Private Agency Adoptions in Oregon
If you’re interested in adopting a child through an adoption agency, called a private adoption, this page is for you.
This article covers private adoptions in Oregon, costs of private adoption, and the private adoption process for birth parents and adoptive parents.
Not sure if private adoption is right for you?
- Visit this page to learn about other kinds of adoption in Oregon, including foster care adoptions and independent adoptions.
- Visit this page to learn about alternatives to adoption, including guardianship and third-party custody.
What is a private adoption?
In a private adoption, birth parents give up their legal rights so someone else can become the child’s legal parents.
Private adoptions are handled through licensed agencies that specialize in placing infants and toddlers with families.
In private adoptions, birth parents are more involved and can help choose the adoptive family. Agencies support birth parents in deciding how the adoption will work. Birth and adoptive parents stay in contact throughout the process.
In Oregon, only licensed and state-regulated adoption agencies and the foster care system can handle adoptions. Adoptions through unlicensed agencies, sometimes called facilitators, are not allowed.
How much does it cost to adopt a child?
The total cost of a private agency adoption varies based on your situation.
- If you’re adopting, costs usually range from $10,000 to $50,000. This covers attorney fees, home study costs, and agency fees. You might also help the birth mother with medical, living, or travel expenses. Financial help may be available through grants, loans, or the adoption tax credit.
- If you’re a birth parent, adoption is usually free for you. The agency or adoptive family will pay for your pregnancy and adoption-related costs, including medical, living, and travel expenses.
How do I give up my child for adoption?
If you’re considering placing your child for adoption, here’s what the process involves.
- Contact a licensed agency. Start by reaching out and filling out some forms about your situation. These forms are only for the agency and do not mean you have agreed to adoption. Find a list of licensed adoption agencies here.
- Make an adoption plan. After you contact an agency, you’ll start planning what you want the adoption to look like. This includes choosing the type of family for your child and deciding how much contact you want before and after the adoption.
- Choose an adoptive family. The agency will share information about possible families. Birth and adoptive parents choose each other.
- End parental rights. To place a child with the agency, you must give up your parental rights. This requires the birth mother’s consent, and the birth father’s if he’s a legal parent. Consent is only valid after the child is born.
- Place the child with the adoptive family. The agency has the final decision on whether the adoptive family can adopt the child. After you sign the consent papers and the child is placed with the adoptive family, your consent is permanent.
How do I adopt a child through an adoption agency?
If you want to adopt a child through an adoption agency, here’s what the process looks like.
- Contact an attorney. An adoption attorney can help start the process and gather the necessary legal papers. Some families prefer to talk with an attorney before contacting an agency. You can find an adoption attorney on this site.
- Contact an agency. Research and then contact a licensed adoption agency. This may involve the agency’s application form. Find a list of licensed adoption agencies here.
- Complete adoption education. Most agencies will require you to complete an education course before you begin the adoption process.
- Pass a home study. A home study typically includes a background check, an inspection of your home’s safety, and a meeting with everyone who lives there.
- Wait for a match. It can take time to match a child, since both birth and adoptive parents need to choose each other. Prepare your home while you wait.
- Welcome the child. The child will be introduced to your home and family. This introduction may happen slowly, depending on your situation.
- Submit a petition to adopt. Work with your attorney to finalize your adoption of the child by submitting a “Petition to Adopt” to the state.
- Finalize the adoption. Once the child has joined your home, a representative from your agency will visit to review your family and the placement. They write a post-placement report, which is filed with the state and required to finalize the adoption.
How long does adoption take?
The private agency adoption process will differ depending on your circumstances.
- If you’re adopting, you’ll spend time researching, gathering documents, completing a home study, and waiting for a match. It may take months or even years to be matched with a child. After you’re matched and your child is born, finalizing the adoption usually takes three to four months.
- If you’re the birth parent, agencies will work quickly to help you find adoptive parents before your child is born. After birth, it usually takes three to four months to finalize the adoption.
Next steps
- If you're a birth parent, start by finding a licensed adoption agency to help you navigate the adoption process. You can find a list of licensed agencies on this website.
- If you want to adopt a child, here are your next steps:
- Find a licensed agency. Here are all the licensed adoption agencies in Oregon.
- Find an adoption attorney: You can find an experienced licensed adoption attorney here. Or, you can call Oregon’s Lawyer Referral Service to get referrals to adoption attorneys.
- Check the attorney’s license. Lawyers licensed to practice law in Oregon are listed in the Oregon State Bar Licensee Directory. You can also use this directory to check the attorney’s discipline history.
- Choose a lawyer: Meet with a few attorneys to find the right fit. Be sure to ask about expected costs and what the process will look like if you work with them. For more tips, check our guide to hiring a lawyer in Oregon.