ADOPTION IN
Louisiana
Adoption in Louisiana is an option for those considering placing a baby for adoption or adopting a child into their own family. One of your first steps in pursuing adoption in Louisiana will be partnering with an adoption agency that has your best interest at heart.
Adoption Near Me
Looking for more resources in your area? Check out the Adoption Directory for a listing of adoption professionals in your state.
Considering Placing Your Baby or Child for Adoption in Louisiana? You can learn more here or call an adoption counselor 1-800-236-7898.
Domestic Infant Adoptions can be completed through Louisiana adoption agencies and attorneys. They can help one adopt domestically. Click here to connect with an adoption professional.
International Adoptions must be completed through an accredited adoption agency internationally. You can learn more about international adoption here.
Foster Care Adoptions in Louisiana can be completed through the Department of Children and Family Services (800-259-3428).
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Adoption in Louisiana
By: Heather Mitchell
Louisiana is located above the Gulf of Mexico in the United States of America. The state was named after King Louis XIV of France. It’s known for its humid weather along its southern coastline. It’s also known for New Orleans and its many Mardi Gras celebrations. Louisiana has beautiful yellow wildflowers, crawfish, and jazz music. Beyond that, one heart grasping fact about the state of Louisiana is that thousands of children are without a stable and loving home. According to the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, there are about 4,000 children currently in foster care.
Read about Kaitlyn and Kylon, siblings from Louisiana who are waiting to be adopted. These siblings need an adoptive family to love and take care of them. They desire to be adopted together so that they can grow up together and not have to leave one another once they find their loving family.
“Kaitlyn is a 6-year-old female, who is very friendly. She likes to smile, laugh, and have a good time. She also enjoys dancing and playing with her stuffed animals. She is very talkative and verbalizes her feelings very well. She is very excited about being adopted and would love to be adopted with her big brother, Kylon. The siblings share a special bond and desire to remain together. They both are looking for a family who will provide love, patience, care, and protection. Kylon is a happy and handsome 8-year-old male. He is very hands-on and enjoys playing, the outdoors, riding his bike, and basketball. He is such a litter entertainer, and he loves to express himself through song and dance. Kylon on target with education and always express a desire to learn more. He is a very active child with a lot of energy to burn and requires extra supervision. When most kids are snacking on junk food, he desires apples, bananas, grapes, and other fruit. Kylon desires a home that can provide him with supervision, support, guidance, and unconditional love.”
Jeremiah from Louisiana is also in need of a forever family. He deals with many different struggles that set him apart from the average child, and he needs a family that can help take care of him who meets his needs to thrive. This loving little boy is hoping to find that family who can tend to his needs and provide him the love that he deserves.
“Three-year-old Jeremiah will surely melt the hearts of his forever family with his smile and upbeat spirit. Jeremiah enjoys playing with his toys on the floor and having fun. Jeremiah does not use words to communicate, but he does make sounds, and he uses hand gestures to communicate his wants. Jeremiah is making progress developmentally and physically. His verbal and motor skills have improved as he grows and strives to perfect daily tasks. He enjoys hugs, attention, and lots of affection. He thrives on positive interaction with his caretaker. Jeremiah’s adoptive family will provide lifelong support and meet his ongoing medical, therapeutic, educational, and emotional needs.”
Rebekah and Rachel are another sibling duo in Louisiana that are looking for a nurturing family. They share a loving bond and wish to be adopted together.
“Rachel is an affectionate fun-loving 16-year-old who loves her younger sister very much. She enjoys reading and writing her personal thoughts and feelings in her journal. Rachel has a great sense of humor and adapts well to new environments. Rebekah is also an affectionate 14-year-old that enjoys watching cartoons. She requires extra attention and guidance; however, she responds well to her older sister, Rachel. Rebekah has expressed that she loves playing outside and interacting with family and friends.
Both girls have a desire to be adopted together and would love to have a forever family. They are looking for a family who is willing to assist both girls in reaching their future goals and dreams.”
For more photo listings of children waiting for adoption in Louisiana, you can find many more profiles on Adoption.com’s photolisting page. This photo listing page gives you a glimpse of the many faces of children in Louisiana who are needing parents who can provide a family environment to grow up in. These faces can melt anyone’s heart, especially knowing that the greatest hope for these children is to someday be part of a family. These faces are also a great example of why adoption through foster care in Louisiana is so important. Many prospective adoptive parents would rather proceed with infant adoption, but adoption in Louisiana through foster care is also an amazing avenue to pursue if it’s right for your family. For more information regarding adopting through foster care, visit this article titled, “Foster Care Adoption” written by Rebekah Yahoves. In this article, Yahoves provides loads of helpful information regarding the facts and benefits of adopting through foster care. She also provides a motivational point of this type of love. She writes, “If you feel called to raise a child who is desperate for a warm, loving family, foster care adoption may be a wonderful option for you. As always, lots of careful consideration and a supportive community are important as you make this life-changing decision. You can be the caring adult that changes the direction of the life of a child.”
Adoption is a way to grow your family especially and uniquely. Providing unconditional love and support for a child in need is such a rewarding experience for everyone involved. You are choosing to change a child’s life in one of the best ways possible. In turn, you are allowing your life and your family’s life to change and grow in the process. You are choosing to love a child as your own, no matter how hard it may become. You are choosing to dedicate yourself and your family to a lifelong decision that will be amazing and also hard at times. It will be worth it. We are going to explore more specifics on adoption in Louisiana! Let me share with you some helpful information that may guide you through the specific laws and requirements.
Adoption Laws in Louisiana according to Children’s Code Art. 1167-1270
Currently, every state sets up its own adoption laws. Therefore, these laws differ from state to state. For example, some states have age restrictions and require a prospective adoptive parent to be older than the adoptee by a specific number of years. This is not the case in Louisiana. Additionally, Louisiana is only one of six states that requires a person to be at least 18 years old to become an adoptive parent. The laws also vary by state regarding the time period a birth parent has to reclaim a child. More adoption laws specific to the state of Louisiana are listed below:
– Who May Be Adopted? For any child or adult; special procedures exist to adopt a child.
– Age That a Child’s Consent Is Needed? Not Required.
– Who May Adopt? Any single person 18 years of age or older or a married couple jointly.
– Home Residency Required Before Finalization of Adoption? One year and six months home residency.
– State Agency/Court? Department of Social Services and Juvenile Court.
– State of Limitations to Challenge? Thirty days; six months for fraud or duress.
Hugh Jackman, a famous actor and producer once said, “I think adoption is a blessing all around when it’s done right.” This statement is very bold, and I do believe that adoption is an absolute blessing. I also can understand the importance of doing it the right way. If you are looking into any of the different ways of adoption in Louisiana, take time to appropriately educate yourself about adoption. Join the adoption community and make friends with other adoptive parents. Read all the information available about adoption in Louisiana. Reach out to the many resources available to you as a prospective adoptive parent or aspiring foster parent. All of these tools will help you along the way.
Lastly, if you are an adoptee or birth family member trying to reunite with other birth family members, there are many resources available for this to be successful. Nowadays, social media has made it easier for birth families to find one another and reach out to each other. Specifically, regarding adoption in Louisiana, visit Adoption.com’s Louisiana Search and Reunion Resources. Here, you will find information to help you reunite with birth family members. This resource also provides additional information that may help you with your search for a reunion including the following listed below. I hope that many of these resources help bring loved ones together.
– Contact information for adoption-related information and records specific to adoption in Louisiana.
– Information on using the State of Louisiana Adoption Registry.
– Contact information for the Louisiana Adoption Registry.
– Additional resources and information regarding Search and Reunion.
Louisiana Adoption Guide
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.
Can I Adopt in Louisiana?
Parents can be single, married, or divorced. Applicants must be at least 21 years old. While you certainly don’t need to be rich to adopt, parents need a steady income to provide for a family. Good physical and emotional health is required for adoptive parents. Applicants must also pass a criminal background check. Parents must complete 21 hours of pre-service training. The home needs to have enough room for a child. Children can share a bedroom, but they cannot share a bedroom with a child 18 or older. The total number of children in the home in a foster adoption cannot exceed 5.
What Adoption Regulations Exist in Louisiana?
Advertising: Only licensed adoption agencies and Louisiana-based crisis pregnancy centers are permitted to advertise that they will adopt or assist in the adoption of children. The payment of anything of value for a voluntary surrender of a child for adoption is prohibited. § 46:1425(A)-(C)
Relinquishment: For agency adoptions, birth mothers must wait until 3 days after the birth of their child to give consent. For private adoptions, mothers must wait 5 days after birth to give consent. The father may consent at any time before or after birth, but any surrender executed before the 5th day after birth is revocable in court until after the 5th day of the child’s birth. Alleged or adjudicated fathers may revoke before or after birth, but once consent is given it is irrevocable regardless of when it was given. Except what has been previously written, consent is irrevocable upon execution and acceptance by the court. Consent can only be revoked if proved in court that consent came under fraud or duress. (Children’s Code 1122(b)(1); 1123; 1130; 1147; 1195)
Birth parent expenses: Adoptive parents may reimburse birth parents for the following expenses: reasonable medical expenses (hospital, testing, nursing, travel, prenatal care), medical expenses prior to decree of adoption, counseling services for reasonable time before and after child’s placement, Statement of Family History expenses, living expenses not beyond 45 days after birth, attorney fees, and any other fees the court finds reasonable. (Children’s Code 1200)
Post-adoption contact agreements: Contact agreements must be signed by both adoptive and birth parents and in writing to be legally enforceable. In agency adoptions where the agency is the custodian for the child, contact agreements may be established with the child’s family under the following two conditions: the child has established a significant relationship with the person, and the loss of this relationship would cause harm to the child; the preservation of the relationship is in the child’s best interest. The court decides if the agreement is in the best interests of the child. Agreements are only legally enforceable if filed in court. (Children’s Code 1269.1-1269.8)
Birth father rights: The Department of Health and Hospitals oversees the putative father registry that records the name and address of the following individuals: adjudicated fathers in LA and other states, any person who has filed an acknowledgement of paternity, any person who files a judgement of filiation. Those who are on file with the putative father registry receive notice of adoption proceedings. RS § 9:400
Finalization: Out of 621 adoptions completed in 2014, the average time between TPR and adoption finalization was 9.8 months. (acf.hhs.gov)
Is Adoption Assistance Available in Louisiana?
Many of the children waiting to be adopted in Louisiana have special needs. Federal (Title IV-E) and state (non-IV-E) programs exist to help adoptive parents meet their child’s needs. In Louisiana, the max daily amount ranges from $12.46-13.36. A special monthly amount for children with advanced medical needs is $258.
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 provides the child with citizenship upon arrival in the States.
Louisiana requires adoptive parents to either petition the court for validation of a foreign adoption decree or register the completed foreign adoption decree. Once the foreign adoption is validated or registered with the court’s, parents can request a state birth certificate for the adopted child. Parents have the option to readopt the child in Louisiana.
State Contacts
Gallery of children waiting to be adopted: https://adoption.com/photolisting?page=1&search_type=state&range=21
State subsidy contact:
Angela Mitchell
Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services
627 N 4th St
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
225-342-6509 • fax 225-342-0963
Summary
Adoptions in Louisiana can be completed through the Department of Children and Family Services.
Parents can be single, married, or divorced. Applicants must be at least 21. Parents need a steady income to provide for a family. Good physical and emotional health is required.
Only licensed adoption agencies and Louisiana-based crisis pregnancy centers are permitted to advertise that they will adopt or assist in the adoption of children. The payment of anything of value for a voluntary surrender of a child for adoption is prohibited.
For agency adoptions, birth mothers must wait until 3 days after the birth of their child to give consent. For private adoptions, mothers must wait until 5 days after birth to give consent. The father may consent at any time before or after birth. Consent is irrevocable upon execution.
Contact agreements are legally enforceable. A putative father registry exists in LA.
