Adoption in Louisiana
Contemplating adoption can be overwhelming when there are so many options available. In Louisiana you may adopt and infant domestically, an infant or older child through an international adoption, or an older or special needs child through foster care.
Who May Adopt In Louisiana
You don`t have to be rich, have a high powered job, or be someone important to be able to adopt a child in Louisiana. If you are age 21 or over, have a safe home and the financial means to support a child, you may be eligible to adopt a child.
Infant Adoption In Louisiana
If you are interested in domestic infant adoption, or are a birth parent who would like to make an adoption plan, you can do so through a licensed adoption agency, or through an adoption attorney. Be sure that any attorney that you choose has experience in adoptions.
If you are pregnant and feel that you can not have the resources to care for a child, or to make an adoption plan, Louisiana does have a Safe Haven law. This allows you to leave your baby, up to 30 days old, at a licensed Hospital in Louisiana, public health unit, medical clinic, fire station, police station, pregnancy crisis center, or child advocacy center.
Louisiana Older Child Or Special Needs Adoption
There are many children waiting for an adoptive family in Louisiana but have difficulty being placed. These children are currently in foster care and may be older children or have a physical or emotional disability that requires extra care. Special needs may also mean a child of a different race, or a sibling group that needs to be adopted together.
When adopting an older child, you must complete a class called Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP). Older children and special needs children being adopted have unique needs. The purpose of the class is to help to educate you what the needs might be, and how to handle them.
International Adoption In Louisiana
With so many countries that you can adopt from, it is important to do your research and work with an agency that is experienced in adoptions from the country you`re interested in. Each country has different regulations, terminologies and time frames. Working with the right agency will make your adoption go much more smoothly. The agency must be licensed in Louisiana.
Louisiana Adoption Home Study
Every family who is planning to adopt must have a completed home study in order to take placement of a child. A home study will take several months and may seem extremely intrusive and personal. On many levels it is. You will be asked questions about your parenting style, your marriage (if applicable), your childhood, and all adults in the home will have to clear State Police and FBI criminal records checks as well as the State Central Registry for Child Abuse and Neglect.
The purpose of the home study is twofold. It protects the child and helps to match you with a child that will be the best fit for your family.
Louisiana Adoption Registry
If you are an adult who was adopted in Louisiana, or a parent who placed a child for adoption in Louisiana, you may register with the Louisiana Voluntary Adoption Registration to be put in contact with the other party. There is also a counseling requirement that must be met prior to voluntary release of any identifying information, but this is not required in order to register.
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