Military Adoption in Arizona
Can military couples adopt? Absolutely! Adoption is a realistic option for military personnel who want to expand their families.
Many military families adopt children and Adoption Choices of Arizona welcomes military families to apply! In many ways, the adoption process for military families is very similar to adoption for civilian families.
The adoption process will vary depending on whether you are currently stationed in the United States or overseas. In either case, you can begin by speaking with a Military OneSource consultant about your family’s desire to adopt. They can help you identify what benefits are available to you.
At a very basic level, steps for a military family in the adoption process include the following:
- Understand the applicable laws.
- Choose Adoption Choices of Arizona and complete a home study.
- Prepare for matching and placement of your child.
1. Understand the Applicable Law
The laws governing your adoption depend on where your family is stationed and where the child you wish to adopt lives.
If You Are Stationed in the United States:
Each State’s laws govern adoptions by its residents. The State Statutes Search feature on the Information Gateway website provides information on the adoption laws in each State. Information regarding who may adopt, timeframes for consent and revocation of consent to adoption, and more are provided in the database and can be searched by State, territory, or region.
If the child you want to adopt lives in a different State from where you are currently stationed, you need to be aware of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children. This is an agreement between States that regulates the placement of children across State lines. We are familiar with its requirements and can provide you with more information, including how this may impact the timeframe.
If You Are Stationed Overseas
Military families living overseas must comply with the same laws as those living in the United States, with a few added intricacies. If you are adopting a child living in the United States, your adoption may be governed by the laws of the State of your legal residence in addition to the State where the child lives. If you are adopting a child from another country, you will need to comply with the laws of your country of residence and your child’s home country (if they are different), in addition to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services policy (to ensure you can bring the child back to the United States with you).
The Judge Advocate General or legal assistance office may be able to point you to applicable laws, policies, and agreements the United States has with countries where military personnel are stationed. For example, not all countries and bases support adoption of children with particular educational and/or medical needs. You may want to ask how the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), a treaty between a host country and a nation stationing troops in that country, affects the relocation of children from one country to another.
2. Choose an Agency and Complete a Home Study
If You Are Stationed in the United States
You may choose to work with a public agency, a licensed private agency (like Adoption Choices of Arizona), an attorney (“independent adoption”), or an adoption facilitator (if allowed by laws in your State) or unlicensed agency.
Public and licensed private agencies like Adoption Choices of Arizona are required to meet State standards and have more oversight to ensure standardized quality services.
No matter what agency or facilitator you use, all prospective adoptive parents must have a home study (also called a family study or family assessment). The home study involves education, preparation, and information gathering about the prospective adoptive parents. This process can take from 2 to 10 months to complete. Intercountry adoption may carry special home study requirements, depending on the country and agency involved.
Although the home study process is generally the same for military families and civilian families, military families might encounter the following:
- Your home study may require more criminal background checks than is typical, because agencies may require background checks for every State in which you have lived.
- Depending on how familiar your assigned social worker is with military culture, you may encounter questions about how often your family moves and/or how you will provide a stable environment for a child.
- This is a good opportunity to point out that the military provides a high level of consistency and support for families, including access to the same health insurance, health care, and family supports no matter where they live.
If You Are Stationed Overseas
Families overseas must have a home study completed and been approved by a social worker licensed in the United States to do adoption home studies. Keep in mind that obtaining necessary documents, such as certified copies of birth and marriage certificates, may take extra time when you live overseas. If your documents must be notarized, you may need to contact the issuing State or county to get them.
3. Prepare for Matching and Placement of Your Child
The time it takes for a child to be matched with your family and placed in your home will vary greatly depending on the type of adoption, agency, and the country where you and your child live. It is not unusual to wait 2 years or longer for a child to be matched with an adoptive family. Realistic expectations about the waiting period and making use of that time to educate yourself about adoption and prepare your home and family for the lifelong journey can help ease the frustration of the wait.
Out-of-State or overseas families may need to travel to the home State or country of the child to meet and visit with him or her.
Permanent Change of Station or Deployment During the Adoption Process
PCS Orders
If your family receives orders for a permanent change of station (PCS) during the adoption process, you may be able to have some of your home study documents transferred to an agency near your new home or installation. However, many agencies require a new home study using their own forms and protocols.
If your family has already been matched with a child in the State where you are currently stationed but you have received orders to move out-of-State, administrators of the Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children will need to grant approval for the child to move to another State to complete the adoption. Once you have legally adopted your child, your family will be free to move to different States.
Deployment
In case of deployment, it is very important to keep your command informed about your adoption process to ensure that essential documents are completed and delivered in a timely way. The spouse remaining at home (or another family member) also should have a mailing address for the military member during deployment, as well as a method for reaching him or her in an emergency.
Some parts of the adoption process can be facilitated by granting power of attorney to your spouse (or another family member, in the case of a single parent adoption). However, your home study will require at least one personal interview that cannot be delegated to anyone else via power of attorney. If you know you will be deploying, you may be able to work with your social worker to schedule the interview before leaving. You also can prepare for the adoption process before deployment by completing fingerprints for background checks in advance.
Families that are close to finalization may request a deployment deferment or extension of assignment. This deferment is available for single parents or one member of a military couple and is more likely to be granted once a child has been placed in the home.
Military Benefits and Services
The military offers a number of benefits and services to support families before, during, and after an adoption. Military and Family Support Centers (known by different names in different branches of the military) are located on most military installations and can provide families with more information about their benefits and referrals to other sources. Assistance locating installation programs and services nearby can be obtained by contacting Military OneSource.Help With Adoption Costs
The costs of adoption can range from zero—if you adopt from the foster care system and use a public agency—to more than $40,000, if you adopt independently (that is, without an agency). Both military and nonmilitary resources are available to help defray the costs of adoption, such as:
- Adoption reimbursement. According to DoD Instruction 1341.09, up to $2,000 per child or up to $5,000 per year is available for qualifying expenses to military families whose adoptions were arranged by a qualified adoption agency or other source authorized to place children for adoption under State or local law.
- Benefits are paid after the adoption is completed. Read more here.
- Tax credit. Military families are eligible for the same adoption tax credit as civilian families.
- Adoption assistance (or adoption subsidies). For some eligible children, adoption assistance is another possible resource.
- The subsidies will vary depending on the child’s needs.
- Working spouses who are not members of the military may also be eligible for adoption reimbursement through their employer.
- There are plenty of grant and loan opportunities available as well.
Leave
Service members are eligible for up to 21 days of nonchargeable leave in conjunction with the adoption of a child. If both parents are in the military, only one can take adoption leave. See DoD instruction Number 1327.06 (page 17).
Military service members are not eligible for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. However, working spouses of military members may be eligible and should check with their employers regarding eligibility.
Medical Coverage
An adopted child or a child whose adoption is pending but not yet finalized should be enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) immediately upon placement in your home through DEERS. Patient affairs personnel at specific medical treatment facilities may have more information. Details about access and eligibility are available on the TRICARE website.
Post Adoption Services
All families can benefit from support, and many adoptive families find it helpful to seek services in the days, weeks, or even years after the adoption is finalized. Post adoption services help families with a wide range of challenges, from learning how to explain adoption to a preschooler, to caring for a child who experienced early childhood abuse, to supporting an adopted teen’s search for identity. Some post adoption services specific to the military include the following:
- Affordable child development programs provide child care at many military installations. DoD requires high-quality services that are consistent from one installation to another, although not all services are available at all installations.
- Family advocacy programs exist in each branch of the military. These programs include installation services to support and strengthen couples and families and provide individual and family counseling services for military families.
- New Parent Support Programs at some installations offer professional home visitation services for families with young children.
- Confidential services, including non-medical counseling, online coaching, and specialty consultations, are available in various formats for eligible individuals.
Other resources include the following:
- Parenting resources. Information Gateway’s Parenting After Adoption section offers a number of resources to support parents throughout their child’s life.
- Support groups. Adoptive parent support groups can be a great source of encouragement and a place to find information about other adoption services in your area. Some military installations have active adoptive parent support groups.
- Trauma support. Many children and youth who are adopted—particularly those adopted internationally or from the U.S. foster care system—have experienced some form of trauma.
- Your Adoption Choices of Arizona staff.
If the Department of Child Protective Services is involved in your life, private adoption (where you choose the adoptive parents), is still an option for you. Do not hesitate to call. There is only a small window of time that you have to make an adoption plan and the baby can be released from the hospital directly to the adoptive family.
We will come to your hospital room or wherever you want to meet and walk you through the process of making a life long plan for your baby.
No one knew I was pregnant. My plan was to have the baby and use Safe Haven at the hospital. When the hospital social worker told me CPS was Safe Haven or I could pick my own family through an adoption agency – I did not want my baby in a foster home so I called Adoption Choices. They were in my room in less than an hour, helped me with the paperwork and my discharge. I did this in the best interest of my baby. Sometimes I’m sad… but I know my baby is happy and in a wonderful home.
– BIRTH MOTHER
Find a Forever Family for Your Baby
Call 602-396-5205 or Text 602-505-4190
Adoption Process
5 Steps For Birth Parents
Step 1 |
Call UsGive us a call, any time. We are here to answer your questions and to help you look at your options. Gaining understanding and knowledge will often ease your stress and fe |
Step 2 |
Meet With A CounselorOne of our professional, compassionate counselors will come to you providing you all the information, paperwork, answers, and guidance to start your adoption journey. |
Step 3 |
Select A FamilyYour counselor will bring you family profiles to choose from. Don’t feel you have the right family? We’ll get you more profiles! You get to choose your family and the level of openness you wish to have. |
Step 4 |
Place Baby with The FamilyWe will be with you and advocate for you at the hospital. The baby will leave with the adoptive family while we prepare consents. |
Step 5 |
Access Post Placement SupportWe will ensure you have a healthy recovery and a plan of action. Our counselors will remain available for you during this time. |