Interstate adoption refers to the placement of U.S. born infants for adoption who are born in one state and intended to be adopted by people who live in another state. Nearly all of these cases involve newborns with the parties locating each other during or near the end of a pregnancy. Each state has its own adoption laws that govern how an adoptive and birth family locate each other, the amount of living expenses that can be paid, the consent process, and applicable revocation periods.
Michigan does not have a residency requirement to adopt. Families from other states only need a home study completed by a licensed child placing agency in their state of residence to be able to file and finalize an adoption in Michigan. Decisions need to be made early in the process whether an adoption should take place where the child is born or where the adoptive parent resides.
Membership in the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys provides Fellows with resources in each state to determine what is the best course of action for an adoptive or birth family.