Moving to another state while adopting?

ycristina84

Hi all! We are at the very beginning stages of the adoption process (I intro'd myself a few days ago) and we are just interviewing agencies, going to seminars, and learning all we can before taking the leap.

Well, my husband may be getting a really great job opportunity in L.A. We live in TX. Would we be able to start the adoption process there, without establishing residency? Or would we have to wait? Should we start here instead? One super cool thing about this job is they have adoption assistance so we are praying that he gets it. But if it's going to put a huge hold on our family plans then we may have to reconsider.

Any first hand advice about moving across state lines? 

firecracker8

How soon would you be moving? If it's at all soon, then wait. We moved after our home study was done so we had to have it updated which just meant more paperwork and more $$$..... You can always keep on interviewing and maybe start paperwork but don't actually start your home study until you are settled in your new town.

ruthie7532

We are very likely moving out of state in 1 year. We are done with all the paperwork and are now in the waiting stage. Our agency said it wouldn't be a problem. If we move after we have a baby in the home but before finalization we will have to get a home safety eval at our new house (they'd help us find a social worker in the new state) and bring the baby back to the agency for post-placement visits. If we don't have a baby in our home before we move we'd just have to update the home safety eval and they'd treat us like any of their other out of state couples. We'd have to wait around in OK (our current state, and the only state our agency is licensed) for ICPC to clear after a baby was born. Just means we'd have to be in a hotel with baby for a few weeks until we got permission from both states to cross state lines.

You should probably be looking for agencies that work with couples from many states. That way you can start the process while you're still in TX. 

DaisyZH

There are some national agencies that work with different states, perhaps that could be an option?  I would just ask the agencies that you are interested in, I bet they've had couples in the past with the same question.  People are transferred for work all the time, or moved if they're in the military, etc. 

I hope he gets the job, adoption assistance would be great!!

CaptainSerious

If the agency you start with in your current state does not also work in your new state, you may have to start over from scratch.  Some agencies will accept your current homestudy and just update it, but others require you complete start over and meet all their requirements from start to finish.  So, if you do decide to start this, make sure the agency you start with can either work in both states or that their are agencies in the new state that will work with you to minimize how much you have to duplicate after you move.