What you need to know about...
Adopting in Oregon
Adoption in Oregon
Oregon may be home to Sasquatch, no one really know. What we do know is single, married or domestic partners may adopt in Oregon. However, at least one Adoptive Parent must live in Oregon for 6 months prior to adopting. Adoptive Families may provide financial assistance for medical and legal assistance and counseling for the Birth Mom. Reasonable living expenses may also be covered (stipulations apply, so take care in getting the specifics below). Fact: Oregonians are serious about their big foot beliefs. There's at least one sasquatch trap located in the remote mountains of Oregon.
Home Study Providers in Oregon
PairTree Home Study
The Modern Way to Home Study
Adoption Attorneys in Oregon
10 Adoption Agencies in OR
7 
AAAA Attorneys in OR
Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys
Traveling For Your Adoption in Oregon
Length of ICPC
in Oregon
1-30 days
Email: oregon.icpc@dhsoha.state.or.us
Oregon 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 Oregon
Advertising Law Info
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Can adoptive parents advertise for birth parents?
Yes, but only after adoptive parents complete a pre-placement homestudy.
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State Advertising Code of Law
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 109.311(4)
It is unlawful for any person to advertise a child offered or wanted for adoption or to advertise that the person is able to place, locate, dispose of, or receive a child for adoption. The provisions of this section do not apply to:
1) The State Office for Services to Children and Families or a licensed Oregon adoption agency or an agent, employee, or person with whom the Office or adoption agency has a contract authorizing such actions
2) A person who has completed a home study and has received a favorable recommendation regarding the fitness of the person to be an adoptive parent or the personâs attorney or uncompensated agent
Adoption Law Info
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Who Can Adopt?
Any person may adopt if at least one of the adopting parents or a consenting birth parent has lived in Oregon for 6 months before filing for adoption.
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Can out-of-state residents finalize an adoption?
Yes, if birth mother is resident.
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Can adopting parents use an adoption facilitator or another paid intermediary?
Yes, but only Oregon licensed adoption agencies may be used, and payment for services is illegal.
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What birth parent expenses may be paid, and in what time period?
Medical, legal (with time records upon court request), counseling (typically $1,000, up to $4,000 if payments made through attorney). Reasonable living expenses (rent, utilities, phone) during pregnancy due to job loss or need. About $100/week in food and misc.; public transportation or gas for medical appointments. $200-$500 in maternity clothes. Direct payments required whenever possible. Birth parent counseling for up to one year postpartum. Living expenses usually approved for up to 4 mos. Financial disclosure affidavit to court required.
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When does consent become irrevocable? If consent is revoked, is return to birth parent automatic?
Agency adoption: after child is placed; independent adoption: after state requirements are met, usually within a few days of placement.
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Qualifications for Adoptive Parents for adoption
Citation: Admin. Rules §§ 413-120-0220; 413-120-0246
The adoptive applicant must be at least age 21 unless one of the following applies:
• The child welfare program manager or a designee has approved a relative adoptive applicant between age 18 through 20
• The child is an Indian child and the adoptive applicant is a member of the childâs extended family, another member of the Indian childâs Tribe, or another Indian family
To be approved to adopt a child in the legal custody of the department, an individual must complete all of the following:
• Have an adoption home study recommending the applicant as a potential adoptive resource
• Meet the departmentâs standards for adoptive homes by demonstrating the knowledge, skills, and ability to meet, without agency oversight, the current and lifelong needs of the child for all of the following:
o Physical and emotional safety and well-being
o Developing and maintaining connections to the childâs family
o Continuity and familiarity
o Appropriate social, educational, developmental, emotional, and physical support
o Integration into the family
o Stability and permanency
o Maintaining his or her identity, cultural, religious, and spiritual heritage
• Provide evidence of successful completion of a training program approved by the department unless the adoption program manager has approved an alternate training program
Home Study Info
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Elements of a Home Study for Adoption
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 109.304; Admin. Rules §§ 413-120-0220; 413-120-0460
A home study reports the results of an investigation that:
• Provides information to a prospective adoptive parent about adoption
• Includes investigation and study concerning a prospective parentâs suitability to adopt
• Includes a written report concerning the prospective parentâs suitability to adopt
• Is completed before the petition for adoption is filed
In regulation: An adoption application must include:
• Financial information, current within 12 months of application, demonstrating the ability of the applicant to meet the needs of the family and the adopted child
• Medical information current within 24 months of application
• When applicable, mental health information
• When applicable, a copy of a marriage certificate, divorce verification, or death certificate of spouse
• Consent to a criminal offender information records check for each applicant and all household members age 18 and older
• Consent to a child abuse and neglect background check for each adoptive applicant and all household members age 18 and older
• Names and contact information for four references, two of whom may be relatives of the applicant, who can attest to the character and ability of the applicant to provide safe and protective care for a child
An adoption applicant and other persons in the household must consent to a criminal offender information records check once a year after the initial criminal records check is completed. Each applicant must be notified of this requirement at the time the applicant applies for an adoption approval. -
Grounds for Withholding Approval for Adoption
Citation: Admin. Rules §§ 413-120-0225; 413-120-0450
The department may deny an application at any time when one or more of the following applies:
• Information regarding the applicant is sufficient to determine the applicant cannot meet adoption home standards.
• An applicantâs license or certificate to provide services to children, the elderly, or individuals with disabilities has previously been or is currently being denied, revoked, or suspended.
• The applicant falsifies or omits information.
• The applicant does not respond to the inquiries and requests for information within the timelines established by the department.
• The applicant does not submit the required application information.
A conviction for any crime or a false statement about a conviction for any crime may disqualify a subject individual from being approved as an adoptive parent.
The department may not approve an adoption application, and no exception may be granted, if a subject individual has been convicted in Oregon or any other jurisdiction of a felony crime that involves:
• Violence, including rape, sexual assault, and homicide, but not including other physical assault or battery
• Intentional starvation or torture
• Abuse or neglect of a child
• Spousal abuse
• Aiding, abetting, attempting, soliciting, or conspiring to cause the death of a child
• Sodomy or sexual abuse
• A child as the victim, including child pornography
The department may not approve an adoption application, and no exception may be granted, if a subject individual has been convicted in Oregon or any other jurisdiction of a felony crime within the preceding 5 years that involves physical assault or battery or a drug-related offense. -
When Home Studies Must Be Completed for Adoption
Citation: Admin. Rules § 413-120-0246
The adoption home study recommending the applicant as a potential adoptive resource must have been written, amended, or updated within the 12 months prior to the adoption placement selection. -
Postplacement Study Requirements for Adoption
Citation: Rev. Stat. § 109.304; Admin. Rules § 413-120-0860
A placement report is a written report after the petition for adoption has been filed that includes the departmentâs or the agencyâs recommendation to the court concerning whether the court should grant the petition for adoption based upon the departmentâs or the agencyâs evaluation of:
• The status and adjustment of the child
• The status and adjustment of the childâs prospective adoptive parent
In regulation: Postplacement supervision must include the following:
• Face-to-face contact with the child
• Assessment of the childâs safety and well-being
• Providing services and support to assist the adoptive parent in meeting the requirements described in regulation
• Providing support to the adoptive parent in the process of the completion and submission of the adoption assistance application, when applicable
• Documentation from the supervising worker that includes the supervision reports and a recommendation regarding finalization of the adoption
When it becomes known to the department that there are significant changes to the adoptive parentâs situation, including changes in the family structure, the department may require an updated adoption home study prior to making a determination to proceed with finalization of the adoption.