers to all these questions are “yes!” Lifetime works nationwide, so you’re not limited to choosing adoptive parents in your state. Some birth mothers hope to place their child in another state to provide distance in their open adoption, while others find an adoptive family who meets all of their preferences and happens to live out of state.
One of the best parts about using Lifetime for your adoption is that we work with hopeful adoptive parents across US. So what does that mean for you? You’re sure to find the perfect parents for your child — no matter where they live.
How the Out-of-State Adoption Process Works
You may be wondering just how these interstate adoptions work. Does the adoption process differ if you choose a couple outside your state? Learn more about the process of how you can put a child up for adoption in a different state here.
No matter where you and the adoptive parents live, you can still create your own adoption plan, define your preferences, review profiles, and pick the right couple for your child. Lifetime Adoption handles interstate adoptions daily, making us the best agency to help you place your baby with adoptive parents, no matter where you live. Here are the steps involved in an out-of-state adoption:
1. Find the Right Adoptive Parents
As you create your adoption plan, your Adoption Coordinator will help you figure out what you’re looking for in adoptive parents for your baby. You might even want to tell her, “I want to give my baby up for adoption somewhere out of state.” If so, she will email you links to only the families meeting this requirement. You can even select which state you want your baby to grow up in.
Of course, you can always browse adoption profiles on Lifetime’s website too. To find a family living in a particular state, visit our Search Adoptive Families page and make your selection using the drop-down menu that says “State.” If you find an adoptive couple you’d like to learn more about and potentially talk with, let your Adoption Coordinator know. She can arrange that first conversation with the adoptive family and even help you decide what to ask them.
You can determine whether a couple from another state should adopt your baby — or you can choose a local family instead. The choice is always up to you! Regardless of what you’re looking for in your baby’s parents, Lifetime will help you find the perfect fit for your out-of-state adoption.
2. Get to Know the Adoptive Family
Once you have chosen the best adoptive parents for your baby, you’ll have the opportunity to get to know them better. Regardless of how many miles you live apart, you can still grow close with the adoptive couple through phone calls, emails, and more.
Your Adoption Coordinator will always mediate your first conversation with the adoptive parents to ensure you are comfortable with the match. From there, you can begin a relationship with the adoptive parents if you are comfortable.
If you want to meet in person, Lifetime Adoption can even arrange a visit with them. This visit is an excellent opportunity to get to know them better and can even help reassure you that they will provide your baby with an amazing life. Most adoptive parents are delighted at the chance to get to know you before you give birth. In addition, meeting in person can help relieve some of the unknowns that come from choosing a family in a different state.
3. Meet the Adoptive Parents at the Hospital
Once you go into labor, the adoptive couple you have chosen will travel to you. They will be at the hospital where you give birth as soon as possible, and you can decide their role in your baby’s birth.
Every adoptive family working with Lifetime is ready and excited to travel at a moment’s notice because they know their baby could be born anywhere, at any time. They are willing and ready to travel, regardless of how far away they may live from you.
There’s no feeling quite like placing your baby in the arms of an adoptive couple who have been praying to become parents for years. Know that you’ve just given them the blessing of an incredible future. The adoptive family will forever speak of you with love to your child.
4. Spend Time With Your Baby’s Parents
Before they can return home with the baby, the adoptive family must go through the Interstate Compact Placement of Children (ICPC). This contract allows officials in your state and the family’s state to make sure your baby is going to a safe home. When you choose Lifetime to handle your adoption, you can be sure our adoption professionals are looking out for your baby’s safety during every step of this legal process.
As the adoptive family waits for ICPC to clear, you may want to spend more time getting to know them before they return home. Some birth mothers also like to spend a bit of time with their baby before saying goodbye. Of course, you’ll also be recovering from giving birth, but if you’d like to visit, this would be a great chance to strengthen your relationship.
5. Maintain Post-Adoption Contact
If you have an open adoption, you can stay in contact with your child and the parents for many years. Future in-person visits are a possibility, as are emails, video chats, Skype calls, and updates on social media sites.
No matter the distance between you and the adoptive parents, you have the right to an open adoption that looks how you want. Lifetime Adoption can provide the guidance and services you need to safely place your baby with hopeful parents in any state, whether you already know adoptive parents in another state or need help searching the country for them.
If you’re ready to start searching for the perfect family for your baby’s out-of-state adoption today, call or text us at
1-800-923-6784 to get more information.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on June 1, 2018, and has since been updated.
As Vice President of Lifetime Adoption, Heather Featherston holds an MBA and is passionate about working with those facing adoption, pregnancy, and parenting issues. Heather has conducted training for birth parent advocates, spoken to professional groups, and has appeared on television and radio to discuss the multiple aspects of adoption. She has provided one-on-one support to women and hopeful adoptive parents working through adoption decisions.
Since 2002, she has been helping pregnant women and others in crisis to learn more about adoption. Heather also trains and speaks nationwide to pregnancy clinics to effectively meet the needs of women who want to explore adoption for their child. Today, she continues to address the concerns women have about adoption and supports the needs of women who choose adoption for their child.
As a published author of the book Called to Adoption, Featherston loves to see God’s hand at work every day as she helps children and families come together through adoption.
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