Growing a family through the Colorado adoption process

Adoption is one of the many ways to grow a family. For couples or individuals who are interested in pursuing adoption in Colorado, there is helpful information available about the types of adoption and the process.

Types of adoption and requirements

There are several types of adoption including foster care, international and domestic. In Colorado, individuals or couples who would like to adopt must be at least 21 years old or older, pass a background check, complete adoption training and complete a home study.

With foster care adoptions, when the child cannot be reunified with their biological parents the foster parents may be eligible to adopt the child. One of the goals of foster care adoption is to provide the child with a permanent, stable home.

In international adoptions, individuals or couples adopt a child from a country outside of the United States. With domestic adoptions, the child’s biological parent voluntarily terminates his or her parental rights and places the child with an agency that is licensed to complete adoptions. The adoption agency then matches the child with a waiting family.

The adoption process

Most prospective adoptive parents first attend an information session that sets out the adoption program and the time frame for adoption. They must also complete training.

The home study evaluates the physical residence where the child will live and the social and family history of the adoptive family. Depending on the type of adoption, the home study process can take between three and six months to complete.

To finalize the adoption, the court will schedule a hearing and when it determines that all of the requirements have been met, will enter a final judgment where the child legally comes part of the adoptive family. An experienced attorney can provide representation and advice at each stage of the adoption process.