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Adopting in Nebraska
Adoption in Nebraska
Nebraska is a state that supports the Birth Mom during the adoption journey. The state allows any adult to adopt, and the Adoptive Family may cover expenses related to medical, legal and birth-related living expenses and lost wages for the Birth Mom. There is state-mandated 48 hour waiting period after the birth for final documents to be signed. Nebraska welcomes 600,000 sandhill cranes to the central Platte River on their yearly migration.
Home Study Providers in Nebraska
PairTree Home Study
The Modern Way to Home Study
Adoption Attorneys in Nebraska
6 Adoption Agencies in NE
1 
AAAA Attorneys in NE
Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys
Traveling For Your Adoption in Nebraska
Length of ICPC
in Nebraska
N/A days
Email: DHHS.ICPC@nebraska.gov
Nebraska participates in the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) – a statutory agreement between all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. The agreement governs the placement of children from one state into another state. It sets forth the requirements that must be met before a child can be placed out of state. The Compact ensures prospective placements are safe and suitable before approval, and it ensures that the individual or entity placing the child remains legally and financially responsible for the child following placement.
Adoption Law FAQ in Nebraska
Advertising Law Info
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Can adoptive parents advertise for birth parents?
Yes.
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State Advertising Code of Law
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 43-701
Except as otherwise provided in the Nebraska Indian Child Welfare Act, no person other than a parent shall advertise a child for placement unless such person shall be duly licensed by the Department of Health and Human Services under such rules and regulations as the department shall prescribe.
Adoption Law Info
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Who Can Adopt?
Any adult or a married couple jointly (unless the adopting parent is a stepparent) may adopt.
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Can out-of-state residents finalize an adoption?
Yes.
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Can adopting parents use an adoption facilitator or another paid intermediary?
Yes, adopting parents may use an adoption facilitator as long as the facilitator is licensed by the Dept. of Health and Human Services.
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What birth parent expenses may be paid, and in what time period?
Medical not covered by insurance or public assistance, legal, birth-related living expenses and losses, doctor-verified lost wages.
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When does consent become irrevocable? If consent is revoked, is return to birth parent automatic?
After signing.
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Qualifications for Adoptive Parents for adoption
Citation: Admin. Code Tit. 390, § 7-001.06
Applicants for providing adoptive care must meet at least the following requirements:
• The applicant must be at least age 19. Generally, at least one parent should be within the normal childbearing age for the child to be placed.
• An applicant must be in such physical and mental condition that it is reasonable to expect him or her to be able to fulfill parenting responsibilities. If there appears to be a health condition that might affect parenting ability, a medical report may be requested.
• The application of all persons will be considered regardless of race, gender, ethnic group, or religion.
• The applicant must be able to budget his or her financial resources in such a way that a child placed can be reasonably assured of minimum standards of nutrition, health, shelter, clothing, and other essentials.
• Applicants must be willing to consider accepting children in the departmentâs custody or likely to enter the departmentâs custody.
Home Study Info
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Elements of a Home Study for Adoption
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 43-107; Admin. Code Tit. 390, § 7-001.06
The preplacement or postplacement adoptive home study shall be performed as prescribed in rules and regulations of the department and shall include at a minimum an examination into the facts relating to the petitioner or petitioners as may be relevant to the propriety of such adoption. The rules and regulations shall require an adoptive home study to include a national criminal history records check and a check of the central register for any history of the petitioner or petitioners of behavior injurious to or that may endanger the health or morals of a child.
In regulation: The department will assess all persons who are interested in becoming adoptive parents. This process includes:
• Home visits
• Interviews with all the applicants, their children, and other persons living in the home
• A written home study, using the departmentâs format
• A self-study completed by the applicants
• References from three persons
• Background checks with the Adult Protective Services Central Registry and the Central Register of Child Protection Cases
• A criminal records check
• A medical summary for each family member -
Grounds for Withholding Approval for Adoption
Citation: Admin. Code Tit. 390, § 7-001.06
A negative medical report may be the basis for denial of an application at any point in the home study process.
The department will consider all the information and take into consideration the needs of the children in the departmentâs custody to determine whether a family should become an adoptive family. The home study will include the recommendation. -
When Home Studies Must Be Completed for Adoption
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 43-107
For adoption placements occurring on or after January 1, 1994, a preplacement adoptive home study shall be filed with the court prior to the hearing on the adoption petition. The study must have been completed within 1 year before the date on which the child being adopted is placed with the petitioner. -
Postplacement Study Requirements for Adoption
Citation: Admin. Code Tit. 390, § 6-002.08
Postplacement services are provided before the finalization of adoption. Those services include supervision through regular family contact, home visits with both parents, visits alone with the child, and contact with other persons living in the home. A minimum of 6 months of postplacement supervision is provided. For a special needs child 1 year is recommended.
The department also will provide family-centered support services to:
• Assist the family with the integration of the child into the family and the creation of a new family unit
• Provide assessment of progress and the need for other services
• Help the family plan for services the family will desire after finalization