Are you interested in adopting and sharing your life with a child in Maryland?
Are you an adult who was adopted in Maryland and now would like to locate your
birth parents?
Or, are you a birth parent who placed your child for adoption and now want to
locate your birth child?
The Maryland Department of Human Resources’ Adoption staff is eager to help you!
The loving experience of adoption is a wonderful way to build a family, and
today, hundreds of children in Maryland want nothing more than to become part
of a stable family to call their own.
The children available through the Maryland Departments of Social Services
are often the victims of unfortunate circumstances that led to their need
for new homes. Although many of the children have special needs, their
greatest need is for a permanent family in which they can grow and be loved.
Martial status, wealth and education are not critical requirements for adoption,
but the willingness and ability to provide a permanent and loving home are key
requirements.
Is there room in your heart and home for a special child? Let us help you
find that child. Please
click here for more information.
And adult adoptees and birth parents -- let us help you reconnect your blood
ties through our Adoption Search, Contact and Reunion Services. Please
click here for more information.
Are you considering the use of a private adoption agency to adopt a child? Click here for more information
If you are interested in adopting a child through a Maryland private adoption agency, the agency must be licensed in Maryland. Only licensed Maryland agencies or local departments of social services may complete home studies for Maryland residents. Click here to obtain a listing of licensed private child placement agencies which are authorized to provide adoption services.
Question: What will a licensed private child placement agency do for me?
Answer:
- Complete an initial interview with you and provide basic information;
- If you are still interested after the interview, conduct a home study (the home study may not be completed by a licensed social worker unless that social worker is employed by a licensed child placement agency);
- Provide you with information about adoption processes;
- Locate and place a child in your home for adoption;
- Provide post-placement services.
Question: How much will it cost me to use a private child placement agency?
Answer:
- There is no legal cap on the amount an agency charges for its services;
- Usually, an agency divides the amount charged into categories, such as application fee, home study fee, post-placement services, etc.;
- If a fee is collected from an agency and the specific services for which the fee is contracted are not rendered, the agency must return that fee;
- All private Maryland agencies are required to use a sliding scale to allow services to be provided for an array of economic categories.
Question: What does a private child placement agency need to do in order to be licensed?
Answer:
- In order to obtain initial licensure a private agency must be incorporated and provide the Department of Human Resources with a wide range of documents and other written material;
- The agency must have an office located in Maryland;
- The chief administrator of the agency must be a physician licensed to practice in Maryland, an attorney who is a member of the Maryland Bar, or a social worker licensed to practice in Maryland;
- The agency is monitored by staff persons from the Department of Human Resources;
- The agency must be re-licensed every two years.
Question: What if I want to adopt a child from another country?
Answer:
- You must comply with all procedures of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services;
- Local departments of social services do not usually provide services for international adoptions because of other priorities, so you will probably need to use one of the following private agencies (click here).
- Even though marriage is not required to adopt a child in Maryland, some foreign countries expect adopting parents to be married;
- You will need a completed home study;
- You will be asked to comply with the expectations and rules of the country from which the child is adopted;
- You may be required to travel to the foreign country to complete adoption arrangements.
Call us at 1-800-39-ADOPT.
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