Adoption has changed substantially from the mid-20th century, when adoption most often involved a young couple unable to conceive who adopted an infant from an unwed birth mother. Today, all members of the adoption triad--adoptive parents, birth parents and adoptee--have changed. The process is usually much more open. Adoption can be considered a choice rather than a necessity. And the children available for adoption include babies, children and adolescents who may be adopted domestically and internationally.
Age Requirements
Adoption requirements are determined by each state and are subject to change, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Currently, most states require adoptive parents to be at least 18, while in some states the required age is 21 (Colorado, Delaware and Oklahoma) or 25 (Georgia and Idaho). Additionally, some states require the adoptive parents to be a certain number of years older than the child being adopted, generally 10 to 15 years.
Residency Requirements
States have different residency requirements to be eligible for adoption. In most states, individuals pursuing adoption must have been a resident from 60 days up to 1 year. In Indiana and South Carolina, however, nonresidents may adopt children with special needs. And in New Mexico, Rhode Island, Mississippi and Illinois, nonresidents are allowed to adopt when applying through an adoption agency. Like age requirements, residency requirements are subject to change.
Marriage Status Requirements
Individuals applying for adoption may be married or single. Depending on the state, married individuals may be allowed to adopt singly if their spouses are legally incompetent or they are legally separated from their spouses.
Special Requirements
Although state requirements for adoption are generally rather broad, individual agencies may impose additional requirements depending on their philosophies or the types of children they serve. With regard to international adoptions, each country determines its own adoption eligibility requirements. As with those of domestic adoptions, these requirements are subject to frequent change. Requirements may involve age, marriage status, education, family size and family income. To adopt from Peru, for example, couples must be married two or more years, and parents should be 25 to 50 years old. According to Rainbow Children, South Korea's adoption requirements include married couples only, ages 25 to 44, at least three years of marriage, no more than one divorce per parent, four or fewer children already in the family, a high-school education and being no more than 30 percent overweight.
