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HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ADOPT A NEWBORN IN OKLAHOMA?

Posted by Wyatt Worden | Sep 27, 2017 | 1 Comment

Oklahoma law states that any married couple or single couple may be eligible to adopt a newborn. You can file for a petition for adoption in your local county or the county in which the infant resides. Overall, in the United States, there are two types of adoptions, domestic and foster. Depending on which route you plan on going, the time it takes to adopt a newborn is affected.

With the basic understandings in mind, the adoption process is extensive, long and thorough. All eligible individuals are required to attend twenty-seven hours of pre-service training, a home study, and fingerprint background checks. When you are identified as a Bridge Resource Parent, meaning you have a relationship with the child, then the adoption can take less than 6 months once the termination of parental rights has occurred and all legal matters have been resolved.

Let's talk detail. For the domestic newborn adoption process it takes about one year, depending on:

  1. The home study takes around 2-3 months and is waived in Oklahoma by a judge if the married couple has lived together in their home for over a year.
  2. Finding a match: after you are cleared for adoption you will be matched with a birth mother, and this is varied depending on how far along the mother is when she decides to put the baby up for adoption; one month to nine months.
  3. Placement and post-placement: after the matching process, there will be a time the newborn is in your home also depending on how far the mother is, anywhere from a few days to nine months.
  4. Finalization: a case or social worker will ensure that you and the baby are doing well together, this happens within six months.

Hence, total process here is between six months to one year.

The foster care adoption process is slightly different, the factors included are:

  1. Training: every prospective parent must complete an agency specific training course.
  2. The home study: same as domestic adoption.
  3. Placement: anywhere from a day to several years.
  4. Adoption opportunity: this is highly variable upon the newborn's family and parental liabilities. At times birth parents completely waive their rights, and other times they do not.

All in all, this process is highly variable and can take anywhere from three months to many years.

Another issue many adopting parents face are the birth parents changing their minds or going back on their decisions. With a proper court procedure, some emotional stress can be waived or diminished with appropriate guidance by a judge. Birth parents have a right to change their mind up until the court legally makes you the guardian, so know your rights, too.

If you are looking to adopt a newborn in Oklahoma City or Norman, Oklahoma, then contact an adoption attorney at Worden Law Firm today.

About the Author

Wyatt Worden

Wyatt has always held himself to a high standard of excellence, which carried over into law school where he graduated #1 in his class and earned 12 CALI Awards, an award given to the top scorer in each class. He now brings that standard of excellence to our firm and to our clients. Wyatt joined ...

Comments

Andrea Worden Reply

Posted Apr 15, 2021 at 07:54:31

Hello, every adoption is different. The process can be quick if the biological parents are relinquishing their rights.

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