Adopting a Baby in Illinois

Illinois law gives adults who are at least 21 years of age the power to adopt a baby. The Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is the state agency that oversees and regulates Illinois adoptions. Although adopting a baby in Illinois can take many months to finalize, adoption agencies help ensure the process is painless and professional.

Instructions

    • 1

      Contact an Illinois adoption agency. Different adoption agencies have different price structures, waiting periods and educational resources, so it is important to find an adoption agency that matches your needs. Try to focus your search on agencies that specialize in placing infants, rather than older children or teens. When you have selected an agency, talk with the staff about adopting a child and begin the registration paperwork.

    • 2

      Complete a home study. Your home study will be overseen by an Illinois state social worker. She will meet you and your family, review your financial situation and try to get a sense of your readiness for a new child in your home. Every prospective adoptive parent must complete a home study in order to register with an adoption agency. The social worker can also answer questions about adoption. Illinois requires adoptive parents to be fingerprinted; have this done through the agency at this stage in the process.

    • 3

      Begin your search for a baby. Your adoption agency will have information about the infants it personally supervises. Discuss possibilities with the social workers who oversee the babies and with the advisory staff at the agency. Read as much information as is available about the infants. Be patient during this stage--finding a baby that fits your household can be an arduous, if ultimately worthwhile, task.

    • 4

      Select the infant you are most interested in meeting. Give your home study report to the child's social worker and discuss your interest in adopting the child. Illinois social workers must sometimes choose between different families or individuals who are all vying to adopt the same baby. If you are selected by the social worker, you will be all but approved for the adoption.

    • 5

      Meet with the baby personally. The baby will be supervised by the social worker. At some point after the meeting, decide whether or not to adopt the child. If you decide against adopting that particular baby, continue your search. If you decide to adopt the infant, notify all interested parties. Have the adoption finalized by an Illinois judge. Contact the Illinois Adoption Registry and Medical Information Exchange to find out whether the birth parents have indicated a desire to meet the baby later in his life. Pay all the necessary adoption fees.

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